Electronic Journal of Polish Agricultural Universities (EJPAU) founded by all Polish Agriculture Universities presents original papers and review articles relevant to all aspects of agricultural sciences. It is target for persons working both in science and industry,regulatory agencies or teaching in agricultural sector. Covered by IFIS Publishing (Food Science and Technology Abstracts), ELSEVIER Science - Food Science and Technology Program, CAS USA (Chemical Abstracts), CABI Publishing UK and ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publisher - full membership). Presented in the Master List of Thomson ISI.
2000
Volume 3
Issue 1
Topic:
Animal Husbandry
ELECTRONIC
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Pilarczyk B. , Balicka-Ramisz A. , Ramisz A. 2000. STUDIES ON COCCIDIOSIS IN CATTLE IN NORTH-WEST POLAND, EJPAU 3(1), #01.
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume3/issue1/animal/art-01.html

STUDIES ON COCCIDIOSIS IN CATTLE IN NORTH-WEST POLAND

Bogumiła Pilarczyk, Aleksandra Balicka-Ramisz, Alojzy Ramisz

 

ABSTRACT

The studies were carried out in the North -West part of Poland. The investigation was conducted on 292 specimens of the Holstein cattle with added 50% of HF.The extensity and intensity of the coccidia infection were determined by means of the Willis-Schlaaf's and McMaster's methods. Six species of coccidia were found : E. bovis, E. auburnensis, E. zürni, E. ellipsoidalis, E. subspherica and E. cylindrica. Twenty seven per cent of dairy cows and 49.6 per cent of calves were infected . Number of oocysts per gram of feces in calves ranged form 333 to 2237. Observations on the dynamics of the coccidia invasion in calves during a yearly cycle exhibited the existence of two peaks; a vernal and an autumnal ones.

Key words: Cattle, eimeria, infection rate.

INTRODUCTION

The studies on Coccidia infection in cattle in Poland were known in only limited scale (Ramisz et al. 1970; Lipiński 1984). In the North-West Poland, studies on coccidiosis in calves have not been undertaken till now. The coccidia infection in calves is a typical subclinical pathogenic factor and clinical symptoms are rarely observed . However, the economical consequences of the subclinical infections are of importance specially in beef calves production.

The main aims of these studies were to establish the annual dynamics of coccidia infection in cows and calves and to determine the species of Eimeria involved.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The studies were carried out in the North- West part of Poland. A total number of 292 animals (132 cows and 160 calves) were studied .

Fecal examination was performed with the qualitative methods of Willis-Schlaaf and the McMaster, establishing the number of oocysts in 1 g of feces (OPG coefficient) (Thienpont et al., 1986).

The species were determined based on morphology of oocysts (shape, color, form index, presence or absence of micropyle and its cap, presence or absence of residual, polar and Stiedé bodies) and time of sporulation with Coudert's key (Coudert, 1992). Sporulation was performed in wet chamber at 24-26 oC in a 2.5% aqueous solution of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) (Pellérdy, 1974).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results are presented in the Tables 1-5. Six species - E. bovis, E.auburnensis, E. zürni, E. ellipsoidalis, E. subspherica and E. cylindrica were found (Table 1). The course of the coccidia infection was characterized by two peaks . The same of results are presented by Lipiński (1984) and Ramisz (1970). The first peak was observed in April (E.I. = 68,58%) and the second one in September (E.I.= 65,99%) (Table 2). The lowest infection rate of the coccidia infection in the dairy calves was observed during winter months, namely in November (E.I.26,52%) and in December (E.I.=23,07%) (Table 2). Number of oocysts per gram of feces in calves ranged form 333 to 2237 (Table 3). The infection rate was 27,1% in cows and 49,6% in calves. E. bovis, E.auburnensis, E. ellipsoidalis occured most often in calves (Table 1).The highest infection rate in calves aged five to seven month (Table 4) and in five and seven-years-old cows (Table 5). The same of results were obtained by Lipiński (1984) in North Poland.The studies on coccidia infection rate in otheer countries - Chech Republik (Bejsovec i wsp., 1982; Chroust, 1964; Pavlaska, 1978), Kazakhstan (Svanbajev, 1977) and Japan (Oda, 1990) show, that the highest intensity of oocystes output was established in the age of 3-6 mouths.

Table 1. The infection rate of Eimeria spp. in calves and dairy cows (%)

Species of Eimeria

Cows

Calves

E. bovis

E. auburnensis

E. zürni

E. ellipsoidalis

E. subspherica

E. cylindrica

17.34

7.64

5.41

3.60

2.85

0.90

27.23

12.57

6.17

9.88

2.78

1.51

Table 2. The infection rate of coccidia in cows and in calves during the yearly cycle

Rate of infection (%)

Months

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

Cows

10.70

11.03

18.30

23.40

32.6

46.03

44.17

39.60

39.43

23.60

20.53

15.80

Calves

34.82

38.35

54.43

68.58

66.39

62.09

57.34

59.48

65.99

38.03

26.52

23.07

Table 3. OPG of Eimeria spp. in calves during the yearly cycle

OPG ( number of oocysts per g of feces )

Months

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

Calves

443

627

1377

2237

1997

1710

1250

1323

1947

1317

533

333

Table 4. The Eimeria spp. infection in calves and young cattle in different aged groups

Age of animals
(months)

Rate of infection
(%)

1

0.00

2

12.45

3

37.66

4

52.81

5

69.98

6

73.09

7

76.47

8

61.92

9

61.58

10

49.96

Table 5. Average annual infection rate of coccidia (%) in cows in different aged groups

Number of cows

Age
(years)

Rate of infection
(%)

30

3 - 4

38.15

30

5 - 6

44.00

30

7 - 8

36.82

30

above 9

33.02

CONCLUSIONS

Coccidia infection in calves during the annual cycle exhibited the existence of two peaks (April)- 68,58% infected animals and autumnal (September) - 65,99% infected calves.

The higaest infection rate with Eimeria spp. was observed in calves aged from five to seven month and in cows five to seven-years-old.

REFERENCES

  1. Bejsovec J., Donat K., 1982. Endoparazite v centralni odchovne telat a jalovic, Vet. Med., 27, 405-417.

  2. Chroust K., 1964. Kokcydioza u telat. Sb. Vys. Sk. zemedelsk., Brno, Ser., 12, 208-233

  3. Coudert, P., 1992. Eimeria species from the cattle. IV Conference COST-89, Tours, INRA, October 1992.

  4. Lipiński , Z.,1984. The occurrence of Eimeria ssp. Schneider,1875 infection in cows and calves in depends according to the breeding conditions, age, and sex of the examined animals. ART Olsztyn,diss., (In Polish).

  5. Oda K., Nishida Y., 1990. Prevalence and distribution of bovine coccidia in Japan., Jap. J. vet. Sci., 52: 71-77.

  6. Pavlasek J., 1978. Vyskyt kokcydioz u telat ve veku od jednoho sesti mesicu ustajenych ve velkokapacitnim teletniku. Vet. Med. Praga, 23, 411-420.

  7. Pellérdy, L. P., 1974. Coccidia and coccidiosis. Akademia, Kido, Budapest.

  8. Ramisz, A., Urban, E., Danilczuk , K., 1970. Investigations on coccidiosis in farm animals in the Kraków voivodship in 1969-1970. Medycyna Weterynaryjna 27: 545-546. (in Polish).

  9. Svanbajev S.K., 1997. Kokcydiozy sielskochoziajstwiennych żivotnych Kazachstan. Izdatel stwo "Nauka", Ałma-Ata.

  10. Thienpont, D., Rochette, F., Vanparijs, O., 1986. Diagnosing helminthiasis by coprological examination. Janssen Research Fundation, Beerse, Belgium.


Submited:
B. Pilarczyk, A. Balicka-Ramisz, A. Ramisz
Department of Animal Hygiene and Prophylaxis,
University of Agriculture,
Dr. Judyma str.6, 71-466 Szczecin, Poland.

Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed ‘Discussions’ in each series and hyperlinked to the article.


[BACK] [MAIN] [HOW TO SUBMIT] [SUBSCRIPTION] [ISSUES] [SEARCH]