Parasites
Methods, protocols, questions and discussion on both internal and external parasites, such as ticks, lice,... View more
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Reply To: Fecal Sampling to Determine Parasite Load
Another source for mail-in sample results is https://www.midamericaagresearch.net/instructions.php and from them we get the attached file “Interpretation of Fecal Worm Egg Counts in Sheep, Goats and
Camelids using the Modified Wisconsin Sugar Flotation Technique.”“The overall infection process begins when an infected animal grazes a pasture, it sheds worm
eggs on a daily basis that pass in the manure. These eggs hatch and the larval offspring develop
into infective larvae which re-contaminates the pasture thus exposing all animal grazing this
pasture to new infections. If the pasture is already contaminated with infective larvae, the
animals pick up new infections at the same time they shed eggs back on the pasture contributing
a future contamination levels. This process continues until the grazing season ends. Depending
upon temperature and moisture these parasite eggs hatch, develop into infective larvae and move
away from the manure pats onto the vegetation where the reinfection process begins. The biggest
and least understood issue with sheep and goats is that once Haemonchus infections reach a high
level, the physiology of the gut changes. The parasites respond by stopping their development
undergoing an arrested development period waiting for the physiology of the gut to return to
normal. This why the simple guide (listed above) to predict parasite levels within an animal
based on worm egg counts can be misleading.”The page above has links to a variety of other resources about parasites that might be worth perusing!
