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Archiv Tierzucht 52 (2009) 3, 265-271, ISSN 0003-9438
©
Research Institute for the Biology of Farm Animals (FBN) Dummerstorf, Germany
Occurrence of endoparasites in heifers
imported to Poland from the Netherlands
(Short Communication)
BOGUMIŁA PILARCZYK, ALEKSANDRA BALICKA-RAMISZ, WOJCIECH KOZAK and
ALOJZY RAMISZ
Department of Animal Hygiene and Prophylaxis, Agricultural University Szczecin, Poland
Abstract
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was studied in 106 heifers imported to Poland
from the Netherlands. Prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and Eimeria protozoans
was determined from coproscopic examinations using Willis-Schlaf flotation. The species
composition of coccidia was determined from morphological characters and the time of
oocyst sporulation. Fluke liver eggs were detected by decantation. The study showed the
mean prevalence of Eimeria protozoans in the heifers imported from the Netherlands to
Poland to be 17.92
%; the mean prevalences of Cryptosporidium sp. (11.32
%), gastrointestinal
nematodes (55.66
%) and Fasciola hepatica (32.08
%), respectively. The following 6
coccidia species were isolated from faecal samples: E. bovis, E. aubernensis, E. ellipsoidalis,
E. subspherica, E. zürni, and E. brasiliensis. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the
cattle imported from the Netherlands to Poland was very high, therefore it is purposeful to
mandatorily examine the imported cattle for the presence of those parasites.
Keywords: heifers, Cryptosporidium sp., Eimeria, gastrointestinal nematodes, Fasciola
hepatica
Zusammenfassung
Prävalenz des Innenparasitenbefalls bei nach Polen
importierten niederländischen Färsen (Kurzmitteilung)
Die Untersuchungen über den Innenparasitenbefall des Verdauungskanals mit Nematoden
und Kokzidien erfolgten bei 106 nach Polen importierten niederländischen Färsen mit Hilfe
der Willis-Schlaf-Methode. Die Differezierungskriterien der Eimeriaarten wurden auf Grund
der Oozystenform und der Sporulationszeit festgestellt. Die Leberegeleier wurden mit der
Sedimentationsmethode ermittelt. Die Prävalenz von Eimeria betrug 17,92 %,
Cryptosporidium sp. fanden sich bei 11,37 %, gastrointestinal Nematoden bei 55,66 % und
Fasciola hepatica bei 32,32 % der Probanden. Sechs Kokzidienarten wurden im Kot der
holländischen Färsen nachgewiesen. (E. bovis, E. aubernensis, E. ellipoidalis, E. subspherica,
E. zürni und E. brasiliensis). Die Prävalenz von Parasiten des Verdauungskanals der aus den
Niederlanden importierten Tiere war sehr hoch weshalb eine Untersuchung auf
Parasitenbefall importierter Tiere dringend empfohlen wird.
Schlüsselwörter: Färsen, Cryptosporidium sp., Eimeria, Nematoden, Fasciola hepatica
PILARCZYK et al.: Occurrence of endoparasites in heifers imported to Poland from the Netherlands
266
Introduction
Parasitoses belong to the most common diseases of ungulates (DISTL 2001, GÓRSKI et al.
2004a, 2004b, AGNEESSENS et al. 2000, BORGSTEEDE et al. 1998, 2000, MEKROUD et al.
2004, PILARCZYK et al. 2002, HILGENSTOCK et al. 2006) and result in high losses caused
mainly by reduced condition, productivity, and resistance of the affected animals.
Parasitic diseases proceed usually subclinically, for which reason they very often go
undetected by breeders and veterinarians alike. The Black-White cattle are the
commonest breed in Poland, improved by admixture of genes of the Holstein-Friesland
cattle imported from Germany and the Netherlands, heifers being most frequently
imported. The absence of control makes it possible to introduce, with the imported cattle,
of new parasites. The problem of parasitic infestations (with protozoans and worms) of
heifers imported to the Czech Republic from Germany, France, Denmark, and the
Netherlands was discussed by PAVLASEK (1995).
At present, the cattle imported to Poland do not have to be examined for the
presence of endoparasites such as coccidia, cryptosporidia, gastrointestinal nematodes,
and liver fluke.
This study was aimed at identification of parasitic fauna in heifers imported to Poland
from the Netherlands.
Material and methods
Coproscopic examination was carried out in 106 Holstein-Friesland heifers imported from
the Netherlands – Overijssel Province to the Porta-Agra farm in Poland. During the
2-week quarantine, the heifers were fed Triticale flakes, corn silage, barley hay silage, and
hay; the heifers had access to water and salt.
The prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and Eimeria protozoans was estimated
from coproscopic examination, performed with the Willis-Schlaf flotation technique
(ZIOMKO and CENCEK 1995). The samples for study were taken individually from rectum
of each animal. Coccidia were identified to species using the key published by PELLERDI
(1974). Examinations were supplemented by culturing oocysts at 24-26
°C in a humid
chamber, with 2.5
% aqueous solution of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) to prevent
mould growth.
Nematodes were identified to species based on larval culture carried out as
recommended by Baermann (GUNDŁACH et al. 2004).
Faeces were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium sp. using a modified Ziehl-
Neelsen staining technique (ANONYMUS 1991) and a commercially available
immunoenzymatic microplate assay (PrpSpecT Cryptosporidium Microplate Assay, Alexon
Inc.). The microplate assay was performed as specified by the manufacturer.
The liver fluke was detected by decantation (ZIOMKO and CENCEK 1995).
Results
The mean prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the heifers imported to Poland was
83.96
% (n=89).
Arch Tierz 52 (2009) 3, 265-271
267
The mean prevalence of Eimeria infestation of the heifers examined was 17.92
% (n=19).
As shown by coproscopy, the heifers were infested by a mix of coccidia, the following 6
coccidia species being isolated from faecal samples: E. bovis, E. aubernensis, E. ellipsoidalis,
E. subspherica, E. zürni, and E. brasiliensis. The dominant species was E. bovis (Figure 1).
Figure 1
Prevalence of Eimeria species invasion in heifers
Prävalenz der verschiedenen Eimeriaarten bei untersuchten Färsen
In most cases (84.21
%, n=16), the coccidia-infested animals were affected by one- and
two-species invasions. The maximum number of coccidia species found in the heifers was
4 (Figure 2).
Figure 2
One- and multi-species Eimeria invasions in heifers studied
Auftreten eine r bzw. mehrerer Eimeriaarten d er untersuchten Färsen
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
E. I., %
E. bovis E. aubernensi s E. elli
p
soidalis E. subs
p
herica E. zürni E. brasiliensis mean pr evalence
Species
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
E. I.,
%
1 species 2 species 3 species 4 species
Invas ion
PILARCZYK et al.: Occurrence of endoparasites in heifers imported to Poland from the Netherlands
268
The coproscopic examination showed the heifers imported from the Netherlands to
Poland to be infected by Cryptosporidium sp., found in 11.32
% (n=12) of the individuals.
The coproscopic examination showed the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica invasion in the
heifers imported from the Netherlands to be 32.08
% (n=34).
This study showed the mean prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes in heifers
imported to Poland from the Netherlands to be 55.66
% (n=59). The presence of 6
gastrointestinal nematodes of the genera Ostertagia (42,1
%, n=25), Trichostrongylus (21,4
%,
n=12), Cooperia (31,7
%, n=19), Capillaria (1,4
%, n=1), Nematodirus (3,2
%, n=2), and
Oesophagostomum (30,8
%, n=18) was revealed. No lung-infesting nematodes were found.
Discussion
The heifers imported to the Czech Republic from France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and
Germany showed the parasites to occur at a prevalence ranging from 91.2 to 100
%
(PAVLASEK 1995).
Among numerous parasites occurring in animals, particularly noteworthy are coccidia
due to their wide distribution, independent of climatic conditions.
The coccidia species composition depends primarily on local environmental and
breeding conditions (DAVIS and BROWMAN 1967). In their study on dairy cattle in the
Netherlands, CORNELISSEN et al. (1995) found Eimeria in 16, 43, and 46
% of the cows,
heifers, and calves, respectively. The authors referred to identified E. bovis, E. aubernensis,
E. ellipsoidalis, E. subspherica, E. zürni, E. alabamensis, E. canadensis, E. cylindrica, E. pellita,
E. wyomingensis, E. bukidnonensis, and E. brasiliensis in the cattle they examined. The
heifers proved to be most frequently supporting E. bovis (34.3
%) and E. aubernensis
(18.9
%). To date, E. brasiliensis has not been isolated from cattle in Poland, although the
protozoan has been reported from the Netherlands (CORNELISSEN et al. 1995).
PAVLASEK (1995), when studying heifers imported from Denmark and Germany, found
Eimeria in 58. and 92.8
% of the cows, respectively; the protozoans were dominated by
oocytes of E. bovis, E. auburnensis, and E. zuerni.
ERNST et al. (1984) examined meat cattle (cows and calves) grazing in northern
Georgia and isolated 12 and 10 Eimeria species from cows and calves, respectively.
Eimeria bovis was the most frequent species in both calves (72.5
%) and cows (10.2
%). The
study of BEJSOVEC et al. (1982) on cattle revealed the presence of protozoans such as
Eimeria bovis (55.6
%) and E. zuerni (47,0
%), E. auburnensis (43,3
%), E. ellipsoidalis (39,4
%),
E. cylindrica (25.2
%), E. subspherica (13.6
%), E. bukidnonensis (3.1
%), Isospora spp. (1.7
%),
E. brasiliensis (0.4
%), and E. pellita (0.08
%).
The selected Western Pomeranian farms studied by PILARCZYK et al. (2002) showed
coccidia prevalence in 5.5-12.0
% of cows in small-scale farms and in 23.4
% of the cows
kept in a large-scale form. The cows proved to be infested by the following 6 coccidia
species: E. bovis, E. aubernensis, E. zürni, E. elipsoidalis, E. subspherica, and E. cylindrica
(PILARCZYK et al. 1999). CORNELISSEN et al. (1995) found heifers to be affected by
invasions of 6 species.
PAVLASEK (1995) found Cryptosporidium muris in 4.5
% of heifers imported from
France and in 7.9
% of heifers imported from Germany to the Czech Republic. As reported
Arch Tierz 52 (2009) 3, 265-271
269
by PILARCZYK et al. (2002), calves and cows kept in small private farms in Western
Pomerania were not affected by a Cryptosporidium sp. invasion. On the other hand,
MAJEWSKA et al. (1998) found oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. in 34.4
% of the cattle in the
region of Wielkopolska (including 39.7
% of calves and 6.6
% of cows). The presence of
Cryptosporidium sp. has been reflected from other countries as well, e.g., in 1.9
% of the
cattle in the US (FAYER et al. 2006), in 5
% in Mexico (MALDONA-CAMARGO et al. 1998), in
20
% in Canada (OLSON et al. 1997), in 13
% in Sweden (KLINGENBERG 1992), and in
19.7
% in Spain (QUILEZ et al. 1996).
The Netherlands is one of those European countries where liver fluke has been known
for many years (MOLL et al. 2000), therefore it should be paid a particular attention when
livestock imports are being carried out. In Poland, too, the liver fluke has been reported –
at various intensities – cows, the extent of infestation being dependent on time and area
of study. In their 2001 study of selected Western Pomeranian cattle farms, PILARCZYK et
al. (2002) showed the absence of a Fasciola hepatica invasion On the other hand, the
prevalence of the parasite in North-Eastern Poland was as high as 11
% (MICHALSKI et al.
1993, MICHALSKI and ROMANIUK 2000). Eggs of Fasciola hepatica were also found by
PAVLASEK (1995) in 12 heifers imported from France to the Czech Republic. The
prevalence of Fasciola hepatica in the heifers imported from the Netherlands should be
regarded as high.
In his study on heifers imported to the Czech Republic, PAVLASEK (1995) recorded the
presence of 9 gastrointestinal nematodes. Most frequent were representatives of the
genera Ostertagia, Haemonchus and Trichos trongylus. In the study described by PILARCZYK
et al. (2002) and carried out in selected Western Pomeranian farms, the gastrointestinal
nematode prevalence in cows was found to range within 12.7-32.1
%, 42.6
% prevalence
being revealed in a large-scale farm. The study reported by DÜWEL (1990) from Germany
revealed gastrointestinal nematode eggs to be present in faeces of 60
% of the ungulates,
while ISTASSE et al. (1990) in Belgium recorded a 47.4
% prevalence of infestation in dairy cows.
It was found that prevalence of coccidiosis in imported animals was generally
comparable to that observed in Dutch cattle by CORNELISSEN et al. (1995). The data on
prevalence of coccidiosis in Polish cattle are largely comparable with the level of infection
in Dutch cattle. It is worth noting the high prevalence of fascioliasis (32.08
%) in imported
cattle. In West Pomerania, fascioliasis has occurred sporadically in cattle in recent years. In
imported cattle, the level of infection with gastrointestinal nematodes was high
(55.66
%). In cattle from West Pomerania, the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes
varied between 12.7 and 42.65
% according to farm (PILARCZYK et al. 2002).
Summaring the prevalence of infestation with gastrointestinal parasites in the cattle
imported to Poland from the Netherlands was very high. It is therefore purposeful that
imported animals be subjected to mandatory examination for the presence of those
parasites.
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Received 5 October 2007, accepted 23 February 2009.
Corresponding author:
BOGUMIŁA PILARCZYK, PhD
email: bogumila.pilarczyk@biot.ar.szczecin.pl
Department of Animal Hygiene and Prophylaxis, Agricultural University of Szczecin, ul. Doktora Judyma
6, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland