Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T13:10:50.507Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Phenotypic characterization of Haemonchus contortus: a study of isolates from Sweden and Kenya in experimentally infected sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2005

K. TROELL
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology (SWEPAR), National Veterinary Institute and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 751 89 Uppsala, Sweden
C. TINGSTEDT
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology (SWEPAR), National Veterinary Institute and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 751 89 Uppsala, Sweden
J. HÖGLUND
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology (SWEPAR), National Veterinary Institute and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 751 89 Uppsala, Sweden

Abstract

The effects of cold storage of infective third-stage larvae (L3) of different isolates of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus were studied with respect to infectivity, pre-patent period and propensity for larval arrestment. Two complementary experiments were conducted with 2 groups of lambs, each animal being inoculated with 2000 L3 of either Swedish or Kenyan origin. In a first experiment, L3s were cold treated at 5 °C for 9 months prior to infection, whereas in a second experiment larvae were newly hatched. Individual faecal egg counts (FECs), and worm burdens were determined for each experiment. The results showed that the greatest differences were associated with the pre-treatment of larvae. The pre-patent period and the FECs differed significantly between the experiments but not between the isolates used in each experiment. However, the extent of hypobiosis was significantly different between the two isolates when fresh larvae were used (36% Kenyan isolate and 70% Swedish). The storage of H. contortus at 5 °C had no apparent effect on the infectivity of L3s, as high establishment ranging from 43 to 74% were observed, irrespective of isolates used. This study showed that H. contortus exhibited similar phenotypic traits regardless of geographical origin. Thus, there was limited evidence for adaptations to temperate climatic conditions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Allonby, E. W. and Urquhart, G. M. ( 1975). The epidemiology and pathogenic significance of haemonchosis in a merino flock in east Africa. Veterinary Parasitology 1, 129143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blitz, N. M. and Gibbs, H. C. ( 1971). Morphological characterization of the stage of arrested development of Haemonchus contortus in sheep. Canadian Journal of Zoology 47, 991995.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blitz, N. M. and Gibbs, H. C. ( 1972). Studies on the arrested development of Haemonchus contortus in sheep. I. The induction of arrested development. International Journal for Parasitology 2, 512.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Capitini, L. A., McClure, K. E. and Herd, R. P. ( 1990). Effect of environmental stimuli on pre-infective and infective stages of Haemonchus contortus in the northern united states for the induction of hypobiosis. Veterinary Parasitology 35, 281293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connan, R. M. ( 1971). The seasonal incidence of inhibition of development in Haemonchus contortus. Research in Veterinary Science 12, 272274.Google Scholar
Connan, R. M. ( 1975). Inhibited development in Haemonchus contortus. Parasitology 71, 239246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dobson, R. J., Waller, P. J. and Donald, A. D. ( 1990). Population dynamics of Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep: the effect of infection rate on the establishment of infective larvae and parasite fecundity. International Journal for Parasitology 20, 347352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donald, A. D., Morley, F. H. W., Waller, P. J., Axelsen, A. and Donnelly, J. R. ( 1978). Availability to grazing sheep of gastrointestinal nematode infection arising from summer contamination of pastures. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 29, 189204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gatongi, P. M., Prichard, R. K., Ranjan, S., Gathuma, J. M., Munyua, W. K., Cheruiyot, H. and Scott, M. E. ( 1998). Hypobiosis of Haemonchus contortus in natural infections of sheep and goats in a semi-arid area of Kenya. Veterinary Parasitology 77, 4961.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, H. M. ( 1948). The epidemiology of parasitic diseases, with special reference to studies with nematode parasites of sheep. Australian Veterinary Journal 24, 1744.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, H. M. and Whitlock, H. V. ( 1939). A new technique for counting nematode eggs in sheep faeces. Journal of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research 12, 5052.Google Scholar
Lindqvist, A., Ljungstrom, B. L., Nilsson, O. and Waller, P. J. ( 2001). The dynamics, prevalence and impact of nematode infections in organically raised sheep in Sweden. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 42, 377389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansfield, M. E., Todd, K. S. Jr and Levine, N. D. ( 1977). Developmental arrest of Haemonchus contortus larvae in lambs given larval inoculum exposed to different temperatures and storage conditions. American Journal of Veterinary Research 38, 803806.Google Scholar
McKenna, P. B. ( 1973). The effect of storage on the infectivity and parasitic development of third-stage Haemonchus contortus larvae in sheep. Research in Veterinary Science 14, 312316.Google Scholar
Muller, G. L. ( 1968). The epizootiology of helminth infestation in sheep in the south-western districts of the cape. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 35, 159193.Google Scholar
Ogunsusi, R. A. and Eysker, M. ( 1979). Inhibited development of trichostrongylids of sheep in northern Nigeria. Research in Veterinary Science 26, 108110.Google Scholar
Perry, B. D., Randolph, T. F., McDermott, J. J., Sones, K. R. and Thornton, P. K. ( 2002). Investing in Animal Health Research to Alleviate Poverty. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya.
Rossanigo, C. E. and Gruner, L. ( 1995). Moisture and temperature requirements in faeces for the development of free-living stages of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep, cattle and deer. Journal of Helminthology 69, 357362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverman, P. H. and Campbell, J. A. ( 1959). Studies on parasitic worms of sheep in Scotland. I. Embryonic and larval development of Haemonchus contortus at constant conditions. Parasitology 49, 2338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Troell, K., Mattsson, J. G., Alderborn, A. and Höglund, J. ( 2003). Pyrosequencing analysis identifies discrete populations of Haemonchus contortus from small ruminants. International Journal for Parasitology 33, 765771.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Troell, K., Waller, P. J. and Höglund, J. ( 2005). The development and overwintering survival of free living larvae of Haemonchus contortus in Sweden. Journal of Helminthology 79, 18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waller, P. J., Rudby-Martin, L., Ljungstrom, B. L. and Rydzyk, A. ( 2004). The epidemiology of abomasal nematodes of sheep in Sweden, with particular reference to overwinter survival strategies. Veterinary Parasitology 122, 207220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waller, P. J. and Thomas, R. J. ( 1975). Field studies on inhibition of Haemonchus contortus. Parasitology 71, 285291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar