Fasciola Hepatica and other Helminths in Goats in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Fecal examination of 769 goats taken in 1981 from 48 farms in 30 municipalities located throughout Puerto Rico, showed 10 helminths to be common in these goats. The study showed 1.43 percent of these to be positive with Fasciola hepatica eggs. The other helminth eggs found and percent rates of infection were as follows: Oesophagostomum columbianum 65.67, Haemonchus contortus 56.31, Bunostomum trigonocephalum 46.94, Chabertia ovina 24.57, Trichostrongylus capricola 15.60, Ostertagia circumcincta 14.43, Trichuris ovis 10.14, Moniezia expansa 6.39, and Cooperia curticei with 2.21 percent. The intensity ranged from 5 eggs per gram of stool sample as in the case of F. hepatica to 1,500 eggs per gram in T. capricola samples. Moreover, 68.7% of the goats sampled showed concurrent infections of two to eight different parasite species per goat.