INCIDENCE OF ASCARIASIS IN CALVES REARED UNDER RURAL CONDITION

Abstract

Faecal examination of 189 randomly selected rural calves in 12 villages of Rajoir upazila under Madaripur district of both sexes aged between < 3 months to 1 year old with or without the signs of gastroenteritis during three months periods from June to August 2003 revealed that 64.5 % calves were infected with Toxocara vitulorum. Significantly (p < 0.01) higher incidence of ascariasis was found in cross bred calves (64.28% - 75.67%) than in indigenous calves (46.66%). Age-wise analysis indicated that ascariasis was significantly (p < 0.01) prevalent in calves upto 3 months (81.35%) of age following by 3 to 6 months (70.58%) in comparison to > 6 to 12 months (41.93%) of age. Incidence of T. vitulorum infection was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in male calves (73.24%) than in female (57.92%). All the calves infected with ascariasis were diarrhoeic (100%), with pale mucous membrane (71.31%), rough body coat (74.59%) and emaciation (65.57%). Cachexia (19.67%) and erected hair (4.91%) were also recorded as clinical signs. Normal temperature was found in 95.08% calves while subnormal temperature recorded in 4.91% calves infected with T. vitulorum.