Effect of Experimental Fasciola gigantica (liver fluke) Infection on Live Weight Changes and Gross Pathology of Savannah Brown Goats Raised Under Semi-intensive System..

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of experimental Fasciola gigantica infection on live weight changes and possible gross pathological lesions in Savannah Brown goats raised semi-intensively. Fifteen Savanna Brown goats were used for this experiment and the experimental design was Complete Randomised Block Design (CRBD). Two weeks pre-infection data was collected, and they were randomly assigned to three treatment groups with treatment 1 (infected animals without supplementation) and treatment 2 (infected with supplementation) and treatment 3 (control), respectively. The infected animals were each given 300 metacercariae orally, and all the animals were allowed to graze on natural pasture for about five (5) hours daily while they were fed with beans husk as supplement and fresh clean water was also provided adlibitum throughout the experiment. Significant differences (P <0.05) were observed in the live weight of the infected groups as from week 8 to week 12 post -infection when compared to the respective value of the controls. The mean live weights of the infected groups from week 8 to week 12 were; T1 (6.5+-5.5, 6.1+_5.1, 5.8+_5.1, 4.5+_5.5 and 4.3+_5.3), T2(10.43+_1.80, 5.0, 7.9+_5.0, 7.4+_4.5 and 4.8+_5.5) compared to those for the control group (16.0+_4.7, 16.0+_4.7, 16.0+_4.7, 17.0+_4.7, 17.0+_4.7). The gross pathological lesions observed in dead goat from the infected group without supplementation was distended gall bladder, haemorrhagic liver as well as areas of necrosis. It was therefore, recommended that supplementary feeding during dry season peiods of the year be practiced by livestock farmers within the study area in order to minimizethe effect of disease conditions among ruminant livestock