This section responsibility is on the diagnosis of parasitic diseases of veterinary importance through identification of parasites.These parasites can be endoparasites such as worms of the intestine, ectoparasites such as ticks and maggots and blood parasites such as babesia. Presence of these parasites or antibodies elicited by them is inferred as evidence of the respective disease in the animal host.
Parasitology section is divided into three units being protozoology, entomology and helminthology.
A. Protozoology
1. Heartwater
The causative agent for heartwater (metsi-a- pelo) is carried and transmitted by Amblyomma (Bont tick) ticks. The disease can be tested through use of microscopic examination of brain crush smears. Collection of the brain crush smears will require some level of expertise. and farmers are required to contact their extension officer for assistance in collection of the sample.
2. Blood parasites
Blood parasites of domestic and wild animals are found in the blood of the host. These include Babesia, Anaplasma and Theileria species. They are diagnosed for through microscopic examination of blood smears.
3. Serology (Blood analysis)
This unit deals with analysis of blood that has been further processed into serum for the detection of Dourine and Toxoplasmosis. Dourine is a venereal disease of horses, mules and donkeys which does occur in Botswana. It is detected through the determination of antibodies to the causative parasite by complement fixation test (CFT) by the laboratory.
Toxoplasmosis is a disease of all warm-blooded animals, including man and birds. It causes abortion and prenatal mortality in animals. Human infection is more serious when it occurs during pregnancy as it causes abortion or congenitally acquired disorders. The disease is diagnosed by detection of antibodies to the parasite by Indirect Haemagglutination Test (IHA). This test is carried out by the laboratory.
B. External parasites (Entomology)
External parasites include ticks, mites, fleas, flies and lice. They cause bodily harm to the animals through their biting and blood sucking activities. The wounds which are created may act as points of infection. They may also transmit parasites which cause diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, heartwater and trypanosomosis. The unit can identify the types of parasites to facilitae aqrrival at cause of the disease in animals. Parasites should be delivered in an approved manner to the laboratory and the Laboratory Samples Submission Guide may be accesed for more details.
C. Internal parasites (Helminthology)
This involves the examination of faeces, caecal, ruminal, abomasal and intestinal contents samples for roundworms, tapeworms and flukes and their eggs and coccidia identification. The eggs and oocysts are counted to determine the level of infestation. Mature internal parasites as well as their developmental stages (larvae) are identified using direct examination or staining methods.
Costs of services offered by parasitology section
|
Parasitology (cost recover charges in BWP)
|
| Faecal worm egg count |
Birds |
4.00 |
| others |
6.40 |
| Coccidial oocyst count in animals and birds |
4.00 |
| Faecal culture in animals and birds |
10.00 |
Worm identification (roundworms, tapeworms, flukes)
|
10.00
16.00 |
Identification of external parasites (mites, ticks, lice & flies)
|
9.00
14.40 |
Examination of preputial washings for trichomonas in cattle
|
7.00 |
Identification of blood parasites (anaplasma, babesia, theileria, trypanosoma
|
6.00 |
Isolation of E. ruminantium in brain smears for heartwater in ruminants
|
5.00 |
Identification of plants suspected for poisoning in animals
|
10.00 |