Monieziosis: A Neglected Helminthic Disease in Ruminants
Shahnur Rahman1, K. H. Bulbul2, Dhirashree Choudhury3 , Chandramita Das4 and Chau Gyanisha Mungyak5
1M.V.Sc. Student, Division of Livestock Production and Management, F.V.Sc. & A.H, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Srinagar, J&K, 190006.
2Associate Professor, Division of Veterinary Parasitology, F.V.Sc. & A.H, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Srinagar, J&K, 190006.
3Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, AAU, Joyhing Road, North Lakhimpur, Assam 787051.
4M.V.Sc. Student, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, CAU, Selesih, Aizawl, 796014
5M.V.Sc. Student, Division of Veterinary Medicine , F.V.Sc. & A.H, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Srinagar, J&K, 190006
Abstract
Monieziosis is prevalent in young animals particularly in lamb, kids and calves during first summer on pasture which might be due to the availability of infected oribatid mites with cysticercoids. The kids, lamb and calves picked up infection by consuming the green grass surrounding the sheds containing the mites with cysticercoids of Moniezia expansa and M. benedeni. The low body weight gain, reduced productivity, poor hair coat, constipation, diarrhoea, dysentery and sometimes anaemia are seen in moderate types of monieziosis but intestinal obstruction, diarrhoea, and even death in severe cases.
Keywords: Moniezia expansa, Moniezia benedeni, ruminants, pathogenesis
Introduction:
Among various diseases that impair productivity of sheep, goats and cattle monieziosis is recognized as one of the major causes of economic losses. So, monieziosis is one of the most important helminthic diseases of domestic and many wild ruminants, caused by cestodes of the genus Moniezia of the family Anoplocephalidae, as a parasite in the small intestine (Diop et al., 2015; Jalajakshi et al., 2016; Shangaraev et al., 2018). Moniezia expansa and M. benedni belongs to the most frequently occurring pasture helminthes of ruminant with worldwide distribution which causes monieziosis particularly in young animals (Bulbul et al., 2011; Guo, 2017). The sub-clinical infection also results in considerable economic effects due to poor growth rate in various countries throughout the world. Monieziosis constitutes a major problem in sheep raising countries as it cause great economic damage (Thooyavan et al., 2018; Sharma et al., 2020; Alfatlawi et al., 2021). Therefore, making the livestock farming successful, parasitic problems cannot be overlooked (Bulbul et al., 2012).
Life cycle and transmission:
Moniezia eggs are come out in the faeces individually or protected in proglottids. These eggs are ingested by oribatid mites, the intermediate host present in the pasture. Eggs must reach the gut of the mite within one day of release otherwise they desiccate (Yadav et al., 2019). The mites feed on the eggs by breaking the shell with their chelicerae and ingesting the developing embryo, or the oncosphere. The oncosphere penetrates the mid-gut wall to enter the haemocoel of mites, where it slowly develops to cysticercoid in about one to 4 months (Soulsby, 1982, Urquhart et al., 1987). The developmental time however, varies significantly with different species and environmental temperatures, ranging from two to seven months (Mullen and Oconnor, 2002). Infected oribatid mites are consumed with grasses and other forages by ruminants while grazing. The cysticercoids are then released as the mites are digested and they further attach to the wall of the alimentary tract of the ruminants, where they grow and mature to adult Moniezia spp. in about 5–6 weeks (Soulsby, 1982). In the meantime they release egg filled proglottids looks like cooked rice shaped structures passed in the host faeces (Deepak et al., 2020)
Pathogenesis and clinical signs:
There is light harmful effect in low infection. Infection of cattle, sheep and goats with monieziosis causes many negative consequences, including a delay in the growth and development of young animals, a decrease in the productivity of adults (Abdelhamid et al., 2021). Interestingly, Moniezia infections are asymptomatic in ruminants but heavy parasitic load may cause poor hair coat, constipation, diarrhoea, dysentery and sometimes anaemia. Aforementioned clinical signs are mainly seen in the calves below 6 months of age which are especially on a poor diet (Bulbul et al., 2011; Constable et al., 2017). In heavy infections, the intestine may be virtually a solid mass of tapeworms and they can cause diarrhoea and unthriftiness. Obstruction of intestine is caused due to presence of large numbers of adult Moniezia. The infection leads to loss of meat production and the wool, and then death. In severe infections, the animal mortality is often observed (Hakhbiev et al., 2020). In addition, the outbreaks of enterotoxaemia may be occurred due to monieziosis in lambs (Soulsby, 1982; Uzal and Songer, 2008).
Epidemiological risk factors:
Age, sex, species and breed of the animals, geographical areas, season and management systems of the animals and availability of oribatid mites, intermediate hosts are the epidemiological risk factors for monieziosis. The parasite is prevalent in young lamb, kids and calves during first summer on pasture which might be due to the availability of infected oribatid mites and the kids and lamb (young animals) picked up infection during the availability of green grass containing mites. The prevalence of monieziosis may be found in monsoon season followed by post-monsoon, pre-monsoon and winter seasons (Islam et al., 1990, Bulbul et al., 2011; Bulbul et al., 2012). The variation might be due to mass exposure of kids to free range vegetation contaminated by over wintering oribatid mites containing cysticercoids.
Diagnosis:
Presence of white coloured cooked rice grain type of crumbs in the gross faecal samples of the young animals play the significant role in diagnosis. The copro-examination shows triangular shaped eggs with a well-developed pyriform apparatus and measure 56 – 75 mm in diameter in case of M. expansa and square shaped egg with a well-developed pyriform apparatus and measure up to 75 mm in M. benedeni.
Treatment and prophylaxis:
Praziquantel (@10 mg/kg BW), the broad spectrum anthelmintic drug is active against a wide range of larval and adult Moniezia leading to very rapid contraction and vacuolization of the tegument, inhibition of glucose uptake and decrease in glycogen content of the worm (Andrews et al., 1983). Albendazole (@10 mg/kg BW), Fenbendazole (@20 mg/kg BW), Niclosamide (@75-150 mg/kg BW) can also be given orally to treat the animals (Soulsby, 1982). Animals should be treated in late spring or early summer and again in the autumn for prophylaxis. The intensity of infected mites on pastures can be restricted by ploughing and reseeding the pastures or by the use of pastures which have not been grazed the previous year.
Conclusion:
The monieziosis generally causes minor health problems especially in young ruminants but it significantly affects the growth and productivity of the animals causing remarkable economic losses to the farmers. Praziquantel, Niclosamide, albendazole, fenbendazole etc. are the broad spectrum anthelmintic used against Moniezia spp. The effective deworming schedule should be followed in the prevalent areas of monieziosis for enhanced growth and productivity of the animals.
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