title: The use of FAMACHA in estimation of gastrointestinal nematodes and total worm burden in Damara and Barbados Blackbelly cross sheep.
abstract: The prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes and total worm burden of Damara and Barbados Blackbelly cross sheep was investigated among smallholder farms in Salak Tinggi district of Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 50 sheep raised in smallholder farms comprising of 27 Damara cross and 23 Barbados Blackbelly cross were categorized based on their age into young and adults. Fecal samples were collected and examined for strongyle egg count by using modified McMaster technique. Severity of infection was categorized into mild, moderate, and heavy, based on egg per gram (EPG). Five sheep were randomly selected and slaughtered to examine the presence of adult gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes through total worm count (TWC). Faffa Malan Chart (FAMACHA) score was used for investigation of worm load based on the degree of anemia. The study revealed an overall EPG prevalence of 88 %, of which 84.1 % had mild infection. There was a significant difference (p = 0.002) in EPG among the two breeds. Based on age, significant difference (p = 0. 004) in EPG was observed among Barbados Blackbelly cross, but not for Damara cross (p = 0.941). The correlation between severity of infection and the FAMACHA score was significant (r = 0.289; p = 0.042). Haemonchus spp. were the most predominant nematode found in the gastrointestinal tract, followed by Trichostrongylus and Oesophagostomum spps. EPG and TWC for Haemonchus were positively correlated, but not significant (r = 0.85, p = 0.066). From regression analysis, 73 % of the variability in TWC for Haemonchus could be explained by EPG. Thus, it can be concluded that FAMACHA score correlates well with severity of infection of a nematode and can be used to assess the strongyle nematode burden in the different sheep crosses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Malaysia.|Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, PMB1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Konto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia. yabbavet@gmail.com.|Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, PMB1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. yabbavet@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abba
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nur Syairah Binti
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Ramli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.|Research Centre for Ruminant Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Murugaiyah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marimuthu
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohammed Ariff
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia. jesseariasamy@gmail.com.|Research Centre for Ruminant Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. jesseariasamy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Faez Firdaus Jesse
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.|Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, PMB1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Muhammad Abubakar
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sadiq
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, PMB1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.|Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Abdulnasir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tijjani
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.|Research Centre for Ruminant Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Eric Lim Teik
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohammed Azmi Mohammed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lila
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D017183:Strongylida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Damara cross Barbados Blackbelly cross; FAMACHA; Gastrointestinal nematodes; Total egg count