Morphology and morphometry of Haemonchus Contortus in goat from Nandurbar (MS), India

Introduction

Livestock rearing, mainly of small ruminants, constitutes an important component of livelihood for marginal farmers and landless laborers from the rural economy of India, providing a sustainable source of food. Small ruminants such as goats (Capra hircus) are one of the contributors to livestock farming in terms of meat and milk production, (Texas Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2021) [1] , but are highly subjected to parasitic infections which are detrimental to the livestock industry. Among the wide range of parasitic nematodes dwelling within the gastrointestinal tract of the host, Haemonchus contortus (otherwise known as barber's pole worm) is the most economically significant and pathogenic for the goat (Sambodo et al., 2019) [2] . Normally located within the abomasum, adult worms penetrate the wall of the stomach and feed on its blood. A single female worm can ingest as much as 0.05 ml of blood per day and multi-thousand infestations cause severe anemia followed by hypoproteinemia, edema ("bottle jaw") and high mortality, especially in young animals (Mannan et al., 2023; Kuchai et al., 2012) [3,4] . The epidemiology of Haemonchus contortus is significantly influenced by agroclimatic conditions. Hot, humid tropical and sub-tropical monsoon climate provides the most congenial temperature and moisture conditions for the rapid development and survival of the free-living pre-infective and infective third-stage larvae (L 3 ) on pastures (Flay et al., 2022; Niciura et al., 2023) [5,6] . Nandurbar district, situated in the northernmost area of Maharashtra, experiences highly variable seasonal temperatures with extreme summer heat and long humid monsoon periods, which create congenial conditions for perennial nematode transmission. Goats in the area are mostly raised in extensive and semi-intensive grazing system, resulting in constant exposure to infected pastures. Accurate identification of parasite species is the basis for understanding the local epidemiology and the design of effective and specific control programs. The morphological characterization of species is based on the description of crucial taxonomical structures (e.g., spicules and bursal rays in males and the cuticular vulvar flaps in females). Female H. contortus present particular morphotypes (e.g., linguiform, knobbed/button and smooth types) that can be used as phenotypic markers of population structuring related to the biogeographical distribution of the parasite (Singh, 2012; Gareh et al., 2021) [7,8] . Molecular approaches are currently available, but the classical identification of parasites based on morphological and morphometric criteria using adult worm keys remains the most accurate, accessible and affordable method (Santos et al., 2019) [9] . Despite the high population of goats in Maharashtra, there is a need for region-specific information on the morphometric parameters and vulvar morphotypes of Haemonchus contortus. This study aimed to describe the morphology and morphometry of Haemonchus contortus collected from goats slaughtered at Nandurbar, Maharashtra.

Materials and study Methods study area Fig-Maharashtra Map Highlighted With Nandurbar District Materials and Study Methods Study Area

The research was conducted in the Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, India. This district is a part of the state's northern transitional zone and is represented by a hilly area with a considerable number of tribal livestock farms. The region has a tropical climate with a well-defined rainy season, which is dominated by southwest monsoon airflows, bringing abundant precipitation throughout the year.

Collection, recovery and microscopic examination of parasites

Abomasal tissues were harvested from animals at slaughter and transported to the laboratory. The abomasums were dissected, ligated, opened along the greater curvature and thoroughly washed in physiological saline (0.9% NaCl). The mucosal lining was gently scraped to remove any adhering adult nematodes. The washings were then passed through a fine 100-mesh sieve (with 150 μm pores) and the worms were rinsed, counted and preserved in 70% ethanol with 5% glycerol to prevent contraction artifacts (Das et al., 2023) [10] . Temporary and permanent mounts were made and examined under a high-resolution light and compound microscopes for detailed morphological examination with the help of ocular stage micrometer. Photographic images of selected anatomical features such as anterior buccal structures, cervical spines, female reproductive tracts, vulvar flaps (classified as linguiform, knobbed, or smooth morphotypes) and male copulatory bursae were captured using digital microscopic cam-era systems. Morphometric measurements including body length, width, spicule length and vulvar distance were taken and compared to key diagnostic features (Khan et al., 2025; contortus et al., 2026) [11,12] .

Results and Discussion

Worm recovery and localization

The laboratory results showed that strongylid nematodes were found only in the abomasum. The researchers found no helminthes in the rumen, reticulum, omasum, small intestine and large intestine. The scientists determined that the detected parasites had the typical appearance of Haemonchus contortus. In particular, the worms had a lanceolate buccal capsule and four pairs of papillae were present at the level of the neck. The vulva flap in females was found in several forms: linguiform, knobbed and others. Moreover, the males of the species had a bursa that was not symmetrical and equipped with a Y-shaped dorsal ray and fused-barb spicules.

Morphological and morphometric characterization female Haemonchus contortus

Females were significantly larger than males and had a distinct barber's pole appearance due to the white ovaries and uteri that were coiled around the bright red, blood-filled intestine. Body length ranged from 24 to 30 mm (mean 27 mm); maximum width ranged from 0.40 to 55. mm. They possessed a small, rudimentary buccal capsule containing a signature dorsal chitinous lancet (tooth) for puncturing mucosal capillaries. Two prominent, wedgeshaped cervical papillae were positioned from the anterior extremity. The vulva was located in the posterior body [13,14,15,16,17] .

Male Haemonchus contortus

Smaller than females, uniformly pinkish-red in fresh specimens. The body length ranged from 15 to 20 mm (mean 17 mm); the maximum width ranged from 0.28 to 0.40 mm. They were well-developed with two symmetrical lateral lobes and one asymmetric dorsal lobe displaced towards the left. The typical Y-shaped bifurcation of the rays was present, which can be used as a diagnostic character for the species. Two long, equal, brownish spicules with strong, fused barbed tips (contrary to the split tips of Haemonchus placei) were present. A small, wing-like gubernaculum was also present ( [13,14,15,16] . A. [18,19,20,21] .

Haemonchus contortus

Table 1. Comparative Morphometric and Morphological Features of Female and Male

Characters

Gross

Conclusion

This study successfully isolated, identified and morphologically characterized Haemonchus contortus from goats in Nandurbar district, Maharashtra. A thorough light microscopy and morphometric analysis verified all diagnostic parameters, such as body dimensions, spicule lengths and vulvar flap configurations, which matched standard taxonomic descriptions (Nikolaou et al., 2006; Gharamah et al., 2011) [22,23] . Traditional morphological examination remains an economical and highly reliable tool for routine diagnostic parasitology, providing a solid basis for future epidemiological and control studies in the region.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentThe authors extend their heartfelt thanks to the Principal of NTVS's, G. T. Patil Arts, Commerce and Science College, Nandurbar, Maharashtra, India, for providing well-equipped laboratory facilities along with ongoing encouragement during the entire course of this research work. 4

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