Comparison of two methods of Marshallagia marshalli donor sheep production

Abstract

Marshallagia marshalli is found in the abomasums of sheep, goats and wild ruminants in tropical and sub tropical climates. In Iran among different species of Ostertagiinae that can infect sheep, M. marshalli is currently the major cause of parasitic gastroenteritis in ruminant. Having a donor animal is essential for various studies. In the present study we compared the efficacy of two different method of M. marshalli donor sheep production. In the first method, M. marshalli donor sheep was produced by transplanting of adult forms of this worm into abomasum of a lamb (6 months of age) through a surgically established cannula. In the second method, 5,000 infective larvae (L3) from the female M. marshalli culture were given to a worm-free lamb of 6 months age through a stomach tube. After 3 days of transplanting, few eggs of M. marshalli appeared in the cannulated lamb's faeces. The number of eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) increased in the following days. The average number of EPG reached up to 23.5 ± 11.26 per day in 2 months. In larval infected lamb by day 21 post infection the eggs were appeared in faeces. The average number of EPG reached up 53.5 ± 42.5 per day in 2 months. In comparison between cannulation and larval infected, the number of eggs laid by worms transplanted in cannulated lamb was less than that of larval infected lamb. However, the abomasal cannulation method seems more preferable due to some advantages such as defined number of worms transplanted into abomasums, rapid access to the eggs and their culture.

Diversity of gastrointestinal helminths in Dall's sheep and the negative association of the abomasal nematode, Marshallagia marshalli, with fitness indicators

“…Marshallagia marshalli is the gastrointestinal helminth with the highest prevalence and infection intensity throughout Dall’s sheep distributional range[ 28 – 30 ]. It is an important cause of parasitic gastroenteritis in wild and domestic sheep[ 31 , 67 ] and can cause marked alterations in the abomasal physiology of the infected host[ 31 , 33 ]. In Dall’ sheep, this detrimental effect may occur through a variety of mechanisms that have been extensively studied for related nematodes in domestic ungulates.…”

“…marshalli include a marked loss of functional parietal cells in the abomasum of the host resulting in an increase of abomasal pH, and an increase of both serum pepsinogen and serum gastrin concentrations[ 31 , 32 ]. The clinical presentation is similar to other gastrointestinal parasites including appetite depression, weight loss, constipation and diarrhea[ 31 , 33 ]. Based on field observations in Alaska, Neilsen and Neiland[ 29 ] suggested that M .…”

Gastrointestinal Helminthic Challenges in Sheep and Goats in Afro-Asian Region: A Review

“…In last decade the infection of Marshallagia marshalli was recorded from Algeria (Meradi et al, 2011), Iran (Naem and Gorgani, 2011;Moradpour et al, 2014) and Iraq (Al-Bayati and Arsalan, 2009;Nasrullah et al, 2014;Mohammedameen, 2016). Meradi et al (2011) reported prevalence of this nematode parasite in small ruminants ranging 21 to 81 percent in Algeria and established significant linear regression between prevalence of Marshallagia marshalli and rainfall.…”