Comparative experimental Haemonchus contortus infection of two sheep breeds native to the Canary Islands.
This study compares the susceptibility to Haemonchus contortus infection in two breeds of sheep endemic to the Canary Islands, the Canaria Hair Breed sheep and the Canaria sheep. Sheep were experimentally infected with 20,000 larvae of H. contortus and animals killed on days 7 and 28 post-infection. No difference between sheep breeds were detected in immature worm counts at days 7 or 28 post-infection. However, in comparison to the Canaria sheep breed, the Canaria Hair Breed sheep showed lower mean faecal egg counts, lower adult worm counts, lower number of eggs in utero and female worm stunting. Overall, these data suggest that the Canaria Hair Breed sheep has a greater resistance to H. contortus infection than Canaria sheep, and that this resistance may act at the level of the adult parasite.
González
Jorge F
JF
Departamento de Patología Animal, Unidad de Parasitología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña s/n, 35413 Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain. jfgonzalez@dpat.ulpgc.es
Hernández
Alvaro
A
Molina
José M
JM
Fernández
Antonio
A
Raadsma
Herman W
HW
Meeusen
Els N T
EN
Piedrafita
David
D
D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006189:Haemonchus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013030:Spain