Abstract
Genetic parameters for faecal egg count were estimated in naturally challenged Avikalin sheep developed and maintained at Central Sheep & Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, India, over a period of 4 years (2004–2007). The data on faecal egg count for 433 animals descended from 41 sires, and 151 dams were used for the study. Genetic analyses were carried out using restricted maximum likelihood, fitting an animal model and ignoring or including maternal genetic or permanent environmental effects. Direct heritability for the trait was 0.149 ± 0.096 when maternal effects were ignored. In the model which takes in to account direct genetic, maternal genetic and maternal permanent environment effect together, it was observed that maternal heritability (m2) accounts for 0.6% of total variation whereas maternal permanent environmental effect (c2) accounts for 6.14% of total phenotypic variation. Effect of faecal egg count on the growth characteristics was observed to be significant. It was seen that wherever FEC was high, body weight or average daily gain declined in active infective stage. After termination of the infection, these effects were found to be non-significant. Result suggests that direct genetic and maternal permanent environmental effects were important for this trait; thus, they need to be considered for improvement in the trait.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker, R. L., 1998. A review of genetic resistance to gastrointestinal nematode parasites in sheep and goats in the tropics and evidence for resistance in some sheep and goat breeds in sub humid coastal Kenya, Animal Genetics Resources Information Bulletin, 24, 13–30
Baker, R. L., Audho, J. O. Aduda, E. O. and Thorpe, W., 2001. Genetic resistance to gastro intestinal nematode parasites in Galla and small East African Goats in the sub humid tropics, Animal Science,73, 389–395
Bishop, S. C. and Stear, M. J., 2001. Inheritance of faecal egg counts during early lactation in Scottish Blackface ewes facing mixed, natural nematode infections, Animal Science, 73,389–395
Bishop, S. C., Bairden, K., McKellar, Q. A., Park, M. and Stear, M. J., 1996. Genetic parameters for faecal egg count following mixed, natural, predominantly Ostertagia circumcincta infection and relationships with live weight in young lambs, Animal Science, 63, 423–428
Douch,. P. G. C., Green, R. S., Morris, C. A., Bisset, S. A., Vlassoff, A., Baker, R. L., Watson, T. G., Hurford, A. P. M. and Wheelar, M., 1995. Genetic and phenotypic relationship among anti Trichostrongylus colubriformis antibody level, faecal egg count and body weight in grazing Romney sheep, Livestock Production Science., 41, 121–132
Gray, G. D., 1995. Genetic variation in resistance to parasites, In: Breeding for Resistance to Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants. (Eds: G. D. Gray, R. R. Woolaston and B. T. Eaton), ACIAR Monograph No. 34, pp. 43–52
Greeff, J. C., and L. J. E. Karlsson., 1998. The genetic relationship between fecal consistency, fecal worm egg counts and wool traits in Merino sheep, Pages 63–66 in Proc. 6th World Cong. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod., NSW, Australia
Greeff, J. C., and L. J. E. Karlsson., 1999. Will selection for decrease fecal worm egg count result in an increase in scouring?, Proceeding of. Association of Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 13, 508–511
MAFF., 1986. Manual of Veterinary Parasitological Laboratory Techniques, Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, London
Mandal, A., Yadav, N. K., Sharma, D. K., Rout, P. K. and Roy, R., 2008. Transformation methods for analysis of data on faecal egg count in sheep, Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 78, 364–366
Mandonnet, N., Aumont, G., Fleury, J., Arquet, R., Varo, H., Gruner, L., Bouix, J. and Vu Tien Khangs, J., 2001. Assessment of genetic variability of resistance to gastrointestinal nematiode parasites in Creole goats in humid tropics, Journal of Animal Science, 79, 1706–1712
McEwan, J. C., Dodds, K. G., Greer, G. J., Bain, N. E., Duncan, J. J., Wheeler, R., Knowler, K. J., Reid, P. J., Green, R. S. and Douch, P. G. C., 1995. Genetic estimates for parasite resistance traits in sheep and their correlations with production traits, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 22, 177
Meyer, K., 1992. Variance components due to direct and maternal effects for growth traits of Australian beef cattle, Livestock Production Science, 31, 179–204
Meyer, K., 2000. DFREML programs to estimate variance components by restricted maximum likelihood using derivative free algorithm-user notes
Miller, J. S., Bahirathhan, M., Lemarie, S. L., Hembry, F. G., Kearney, M. T. and Barras, S. R.,1998. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematode parasitism in Suffolk and Gulf Coats Native lambs with special emphasis on relative susceptibility to Haemonchus contortu,. Veterinary Parasitol.ogy, 74, 55–74
Morris, C. A., A. Vlassoff, S. A. Bisset, R. L. Baker, T. G. Watson, C. J. West, and M. Wheeler., 2000. Continued selection of Romney sheep for resistance or susceptibility to nematode infection: Estimates of direct and correlated responses, Animal Science, 70, 17–27
Morris, C. A., Cullen, N. G., Green, R. S. and Hickey, S. M., 2002. Sire effects on antibodies to nematode parasites in grazing dairy cows, New Zealand Journal of Agriculture Research, 45, 179–185
Nimbkar C., 2005. Genetic improvement of lamb production efficiency in Indian Deccani sheep. University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia, Ph D Thesis, pp. 217
Nimbkar, C., Ghalsasi, P. M., Swan, A. A., Walkden-Brown, S. W. and Kahn, L. P., 2003. Evaluation of growth rates and resistance to nematodes of Deccani and Bannur lambs and their crosses with Garole, Animal Science, 76, 503–515
Overend, D. G., Phillips, M. L., Poulton, A. L. and Foster, C. E., 1994. Anthelminthic resistance in Australian sheep nematode populations, Australian Veterinary Journal.,7, 17–121
Singh, D. and Swarnkar, C.P., 2008. Role of refugia in management of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of small ruminants – a review, Indian Journal of Small Ruminants, 14, 141–180
Singh, D., Swarnkar, C. P., Khan, F. A., Jaysasankar, J. and Bhagwan, P. S. K., 1999. Heritability of faecal egg counts in Avikalin sheep, Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 69, 983--985
Singh, D., Swarnkar, C.P., Kumar Sushil, Prince, L.L.L. and Arora, A.L., 2009. Performance of Avikalin sheep selected for resistance to Haemonchus contortus, Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 23, 23–27
SPSS 2005. SPSS for Windows, Brief Guide, Version 14.0, SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL
Stear, M. J. and Murray, M., 1994. Genetic resistance to parasitic disease: particularly of resistance in ruminants to gastrointestinal nematodes, Veterinary Parasitology, 54, 161–176
Swarnkar, C.P., Singh, D., Khan, F.A., Srivastava, C.P. and Bhagwan, P.S.K., 1997. Development and survival of Haemonchus contortus larvae on pasture under semi-arid conditions of Rajasthan, Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 11, 37–41
Swarnkar, C. P., Singh, D., Krishna Lal and Khan, F. A., 2008. Epidemiology and Management of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Sheep flocks in Rajasthan, Bulletin published by CSWRI. Avikanagar pp. 1–145
Vanimisetti, H. B., Andrew, S. L., Zajac, A. M. and Notter, D. R., 2004. Inheritance of faecal egg count and packed cell volume and their relationship with production trait in sheep infected with Haemonchus contortus, Journal of Animal Sciences, 82, 1602–1611
Woolaston, R. R. and Piper, L. R., 1996. Selection of merino sheep for resistance to Haemonchus contortus: genetic variation, Animal Science, 62, 451–460
Woolaston R. R., Windon R.G., (2001). Selection of sheep for response to Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae: genetic parameters, Animal Science, 73, 41–48
Woolaston, R. R., Windon, R. G. and Gray, G. D.,1991. Genetic variation in resistance to internal parasites in Armidale experimental flocks, In: Breeding for Disease Resistance in Sheep. (Eds: G. D. Gray and R. R. Woolaston) Australian Wool Corporation, Melbourne, pp. 1–9
Acknowledgement
Authors are grateful to the Director, Central sheep and Wool Research Institute (Avikanagar) for providing facilities to carry out this study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Prince, L.L.L., Gowane, G.R., Swarnkar, C.P. et al. Estimates of genetic parameters for faecal egg count of Haemonchus contortus infection and relationship with growth traits in Avikalin sheep. Trop Anim Health Prod 42, 785–791 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-009-9487-4
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-009-9487-4