For centuries, alpacas (Lama pacos) have been a fundamental component of the Incan civilization and lately they have become a popular investment in North America, Australia and more recently in Europe. Their fibre is appreciated for its elevated thermal capacity, its strength, its lustre and the variety of colours. In Italy, over 350 head exist and the 30 breeders are organized in the ITALPACA association. In the near future, this husbandry, may find a niche in areas abandoned by unprofitable traditional agriculture. Nutritional, reproductive and health management schemes are available from North American and Australian husbandry, however their applicability in Italian environments needs to be verified. This study focuses on infection and control of endo-parasites in alpacas raised together with merino sheep and angora goats on a farm (Maridiana, Umbertide) in Umbria. Alpacas are kept on pasture during the day and returned to shelters at night. Grazing is supplemented with hay and concentrate according to season and nutritional status of the animals. During the study year (2003), the herd consisted of about 25 head purchased in 1997 (original unit = OU) and 54 head bought in April 2003 from a German breeder (new unit = NU). Alpacas were raised in separate groups according to sex and the new herd was kept in quarantine until the end of June. Antihelmintic treatments were administered twice and an anti-coccidian treatment was given once. Pasture rotation was performed and care was taken to regularly renew straw bedsteads in shelters. A survey of internal parasites was performed from Jan. to Dec. 2003, by collecting faecal samples from the rectum on a monthly basis. The identification and quantification of oocysts, eggs and larvae was performed according to the standard procedures of copromicroscopy. In the OU, helminth eggs were present in 59.6% (CI95 54.1-65.1%) of the faecal samples. Positive samples were more frequently observed in 1-2 years old animals (82.6%, CI95 74.7-90.5) than in older animals (50.0%, CI95 43.3-56.7; OR 4.75, p<10-4). Coccidian oocysts were revealed in 41.4% (CI95 35.9-46.8) of the faecal samples. Parasitic infections did not vary according to sex and season. In the NU an increase of helmintic infections from 28.5% (CI95 20.6-36.3) during quarantine to 41.2% (CI95 34.8-47.6; OR 1.37, p=0.016) in the 2nd half-year, after joining OU animals, was noted. Their relatively low initial infection might be explained by the monthly anti-helmintic treatments that NU animals received before their arrival at Maridiana farm. Coccidian oocysts were present in 34.2% (CI95 29.3-39.1) of the faecal samples and similar values were seen in animals of different sex and age. Helmintic infections were most frequently caused by Trichuris spp. and gastrointestinal strongyles. On the basis of egg morphology, nematodes of the genus Nematodirus, Lamanema and possibly Marshallagia, a genus present in ovi-caprines, were identified. Occasionally, eggs or larvae from Moniezia expansa, Strongyloides papillosus and Dictiocaulus filaria were observed. Eimeria macusaniensis - among other not identified Eimeria species - was found to be implicated in coccidian infections. Oocyst and egg abundance in positive samples was constantly low. Median values of 235 (n=106) and 139 (n=84) oocysts per gram (opg) were determined for the OU and NU respectively. For comparison, counts of about 1000 opg are frequently observed in asymptomatic sheep. Similarly, the median counts of helminth eggs, 118 (n=121) and 75 epg (n=64), for the OU and NU respectively, remain clearly below 400 epg, considered the threshold value above which clinical signs may be expected in sheep. Indeed, pathologic manifestations of parasitic infection were not observed in the study animals. Alpacas use to defecate on piles restricted to a few pasture sites. This “hygienic” behaviour may make them less likely to acquire pasture-borne parasites, even if reared in herds at relatively high densities, as in this study farm. In conclusion, under the conditions provided by the Umbrian environment, alpacas appear to be rather resistant to internal parasitosis. Ongoing studies try to elucidate which parasite species’ present in the alpaca herd are probably specific for camelids and which may have been acquired from “Italian ovi-caprines”.

Preliminary report on frequency and abundance of internal parasites in alpacas (Lama Pacos) reared in the Umbria Region (Central Italy).

ATTILI, Annarita;HABLUETZEL, Annette
2004-01-01

Abstract

For centuries, alpacas (Lama pacos) have been a fundamental component of the Incan civilization and lately they have become a popular investment in North America, Australia and more recently in Europe. Their fibre is appreciated for its elevated thermal capacity, its strength, its lustre and the variety of colours. In Italy, over 350 head exist and the 30 breeders are organized in the ITALPACA association. In the near future, this husbandry, may find a niche in areas abandoned by unprofitable traditional agriculture. Nutritional, reproductive and health management schemes are available from North American and Australian husbandry, however their applicability in Italian environments needs to be verified. This study focuses on infection and control of endo-parasites in alpacas raised together with merino sheep and angora goats on a farm (Maridiana, Umbertide) in Umbria. Alpacas are kept on pasture during the day and returned to shelters at night. Grazing is supplemented with hay and concentrate according to season and nutritional status of the animals. During the study year (2003), the herd consisted of about 25 head purchased in 1997 (original unit = OU) and 54 head bought in April 2003 from a German breeder (new unit = NU). Alpacas were raised in separate groups according to sex and the new herd was kept in quarantine until the end of June. Antihelmintic treatments were administered twice and an anti-coccidian treatment was given once. Pasture rotation was performed and care was taken to regularly renew straw bedsteads in shelters. A survey of internal parasites was performed from Jan. to Dec. 2003, by collecting faecal samples from the rectum on a monthly basis. The identification and quantification of oocysts, eggs and larvae was performed according to the standard procedures of copromicroscopy. In the OU, helminth eggs were present in 59.6% (CI95 54.1-65.1%) of the faecal samples. Positive samples were more frequently observed in 1-2 years old animals (82.6%, CI95 74.7-90.5) than in older animals (50.0%, CI95 43.3-56.7; OR 4.75, p<10-4). Coccidian oocysts were revealed in 41.4% (CI95 35.9-46.8) of the faecal samples. Parasitic infections did not vary according to sex and season. In the NU an increase of helmintic infections from 28.5% (CI95 20.6-36.3) during quarantine to 41.2% (CI95 34.8-47.6; OR 1.37, p=0.016) in the 2nd half-year, after joining OU animals, was noted. Their relatively low initial infection might be explained by the monthly anti-helmintic treatments that NU animals received before their arrival at Maridiana farm. Coccidian oocysts were present in 34.2% (CI95 29.3-39.1) of the faecal samples and similar values were seen in animals of different sex and age. Helmintic infections were most frequently caused by Trichuris spp. and gastrointestinal strongyles. On the basis of egg morphology, nematodes of the genus Nematodirus, Lamanema and possibly Marshallagia, a genus present in ovi-caprines, were identified. Occasionally, eggs or larvae from Moniezia expansa, Strongyloides papillosus and Dictiocaulus filaria were observed. Eimeria macusaniensis - among other not identified Eimeria species - was found to be implicated in coccidian infections. Oocyst and egg abundance in positive samples was constantly low. Median values of 235 (n=106) and 139 (n=84) oocysts per gram (opg) were determined for the OU and NU respectively. For comparison, counts of about 1000 opg are frequently observed in asymptomatic sheep. Similarly, the median counts of helminth eggs, 118 (n=121) and 75 epg (n=64), for the OU and NU respectively, remain clearly below 400 epg, considered the threshold value above which clinical signs may be expected in sheep. Indeed, pathologic manifestations of parasitic infection were not observed in the study animals. Alpacas use to defecate on piles restricted to a few pasture sites. This “hygienic” behaviour may make them less likely to acquire pasture-borne parasites, even if reared in herds at relatively high densities, as in this study farm. In conclusion, under the conditions provided by the Umbrian environment, alpacas appear to be rather resistant to internal parasitosis. Ongoing studies try to elucidate which parasite species’ present in the alpaca herd are probably specific for camelids and which may have been acquired from “Italian ovi-caprines”.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11581/113764
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