Browsing by Author "Ndlela, Sithembile Zenith."

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Effects of water deprivation on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in Nguni goats.
(2016) Ndlela, Sithembile Zenith.; Chimonyo, Michael.
The broad objective of the study was to determine the effects of water deprivation on prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in Nguni goats. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 285 farmers that kept goats from KwaNongoma in Zululand district in South Africa. Data collected included household demographics, goat production constraints, extent of water scarcity, disease challenges and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. Varying periods of water deprivation (0, 24 and 48 hours) on water intake, feed intake, body weight, body condition score, FAMACHA, faecal egg counts and faecal larval counts were determined. Government grant was the main source of income for households experiencing no water shortages (60 %) and those experiencing water shortages (65 %). All households kept goats for traditional ceremonies. The mean goat flock sizes were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between households that did not face water shortages (14.7 ± 1.25) and households that experienced water shortages (13.2 ± 1.23). Goats in households experiencing water shortages were 11.0 times more likely to experience water scarcity than goats from households facing no water shortages (P < 0.05). Coccidia and roundworms were the most prevalent parasites in goats from households experiencing water shortages. From the experiment, daily water intake (DWI) was the same in goats deprived of water for 0 (control) and 24 and 48 hours (P > 0.05). The daily feed intake (DFI) and the DWI: DFI ratio deprived of water for 0 and 24 hours was similar (P > 0.05). The FEC was the same in goats deprived of water for 0 and 24 hours (P > 0.05). Faecal egg counts (FEC) were highest in goats deprived of water for 48 hours (P < 0.01). Faecal larval counts (FLC) for goats deprived of water for 48 hours were almost double the counts from goats deprived for 24 hours. This implied that parasite infestation was strongly related to water intake. Correlation between water deprivation period with DFI, DWI: DFI ratio and BCS were negative (P < 0.05). The FAMACHA scores increased as the water deprivation period was increased. The FAMACHA correlated positively with FEC and FLC (P < 0.01) and negatively with BWT. There was a negative correlation between water deprivation period and BWT (P < 0.01). Pearson’s correlation coefficients between FEC with water deprivation period were positive (P < 0.01), and negative with BWT (P < 0.01) and BCS (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between FLC and water deprivation period (P < 0.01), whereas a negative correlation with DFI (P < 0.05). It was concluded that coccidiosis and gastrointestinal parasites were major constraints to goat productivity and were severe in households that experienced water shortages. The increased periods of water deprivation compromised goat productivity, therefore, water deprivation periods can be set to 24 hours for Nguni goats.
Utilisation of indigenous knowledge to mitigate challenges of gastrointestinal nematodes in goats.
(2021) Ndlela, Sithembile Zenith.; Chimonyo, Michael.
Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) constitute a huge challenge to goat productivity worldwide, leading to production losses. Anthelmintic drugs have been used to control GIN, but their effectiveness has been reduced due to their high cost, scarcity in resource-limited farms, and drug resistance and residue challenges. Therefore, other sustainable control measures that are cheaper, readily available, and not chemically manufactured, such as indigenous knowledge (IK), are required. The broad objective of this study was to investigate IK methods and practices used to control gastrointestinal parasites in goats. Face-to-face interviews were conducted on IK experts in Jozini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Experts used IK because it is part of their culture, locally available and guaranteed to work. Indigenous knowledge was sourced from their forefathers through oral communication and training. Traditional healers had more sources of IK, including visions, dreams and spirits. Experts identified GIN as the most common parasites in goats. They used shape, size and colour in the identification of parasites. Indigenous knowledge was used to identify symptoms caused by GIN infestations. Thirty-three plant species were identified to control worm burdens in goats. A cross-sectional survey was used to determine the extent of IK used to control gastrointestinal parasites in goats. Cissus quadrangularis Linn. was the most widely used plant (67 %), followed by Albizia anthelminthica Brongn. (47 %), Cissus rotundifolia (Forssk.) Vahl (42 %), Vachellia xanthophloea (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter (38 %), Aloe marlothii A. Berger (38 %), Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst (36 %), Gomphocarpus physocarpus E. Mey (36 %), Aloe maculata All. (35 %), Trichilia emetica Vahl (33 %), Aloe ferox Mill. (32 %), Vernonia neocorymbosa Hilliard (20 %) and Schkuhria pinnata (Lam) Kuntze ex Thell (16 %). The odds of farmers using IK in the dry environment were 7.9 times more likely than in the wet environment. The likelihood of males influencing the use of IK was twice compared to females (P < 0.01). Adults (> 50 years old) were 1.8 times likely to influence the use of IK than youths (P < 0.05). Farmers residing on-farm were one time likely to use IK (P < 0.05) than those staying outside the farm. The likelihood of having a herbalist in the area was 3.6 times likely to influence the use of IK to control GIN in goats. A structured questionnaire was also used to determine differences in the extent of IK use to control GIN in goats between wet and dry environments. The likelihood of males using IK in the dry environment was eight times (P < 0.01) compared to 1.7 times in the wet environment (P < 0.05). Adults were 1.2 times likely to use IK than youths in the dry environment (P < 0.05), whereas youths used more IK than adults in the wet environment. Unemployed farmers in the dry environment were 4.3 times likely to use IK than employed farmers (P < 0.01). Informally educated farmers used IK more than formally educated farmers in both environments. Farmers who practiced the traditional Zulu culture were 2.1 times more likely to use IK in the dry environment and 1.1 times in the wet environment than those who practiced Christianity (P < 0.05). Farmers who received livestock training were 1.74 times more likely to use IK in a dry environment than the untrained. The presence of herbalists in the dry environment was 3.6 times likely to influence the use of IK (P < 0.01), compared to the likelihood of one time in the wet environments (P < 0.05). Because IK is based on using symptoms to identify goats infested with GIN, relationships between faecal egg count (FEC) and packed cell volume (PCV), body condition score (BCS), and FAMACHA score were determined. A total of 120 Nguni goats made up of weaners, does and bucks were used across all seasons (post-rainy, cool-dry, hot-dry, hot-wet). Higher egg counts were observed in weaners (7406 ± 401.4) and does (4844 ± 401.4) during the hot-wet season, while bucks had the highest counts (5561 ± 529.7) in the cool-dry season. Strongyloides (30 %), Haemonchus contortus (28 %), Trichostrongylus sp. (23 %), Oesophagostomum sp. (17 %), and Ostertagia (2 %) were identified in goats and had higher percentage counts in the hot-wet season. There was no effect of sex on BCS, FAMACHA, PCV and FEC. There was an interaction (P < 0.05) between age and season on FAMACHA score, BCS, PCV and FEC. A lower BCS and PCV were observed in weaners in the cool-dry season. Weaners had higher FAMACHA scores and FEC in the cool-dry season. The rate of change in FAMACHA score was higher in weaners than does and bucks, as FEC increased (P < 0.01). The rate of change in the FAMACHA score was higher in the post-rainy season as FEC increased (P < 0.01) compared to other seasons. There was a linear relationship between FEC and FAMACHA scores. The anthelmintic activity of aqueous extracts of Cissus quadrangularis Linn., Aloe marlothii A. Berger, Albizia anthelmintica Brongn., Cissus rotundifolia (Forssk.) Vahl., Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst and Vachellia xanthophloea (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter against GIN was investigated. Each plant was used in two forms: dry and fresh. Three extraction methods were employed, i.e., cold water (infusion), boiled water (decoction) and methanol. Extract concentrations of 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 % v/v were tested in vitro on the mortality of L3 nematodes. There was a linear relationship between larvae mortality and concentration of the boiled fresh form of C. rotundifolia (P < 0.01) extract, cold-water extract of the fresh form of A. marlothii (P < 0.05), cold-water and methanolic extracts of the fresh form of C. quadrangularis (P < 0.01), methanolic extract of the fresh form and cold-water extract of the dry form of V. xanthophloea (P < 0.05), cold-water and methanolic extracts of the dry form of S. birrea (P < 0.0001). Quadratic relationships were observed between larvae mortality and concentration of the fresh form of methanolic extract of C. rotundifolia (P < 0.05), fresh form of methanolic extract of A. anthelmintica (P < 0.01), fresh form of cold and boiled water extracts of V. xanthophloea (P < 0.0001), the fresh form of methanolic extract and the dry form of boiled A. marlothii extract (P < 0.001), fresh form of methanolic extract (P < 0.05) and dry form of boiled S. birrea extract (P < 0.01), and dry form of boiled and methanolic extracts of V. xanthophloea (P < 0.05) plant. Farmers used different plant forms and extraction methods of C. quadrangularis, A. marlothii, A. anthelmintica, C. rotundifolia, S. birrea and V. xanthophloea based on availability and the knowledge they possessed. The effects of most of the plant extracts were not influenced by concentrations, suggesting that lower concentrations could be beneficial for plant preservation and toxicity reduction. However, quadratic relationships observed in other plant extracts suggest that concentrations with high larvae mortality could be adopted. These relationships need to be considered as an integrated approach to achieve sustainable nematode control in goats.