Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 November 2021 | 13(13): 20124–20127
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6674.13.13.20124-20127
#6674 | Received 07 September 2020 | Final
received 16 April 2021 | Finally accepted 18 October 2021
Study on incidence and pathology
of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in Nilgai Boselaphus
tragocamelus in Hisar, Haryana, India
Maneesh Sharma 1 ,
B.L. Jangir 2, D. Lather 3, G.A. Chandratre
4, V. Nehra 5, K.K. Jakhar 6 & G. Narang 7
1 Department of Veterinary Clinical
Complex, 2–7 Department of Veterinary Pathology,
College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal
Sciences (LUVAS) Hisar, Haryana 125004, India.
1 drmaneeshvet@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 drbabu.jangir@gmail.com, 3 deepikalather@yahoo.co.in,
4 drgaurichandratre@gmail.com, 5
drvikasnehra@gmail.com, 6 kk_hau@rediffmail.com, 7 gulshan.narang@gmail.com
Editor: Anonymity
requested. Date of
publication: 26 November 2021 (online & print)
Citation: Sharma, M., B.L. Jangir, D.
Lather, G.A. Chandratre, V. Nehra, K.K. Jakhar & G. Narang (2021). Study on incidence and pathology
of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in Nilgai Boselaphus
tragocamelus in Hisar, Haryana, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(13): 20124–20127. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6674.13.13.20124-20127
Copyright: © Sharma et al. 2021. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: None.
Competing interests: The authors
declare no conflicts of
interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this present article.
Ethical approval:
In the
present article, samples are taken from the dead carcasses
of Nilgai brought to Veterinary Pathology
for complete postmortem
examination. Hence, it does
not need any ethical approval
and is not under consideration elsewhere and none of the paper’s contents have been previously published.
Acknowledgements: Authors are thankful to Head,
Veterinary Pathology of College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala
Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar for providing
necessary facilities for carrying out the present study.
India has a diverse population of
domestic and wildlife animals that are either kept in captivity or in free
range. Among them, Blue Bull, commonly called Nilgai in India, is one of the
most commonly observed wild animals in agriculture dominated landscapes in
central and northern India (Meena et al. 2014). The main threat for the
existence of this species is the loss of their habitat due to human population
growth, encroachment of forests and emergence of wildlife diseases. Several
studies of wild life diseases especially parasitic diseases have been carried
out in wild animals including nilgai species (Banerjee et al. 2005) and a
number of helminths, arthropods and protozoan parasites were reported. In wild conditions, animals have some natural
resistance against parasitic diseases and there is a state of equilibrium
between the parasite and the host and it seldom led to harmful infection unless
stressed (Gaur et al. 1979; Mir et al. 2016).
In India, studies to assess helminth fauna of wild animals under captivity
were carried out in a systematic way but the literature on the parasitic
infections of free ranging wild animals is very scanty because of the
difficulty in collection of fresh samples from these free ranging wild animals. The samples collected during postmortem cases
may contribute in a better understanding of parasitic load as well as pathology
caused by them to formulate different strategies in the control of different
parasitic diseases.
Study area: The present study was
conducted in the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Lala
Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar. The
Hisar district of Haryana is located between 29.151 latitude, 75.721 longitude
and 215.5m altitude. The climate of Hisar region is continental and it lies at
the outer margins of the monsoon region, 1,600 km away from the ocean. The
average maximum and minimum temperature during the month of March is 31.5oC
and 16.4oC. The average annual rainfall in the district is 455
mm(Central Ground Water Board 2017).
Collection and processing of the
samples: A total of 20 carcasses of Nilgai were brought to the Department of
Veterinary Pathology for necropsy by Wild Life Department, Hisar, from Hisar
district and surrounding areas. Intestinal contents and faecal samples were
collected in sterile polythene bags, properly sealed, labelled and processed
for detailed routine parasitological analysis for the presence of parasitic
eggs/oocysts by direct smear method and standard flotation technique using a
saturated salt solution and sedimentation method.
Pathological studies: The
detailed gross pathological examination was carried out and lesions were recorded.For histopathology, the representative tissue
samples of intestine were collected in 10% neutral buffered formalin. After
proper fixation, tissue samples were processed for histopathological
examination. The tissues were properly trimmed, washed in running tap water
over night, then dehydrated in ascending grades of ethanol, cleared in xylene
and then embedded in paraffin wax. Sections of 4–5 µm thickness were cut using
a semi-automatic rotary microtome. Thereafter, the sections were stained with
haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) as per standard procedure (Luna 1968).
Results: During necropsy, the
external examination of most of the carcasses showed varying degrees of
traumatic injuries (9), external wounds and haemorrhages (5) along with
putrefactive changes (6). Grossly, intestines revealed reddish discoloration,
thickened mucosa and the presence of catarrhal exudate (Image 1). All 20 faecal
samples were screened for the presence of gastrointestinal helminthsand
protozoan infections. Overall the incidence of parasitic gastrointestinal tract
infection was 40% (8/20). All eight
cases revealed the presence of coccidian oocysts (Image 2), along with mixed
infection with one or more types of helminthic eggs in two samples. All
coccidian infections were found to be caused by Eimeria
species by using sporulation technique. Among helminthic infections, Strongyle, Moneizia
and Trichuris spp. were observed. Faecal samples showed unsporulated oocysts of Eimeria
spp., thin double walled, smooth colourless eggs of Strongyle
spp. containing blastomere (Image 2), eggs of Moneizia
spp. containing a distinct pyriform apparatus (Image 3) and
yellowish-brown, barrel shaped thick walled eggs of Trichuris spp.
(Image 4) possessing a pair of polar plugs at both ends and egg mass identified
by morphological characteristics. The results of faecal sample examination are
presented in Table 1 and 2. Microscopic examination of intestine revealed
congested mucosal and submucosal blood vessels, fusion of villi and
desquamation of mucosal epithelium in focal areas (Image 5). Intestinal mucosa also revealed moderate
infiltration of mononuclear cells mainly lymphocytes in the lamina propria
along with different developmental
stages of coccidian oocysts (Image 6).
Discussion: Wild animals are
important reservoirs and amplifiers of emerging human and domestic animal
pathogens including parasitic infections.
In addition to their well-recognized zoonoses of public health
significance, wildlife has gained considerable attention in recent years. Parasitic infections are quite common in wild
ruminants across India (Banerjee et al. 2005). These animals may acquire large quantums of
infection while grazing that are mostly subclinical. However, sometimes the
infections turn fatal for the infected animal.
In the present study, most of the carcasses of Nilgai examined showed
varying degrees of traumatic injuries, external wounds and haemorrhages and
putrefactive changes. The main reason for the death of the animals is due to
accidental injuries from vehicles on the roads and the use of barbed wires
by farmers for fencing to protect agricultural land. However, this can be minimized by use of
alternative methods of fencing to protect crop damage (Meena et al. 2014). The extent of injuries varied from bruises,
lacerations and single to multiple fractures cases. Similar finding of varying
degrees of more or less traumatic injuries caused by bullets/gunshots,
infighting, automobile/train accidents, jumping/falling leading to haemorrhagic
shock was also reported by Sharma et al. (2014).
As regard to parasitic
infections, the morphological characteristics of the eggs of Strongyle spp., Moneizia
spp., Trichuris spp., and coccidian oocysts was confirmed as per Soulsby (1982).
Various studies of single and mixed parasitic infections in wild animals
has also been reported by earlier researchers (Abhishek et al. 2011; Jaiswal et
al. 2014). In Uttaranchal, India, 41.6%
of 161 faecal samples from Nilgai were positive for single or mixed infections
of Amphistomes, Strongyles,
Trichuris, Fasciola, and coccidians (Banerjee et al. 2005). Endoparasitic fauna in wild animals and consequent
detection of infection in these wild animals suggests close interactions with
domestic animals (Holsback et al. 2013). Sharing of
the same pasture land and water bodies like ponds by wild and domestic animals
might be a potential source of infection for domestic animals. Histopathologically, intestines revealed circulatory
disturbances such as congestion, enteritis and different developmental stages
particularly in coccidian infected cases. Similar findings were also observed
in Nilgai by other researchers (Sharma et al. 2012). In the present study, different types of
mixed parasitic infections in free ranging nilgai with gross and microscopic
changes in the intestinal tracts indicate that the increase in parasitic load
might be due to the secondary infestation by opportunistic parasites due to
decreased immune response because of stressful environmental conditions or
injuries. Further, more detailed studies
will be required as wild herbivores not only come into close contact with different domestic
animals, but share the same pasture for grazing that might cause potential
threat of interspecies transmission.
This will also be of great importance for species conservation.
Table 1.Incidence of parasitic infection in Blue Bull
/ Nilgai (N=20 faecal samples).
Oocysts/ Eggs of parasites observed |
Number of samples |
Coccidian oocysts (Eimeria
spp.) |
06 |
Mixed infection (Eimeriaspp.
+ Moneizia spp. +Strongyle
spp.) |
01 |
Mixed infection (Eimeriaspp.
+ Strongyle spp. + Trichuris
spp.) |
01 |
No parasitic infection |
12 |
Total |
20 |
Table 2. Semi quantitative load of parasitic
eggs/oocysts in Nilgai.
|
Sample |
Parasitic load |
|||
|
|
Eimeria spp.
|
Moneizia spp. |
Strongyle spp. |
Trichuris spp. |
1 |
N1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
N2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
N3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
N4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
5 |
N5 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
6 |
N6 |
++ |
++ |
+++ |
- |
7 |
N7 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
8 |
N8 |
+++ |
- |
++ |
+ |
9 |
N9 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
10 |
N10 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
11 |
N11 |
++ |
- |
- |
- |
12 |
N12 |
++ |
- |
- |
- |
13 |
N13 |
++ |
- |
- |
- |
14 |
N14 |
+++ |
- |
- |
- |
15 |
N15 |
++ |
- |
- |
- |
16 |
N16 |
+ |
- |
- |
- |
17 |
N17 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
18 |
N18 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
19 |
N19 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
20 |
N20 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-—No egg/oocyst | +—Mild load | ++—Moderate load |
+++—Heavy load.
References
Banerjee,
P.S., R. Garg, C.L. Yadav & D.H. Ram (2005). Parasitic infections in some
wild animals of Uttaranchal. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 75:
206–208.
Central
Ground Water Board (2017). Aquifer mapping and management plan. Hisar District, Haryana, 128 pp. http://cgwb.gov.in/
Gaur, S.N.S.,
M.S. Sethi, H.C. Tewari
& O. Prakash (1979). A note on the prevalence of helminth parasites in wild and zoo animals
in Uttar Pradesh. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 46: 159–161.
Gupta, A.,
A.K. Dixit, P. Dixit, C. Mahajan & A.B. Shrivastava (2011). Incidence of gastro-intestinal
parasites in wild ruminants around Jabalpur, India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 3(11): 2226–2228. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2431.2226-8
Holsback, L., M.J.L. Cardoso, R. Fagnani, & T.H.C. Patelli
(2013). Natural
infection by endo-parasites among free-living wild animals. Brazilian
Journal of Veterinary Parasitology 22(2): 302–306. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612013005000018
Jaiswal,
A.K., A., Srivastava, V. Sudan, R. Singh, D. Shanker&
R. Parashar (2014). Prevalence of endoparasitic infections in
wild cervids of Army Golf Course, Mathura. Journal
of Parasitic Diseases 38(4): 358–360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-013-0248-y
Luna, L.G.
(1968). Manual of
Histologic Staining Methods of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology - 3rd
Edition. McGraw Hill
Book Company, New York.
Meena, R.P.,
B.L. Meena, U. Nandal & C.L. Meena (2014). Indigenous measures developed by
farmers to curb the menace of blue bull (Boselaphus
tragocamelus) in district Rajsamand,
Rajasthan, India. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge13(1): 208–215.
Mir, A.Q., K.
Dua, L.D. Singla, S. Sharma & M.P.
Singh (2016). Prevalence of
parasitic infection in captive wild animals in Bir Moti Bagh mini zoo (Deer
Park), Patiala, Punjab. Veterinary World 9(6): 540–543. https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2016.540-543
Sharma, A.K.,
N. Shivasharanappa, P.S. Banerjee, M. Sahini, S.S. Raut, G.A. Chandratre
& A. Das (2012). Intestinal Coccidiosis in a Nilgai calf (Boselaphus
tragocamelus). India Journal of Veterinary
Pathology 36(2):266–268.
Sharma, A.K.,
N. Shivasharanappa, G.A. Chandratre,
M. Sahini, A. Das, S.S. Raut, D. Swarup & R. Somvanshi (2014). Prevalence of pathological
conditions in zoo/wild animals in India: aretrospective
study based on necropsy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
India, Section B: Biological Sciences. 84(4):937–946. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-014-0308-9
Soulsby, E.J.L. (1982). Helminths, Arthropods and
Protozoa of Domesticated Animals. 7th edition. Bailliere
Tindall, London, 809pp.