Dynamics of infestation of cattle and pasture by gastrointestinal nematodes in an Atlantic temperate environment

The objective of the present study was to determine the dynamics of infestation of cattle and pasture by gastrointestinal nematodes in a mild humid environment in northwestern Spain. For this, infestation of pasture by free-living stages (L3), dynamics of faecal egg output, blood pepsinogen levels and worm burden in slaughtered animals were quantified. The results showed a high degree of annual variability, which was dependent on weather conditions. The seasons were clearly defined in the study area, with mild humid winters and relatively dry summers registered throughout the years of the study. Infestation of pasture by larvae varied from year to year, peaking during August in the first year, between August and December in the second year, and during October in the third year. The annual variation was mainly due to weather conditions, particularly the amount of rain in summer. The patterns of faecal egg output were similar in the first and third grazing seasons, with maximum levels observed in May/June; however, in the second year, the peak was reached in October. Blood pepsinogen levels increased from pasture turnout (March/April) until the end of the grazing season (November/December), reaching maximum values from August/September onwards. The nematode parasite species identified at necropsy were Ostertagia osteragi, O. lyrata, Cooperia oncophora, C. macmasteri, C. punctata and Trichuris ovis, with O. ostertagi and C. oncophora predominating. In faecal cultures, the following genera were also identified: Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Nematodirus, Bunostomum, Oesophagostomum and Strongyloides. There was a significant correlation (r=0.97, P<0.01) between worm burden (Ostertagia spp.) and pasture infestation (Ostertagia L3) 3 weeks prior to slaughter of the calves, and also between blood pepsinogen levels and pasture infestation by Ostertagia L3 (r=0.33, P<0.02). Correlations between worm burden and faecal egg output and between blood pepsinogen level and faecal egg output were not significant. The results obtained in the present study confirm that there is annual variability in the time-course of nematodosis in cattle, and demonstrate the importance of weather, particularly summer rainfall, in an Atlantic temperate environment.