Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T01:17:24.776Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Climate influences assemblages of abomasal nematodes of sheep on steppe pastures in the east of Algeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2016

I. Zouyed
Affiliation:
Institute of Veterinary Sciences, Constantine 1 University, Constantine, Algeria
J. Cabaret*
Affiliation:
INRA and F. Rabelais University, UMR1252, 37380 Nouzilly, France
B. Bentounsi
Affiliation:
Institute of Veterinary Sciences, Constantine 1 University, Constantine, Algeria

Abstract

It is a common view that assemblages of parasitic nematodes are influenced by climatic conditions; however, there are only a few articles available regarding those that infect farm animals. We investigated the relationship between climate variables and infection with abomasal trichostrongyles in 335 1-year-old rams grazed on steppe pastures in Eastern Algeria. Abomasa were collected from 12 local slaughterhouses located in four climatic areas (from humid to arid) and the worms extracted, identified and counted. The abundance was low and the fauna composed primarily of Teladorsagia circumcincta, Marshallagia marshalli and Trichostrongylus sp. The high percentage of M. marshalli is typical of steppe areas. Ostertagia ostertagi and Haemonchus contortus were present in low numbers. Rainfall was the most important climatic variable related to the main species. This relationship was not linear for M. marshalli but an optimal rainfall was detected (350–400 mm/year). The more complex climatic indicators used in the study did not demonstrate a more significant correlation than rainfall. The predictive value of rainfall on the abundance or proportion of species in the assemblage was modest but highly significant. The seasonality of assemblages was different between the two main sub-climates (sub-humid and semi-arid).

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berrag, B., Ouzir, M. & Cabaret, J. (2009) Meat sheep farm structure and the acceptability of targeted selective treatments for controlling digestive-tract strongyles in Morocco. Veterinary Parasitology 164, 3035.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biere, A. & Tack, A.J.M. (2013) Evolutionary adaptation in three-way interactions between plants, microbes and arthropods. Functional Ecology 27, 646660.Google Scholar
Cabaret, J. (1984) Seasonal changes in the abomasal nematodes of naturally infected ewes in Moulay-Bouazza (Morroco). Veterinary Parasitology 15, 4756.Google Scholar
Cabaret, J. & Hoste, H. (1998) Comparative analysis of two methods used to show interspecific associations in naturally acquired parasite nematode communities from the abomasum of ewes. Veterinary Parasitology 76, 275285.Google Scholar
Cabaret, J., Bouilhol, M. & Mage, C. (2002) Managing helminths of ruminants in organic farming. Veterinary Research 33, 625640.Google Scholar
Cabaret, J., Chylinski, C., Meradi, S., Laignel, G., Nicourt, C., Bentounsi, B. & Benoit, M. (2015) The trade-off between farmers’ autonomy and the control of parasitic gastro-intestinal nematodes of sheep in conventional and organic farms. Livestock Science 181, 108113.Google Scholar
Côte, M. (1998) Les régions bioclimatiques de l'est algérien. Rhumel Institut des Sciences et de la Technologie, Université de Constantine 6, 5771.Google Scholar
Daget, P. (1977) Le bioclimat méditerranéen: analyse des formes climatiques par le système d'Emberger. Vegetatio 34, 87103.Google Scholar
Diez-Baños, N. (1989) Estudio epidemiológico sobre los nematodos gástricos ovinos de la provincia de León, con especial referencia a Ostertagia spp. Doctoral thesis, Université de León.Google Scholar
Djellouli, Y. (1990) Flores et climats en Algérie septentrionale. Déterminismes climatiques de la répartition des plantes. Doctoral thesis, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Alger.Google Scholar
Gaston, K.J., Chown, S.L. & Evans, K.L. (2008) Ecogeographical rules: elements for a synthesis. Journal of Biogeography 35, 483500.Google Scholar
Giangaspero, M., Bahhady, F.A., Orita, G. & Gtuner, L. (1992) Summer-arrested development of abomasal trichostrongylids in Awassi sheep in semi-arid areas of North-West Syria. Parasitology Research 78, 594597.Google Scholar
Holmes, J.C. & Price, P.W. (1986) Communities of parasites. pp. 187213 in Anderson, D.J. & Kikkawa, J. (Eds) Community in ecology: pattern and process. Blackwell, London.Google Scholar
IBM SPSS. (2010) Statistics 19 core system user's guide. Chicago Illinois, USA, SPSS Inc.Google Scholar
Kates, K.C. (1950) Survival on pasture of free-living stages of some common gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington 17, 3958.Google Scholar
Margolis, L., Esch, G.W., Holmes, J.C., Kuris, A.M. & Schad, G.A. (1982) The use of ecological terms in parasitology. Report of an ad hoc committee of the American Society of Parasitologists. Journal of Parasitology 68, 131133.Google Scholar
Meradi, S., Bentounsi, B., Zouyed, I. & Cabaret, J. (2011) The steppe species of gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants, with a focus on Marshallagia: climate as a key determinant. Parasite 18, 261269.Google Scholar
Moradpour, N., Borji, H., Razmi, G., Maleki, M. & Kazemi, H. (2013) Pathophysiology of Marshallagia marshalli in experimentally infected lambs. Parasitology 140, 17621767.Google Scholar
MVSP (Multivariate statistical package). (2001) User's manual. Version 3.1. Pentraeth, Wales, UK, Kovach Computing Services.Google Scholar
O'Connor, L.J., Walkden-Brown, S.W. & Kahn, P. (2006) Ecology of the free-living stages of major trichostrongylid parasites of sheep. Veterinary Parasitology 142, 115.Google Scholar
Oripov, A.O. (1982) Epizootiology of trichostrongylid infections in sheep in Uzbekistan. pp. 89100. Sbornik Nauchnykh Trudov Sredneaziaticheskogo Otedeleniya VASKhNILGoogle Scholar
Pence, D.B. (1990) Helminth community of mammalian hosts: concepts at the infra-community, component and compound community levels. pp. 233260 in Esch, G.W., Bush, A.O. & Aho, J.M. (Eds) Parasite communities: patterns and processes. London, Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Skrjabin, K.I., Shikobalova, N.P. & Shultz, R.S. (1954) Trichostrongylids of animals and man. Washington, Natural Science Foundation and Department of Agriculture.Google Scholar
Suarez, V.H. & Cabaret, J. (1991) Similarities between species of the Ostertagiinae (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) in relation to host-specificity and climatic environment. Systematic Parasitology 20, 179185.Google Scholar
Viers, G. & Vigneau, J.P. (1990) Éléments de climatologie. Paris, Nathan Université.Google Scholar