Factors associated with the prevalence of amphistomes in goats of Jammu region

Bakarwali goats (n=1140) of Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir were examined for the presence of amphistome eggs from November 2020 to October 2021 considering the season, intensity of infection and managemental practices. The overall prevalence was recorded to be 28.4%. Although infection encountered throughout the year, the significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence was found in monsoon (38.5%) and post-monsoon (35.1%) seasons than winter (23.3%) and summer (22.1%) seasons. Significantly (p<0.05) a higher mean egg output (34.5±0.24) was observed in monsoon season followed by post-monsoon (17.2±0.23), summer (15.8±0.24) and winter (6.4± 0.25) seasons. Animals aged 6 months to one year had significantly higher (p<0.05) prevalence (37.6%) than animals >1 year (28.9%) and <6 months (11.8%) of age groups. The animals reared under semi-intensive management had significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence (33.7%) in comparison to migratory animals (21.4%). In conclusion, the season, age and management practices were found to be associated with high prevalence of amphistomes in goats in the region.