title: Interactions between parasitic infections and reproductive efficiency in sheep.
abstract: This review article summarises the many reports in the literature, confirming that, in sheep, parasitic infections can adversely affect reproductive efficiency; examples, which refer to all parts of the reproductive cycle of sheep, are as follows: trichostrongylosis in ewe-lambs (which can lead to delayed attainment of puberty), myiosis of the prepuce (which can cause impediment of mating), chorioptic mange or trypanosomosis in rams (which can lead to testicular degeneration or azoospermia, respectively), trypanosomosis or sarcoptic mange in pre-conceptual ewes (which can lead to poor conception rates or reduced number of ovulations, respectively), toxoplasmosis or neosporosis in pregnant ewes (which are causes of abortion), trichostrongylosis or trematode infections in lactating ewes (which can cause reduction of milk yield and can be a risk factor for mastitis, respectively), cryptosporidiosis in newborn lambs (which can be a cause of deaths), coccidiosis in growing pre-weaned lambs (which can cause suboptimal growth rate). In other cases, the reproductive status of the animal can influence the parasitic infection; examples are as follows: the increase in faecal parasitic output during the peri-parturient period (as a consequence of the peri-parturient relaxation of immunity), the heavier trichostrongylid infections of twin lambs compared to lambs from single parities (as a consequence of developmental origin issues in twin lambs). All the above examples support the idea of presence of interactions between parasitic infections and reproductive efficiency in sheep.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece. Electronic address: gcf@vet.uth.gr.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fthenakis
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Mavrogianni
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gallidis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D010060:Ovulation; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000977:Antiparasitic Agents
keywords: Abortion; Ewe; Ewe-lamb; Foetus; Lamb growth; Lambing; Mastitis; Mating; Milk yield; Nematode; Peri-parturient egg rise; Pregnancy toxaemia; Puberty; Ram; Reproduction; Semen; Sheep; Testis; Trematode