Clinical epidemiology and knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP) study on Toxocara vitulorum infection in buffalo calves
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Date
2022-09-15
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Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu (J&K)
Abstract
Toxocara vitulorum is the most frequent and harmful intestinal nematode of tropical and sub-tropical buffalo calves. The present study was conducted in Jammu to estimate the prevalence of T. vitulorum infection in buffalo calves (<3 months), to conduct KAP survey related to toxocarosis, to access the impact of administering piperazine hexahydrate (@220mg/kg) to infected calves and fenbendazole (@7.5mg/kg) to pregnant buffaloes in controlling toxocarosis and to perform molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of T. vitulorum. The study revealed 57.00% and 26.29% overall prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites and T. vitulorum, respectively. Highest prevalence of T.vitulorum infection was recorded in monsoon (41.57%), in the month of August (51.92%), in upto 30 days age-group (40.14%) and in female calves (30.30%). Higher risk of T.vitulorum infection was recorded in monsoon (~23 times vs. winter), in August and September (~20 and 14 times, respectively vs. January), in upto 30 days age-group (~5 times vs. 61-90 day age-group) and in females (~1.7 times vs. males). KAP survey revealed positive correlation between knowledge, attitudes and practices. Increase in the practice score was found to be associated with a decreased probability of being T. vitulorum positive. Piperazine hexahydrate showed 100% efficacy in treating buffalo calves. Levels of Hb, PCV, TEC, Ca, Pi, TSP, glucose, Zn, Cu and Fe improved significantly (p<0.05) at 15 day post-treatment while as LPO and GSH didn’t. Body weight and growth rate improved significantly (p<0.05) at day 30 post treatment. Fenbendazole proved to be 100% ineffective in controlling transmammary transmission of T.vitulorum larvae (L3). A total of two sequences submitted to NCBI GeneBank, were assigned the accession numbers as: T. vitulorum ITS-2 gene (ON814200) and T. vitulorum COI gene (ON811675) and proved to be useful and sensitive molecular markers for classifying and studying the phylogenetic analysis and relationships among closely related Toxocara spp.