Self-cure of Haemonchus contortus infections under field conditions
- 1 February 1973
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Parasitology
- Vol. 66 (1), 43-53
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182000044437
Abstract
The phenomenon of self-cure, as it occurred under field conditions in East Africa, was studied in Merino sheep infected with Haemonchus contortus. The onset of self-cure, as judged by a dramatic fall in faecal egg counts, was found to be simultaneous in sheep grazing on infected pasture and in sheep grazing on parasite-free pasture. Furthermore the results of autopsies carried out before and after self-cure showed that a marked and equal loss of adult worm burdens had also occurred. These results indicate that self-cure of H. contortus infections under natural conditions occurs in the absence of reinfection and is apparently non-immunological in origin. Since the phenomenon was always associated with a period of significant rainfall, it is suggested that new growth of pasture may be a significant aetiological factor.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
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