By Vida Booysen
Mohair South Africa has warned farmers to be on the alert for seasonal diseases such as brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia circumcincta) after several young goats have died on farms in the Eastern Cape after being infected with the worm in the past two months.
Dr Mackie Hobson, a veterinarian in the mohair industry, explains this parasitic infection particularly strikes weaned goats and young goats that have not yet developed an effective acquired immunity from February to June.
“With the good late summer rains, the environmental conditions were favourable for brown stomach worm and pork worm. In late summer and autumn, the roundworm pasture infestation is usually at its highest.”
Brown stomach worm is a type of roundworm parasite. It falls into the category of roundworms, which affect the digestive system of animals, especially small livestock such as goats and sheep, and is found especially in a goat’s milk stomach (abomasum). Brown stomach worm also occurs in winter rainfall areas, and the survival of the worms is promoted by good rainfall and pasture.
Hobson explains both goats and sheep can be infected with brown stomach worm, although young goats and weaned kids are the most susceptible. The disease causes serious health problems, including poor appetite, weakness, weight loss, swelling disease, and in some cases, anaemia. The worms suppress the animals’ appetite and cause severe diarrhoea.
Farmers are advised to monitor young goats closely for these clinical signs, have dropping samples checked, and administer appropriate worm treatments (dosing) if indicated.
“Talk to your veterinarian about the correct strategies for treating and managing the infestation. Also, always get a second manure sample 10 to 14 days after treatment to ensure it was effective, as worm resistance to drugs is a reality,” says Hobson.
The slow recovery time can take more than a month, and when weaned lambs show clinical signs of a roundworm infestation again, a month after the initial treatment, it’s too late. “By then, their antibody levels against other infections have decreased, and this could lead to further losses in the following weeks. Equally, growth rates and future production may be severely affected.”
Inquiries: Dr. Mackie Hobson, 041 581 1681
