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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #217394
Title: Tools for managing internal parasites in small ruminants: Sericea Lespedeza

Author
item COFFEY, LINDA - NCAT
item HALE, MARGO - NCAT
item TERRILL, TOM - FORT VALLEY STATE UNIV
item MOSJIDIS, JORGE - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item MILLER, JAMES - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item Burke, Joan

Submitted to: World Wide Web
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/13/2007
Publication Date: 10/26/2007
Citation: Coffey, L., Hale, M., Terrill, T., Mosjidis, J., Miller, J.E., Burke, J.M. Tools for managing internal parasites in small ruminants: Sericea Lespedeza. World Wide Web.

Interpretive Summary: Control of internal parasites, especially of Haemonchus contortus (barber pole worm, stomach worm), is a primary concern for the majority of sheep and goat producers. These parasites have become more difficult to manage because of increasing resistance to nearly all available dewormers. A severe infection of barber pole worm causes anemia, bottle jaw, and -if not treated-death of infected sheep and goats. Mature parasites breed inside the host and "lay eggs," which pass through the host and are shed in the feces. After the eggs pass out of the host, they hatch into larvae. Warm, humid conditions encourage hatching of the eggs and development into infective larvae. The larvae need moisture, such as dew or rain, to break open the fecal pellet and move. They migrate out of the feces and up blades of grass (usually 1 to 3 inches). When an animal (sheep or goat) grazes, they may take in parasite larvae along with the grass blade. Parasite numbers increase over time when conditions are favorable (warm, wet). Parasites are now developing resistance to anthelmintics (dewormers). Drug resistance is the ability of worms in a population to survive drug (deworming) treatment of the animal at the prescribed dosage. Over-use of dewormers has led to resistance, and many available dewormers are now ineffective.

Technical Abstract: Control of internal parasites, especially of Haemonchus contortus (barber pole worm, stomach worm), is a primary concern for the majority of sheep and goat producers. These parasites have become more difficult to manage because of increasing resistance to nearly all available dewormers. A severe infection of barber pole worm causes anemia, bottle jaw, and -if not treated-death of infected sheep and goats. Mature parasites breed inside the host and "lay eggs," which pass through the host and are shed in the feces. After the eggs pass out of the host, they hatch into larvae. Warm, humid conditions encourage hatching of the eggs and development into infective larvae. The larvae need moisture, such as dew or rain, to break open the fecal pellet and move. They migrate out of the feces and up blades of grass (usually 1 to 3 inches). When an animal (sheep or goat) grazes, they may take in parasite larvae along with the grass blade. Parasite numbers increase over time when conditions are favorable (warm, wet). Parasites are now developing resistance to anthelmintics (dewormers). Drug resistance is the ability of worms in a population to survive drug (deworming) treatment of the animal at the prescribed dosage. Over-use of dewormers has led to resistance, and many available dewormers are now ineffective.