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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Trematodes of Paramphistomatidae Infecting Domestic Ruminants
    (Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 1987) Tarun Shankar, Nath; KAU; George Varghese, C
    The thesis embodied the results of an investigation on the prevalence of amphistome infection and their specific identity in different domestic ruminants (cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats) of Kerala state. A total of 1490 faecal samples from domestic ruminants were collected from different places of Kerala State during a period from April 1985 to March 1986. These samples were examined by sedimentation technique to detect infection with amphistomes and their prevalence. Viscera of 780 slaughtered/ dead ruminants from different parts of Kerala were examined in addition and the available amphistomes were collected for the study and specific identification. The flukes were studied alive, flattened and stained and in certain cases by microtomy sections. Result of the study indicated that the prevalence of infection was far more in cattle and buffaloes than in sheep and goats. The rate of prevalence in cattle, buffaloes and goats was 20.16%, 28.57% and 3.22% respectively. In slaughtered/dead animals the prevalence was 33.09%, 34.67%, 4.17% and 5.81% respectively in cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats. The highest prevalence was recorded during the rainy season and lowest in dry/summer season. Prevalence during south west monsoon was 38.08% and 20.73% during North East monsoon. The seasonal prevalence hardly varied between cattle and buffaloes but it was consistently low in sheep and goats. Most of the prevalence in all animals were of mixed origin. A total number of 17 species belonging to eight genera of amphistomes were identified. Cevlonocotyle spinicephalus (Tandon, 1955) was recorded from new hosts i.e, cattle and goats, cotylophoron chauhani from goats, in addition to the already reported hosts, buffaloes and sheep respectively. The following conclusions are drawn on the basis of the results of this study: Amphistomes are most prevalent in cattle and buffaloes. Though the infection with amphistomes exists throughout the year, it is definitely more in monsoon seasons. Ceylonocotyle spinicephalus (Tandon, 1955) occurs in cattle and goats and cotylophoron chauhani (Gupta and Gupta, 1972 ) in goats also.