Outbreak of monieziasis in a goat farm and its therapeutic management

Introduction

In developing country like India, livestock sector plays an important role in improving the economy and at present it contributes to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of about 5.47%. India ranks 1 st in goat milk production and 2 nd in goat population among all other countries in the world. As per 20th livestock census, sheep and goat population has been estimated in India of about 74.26 million and 148.88 million, respectively. In Tamilnadu estimated sheep and goat population about 4500.49 and 9888.75 respectively. The parasites, particularly those of the gastrointestinal tract of small ruminants like sheep and goats can cause reduced reproductive performance and even death, thereby leading to economic loss for the farmers (Pathak et al., 2008) [1] . Nath et al. (2011) [2] attributed the seasonal variation in incidence of Moniezia infection to the active period of forage mites, the intermediate host for the parasite. They reported the infection being more common in kids during one year of age than in older animals. Parasitic infection in small ruminants causes reduction in growth rates and reduced productivity in case of meat, milk and wool production and even death of young ones. The incidence of gastrointestinal parasites was higher in goat kids due to a lower immune response compared to adult goats. It is mainly suspected when animals are kept under poor hygienic conditions, and mortality is mainly evident during the weaning period (Baidya et al., 2025) [3] . These parasites often lead to destruction of epithelial cells of the intestine and interfere with intestinal microflora. Most commonly, infections can be controlled by applying anthelmintics (Zanzani et al., 2014) [4] , but anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants has been proven in many countries worldwide.

Case history

An 8-month-old kid was reported dead in Somasipadi village in Tiruvannamalai district, and the owner asked to rule out the cause of death; he reported that the remaining goats on his farm have a history of inappetence, diarrhoea and weight loss, along with altered behaviour.

Material and Method

The farm comprises 45 goats, including kids. All the animals were showing signs of debility, diarrhoea and rough coat colour. The owner reported mortality of a kid, and the post-mortem examination was conducted to ascertain the cause of death. The morbid animals were emaciated and showing bottle jaw condition along with anaemia. Faecal samples were collected from the goats and examined microscopically for the presence of parasitic eggs. All animals were treated with antihelminthic drugs.

Results and Discussion

Parasitic infections are a major constraint on livestock production in our country, and parasitism is still one of the major health problems confronting the goat industry. In the present study, microscopic examination of the faeces of 23 samples was positive for the presence of parasitic eggs, i.e Moniezia sp., and the postmortem examination of the goats revealed physical signs of animals showed weakness, dullness, emaciation, and pale mucous membranes of the conjunctiva (Fig. 1a). The internal organs, like the liver, were pale, and the examined intestinal lumen was heavily infested with adult tapeworms, nearly 100 cms (Fig. 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e). Moniezia expansa is a very common parasite in small ruminants. Even though the losses caused by M. expansa are not so severe compared to the nematode parasites, the Moniesiasis is still a concern in farm breeding of sheep and goats. Moniezia spp. infection is common in kids during their first year of life and less common in older animals. A seasonal fluctuation in the incidence of Moniezia spp. infection can apparently be related to active periods of the forage mite vectors during the summer in temperate areas. Higher infection during the rainy season may also be attributed to the suitable molarity of salt present in soil, an important factor for ecdysis. In this investigation, heavy infections were related to adverse clinical pictures such as poor growth rate, pot-belly, rough coat of hair, and anaemia. Several workers have shown that management of concurrent infection of tapeworm and Moniezia infection in sheep could result in severe pathology and adverse effects on production, which would justify a campaign against Moniezia infection. The increasingly popular opinion that Moniezia infection is of limited consequence should be reconsidered. It should be pointed out that faecal egg estimation is not an accurate index of intensity of Moniezia infection in ruminants, since eggs are present in faeces only after the proglottides have ruptured. Similarly, in immature amphistomosis, eggs will not be present in faeces. In the present case, also the quantum of infection was not correalated to presence of eggs in faeces. All the affected animals were treated with Praziplus (Petcare®) @ 5 mg/kg and oxyclozanide (Flucinex®, IIL, Hyderabad) @ 10 mg/kg orally along with mineral supplement powder (Goumix®, IIL, Hyderabad). The animals showed improvement in symptoms from the 3rd day post-treatment. The intramandibular oedema (bottle jaw) started disappearing from the 3rd day and completely disappeared by the 7th day of therapy. Animals were in normal condition with considerable improvement in their health within 2 weeks following treatment. Several researchers have reported the prevalence of Monezia and other common parasites in goats. Prevalence of GI parasitic infections in goats of the hilly region of Meghalaya by Meena Das et al., 2016 reported Moniezia spp. (10.04%). Supriya Yadav et al., 2019 [5] also reported that the combination of Praziquantel + Levamisole is highly effective in controlling and reducing the worm burden of M. expansa.

Conclusion

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism is one of the major health problems affecting small ruminant productivity worldwide. In goat kids, the incidence of gastrointestinal parasites was higher due to a lower immune response compared to adult goats. However, regarding seasonal variation, gastrointestinal parasitic infection was found to be higher during the monsoon season, which might be due to favourable environmental conditions for the growth and development of gastrointestinal parasites and their stages. The present case is the tip of the iceberg, and many low-holding marginal farmers are silently suffering losses worth thousands in terms of unprofitable rearing of livestock. Periodic faecal sample examination and strategic anti-parasitic medication will help a great deal to make livestock rearing a profitable enterprise. Figure 1a. Dead carcass showed weakness, dullness, emaciation, and pale mucous membrane of the conjunctiva. Fig. 1b) and 1c) 1d) 1e) Internal organs like the liver were pale, and in the examined intestine, the lumen was heavily infested with adult tapeworms, nearly 100 cms.

References

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6. Yadav S, Patel PK, Deepak D, Verma NK, Dixit SK. Medical management of Moniezia expansa infection in a buck: A case report. How to cite this article: Suganya G, Porteen K. Outbreak of monieziasis in a goat farm and its therapeutic management. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research. 2026;10(9):885-887. doi: https://www.doi.org/10.33545/2617469
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