Helmintic infection around parturition on Santa Inês ewes reared on brazilian Pantanal area

Abstract

The variation on number of eggs per gram of sheep feces (EPG) during two critical periods, end of pregnancy and beginning lactation was evaluated. Forty five Santa Inês ewes in gestation were used. Animals were kept on Brachiaria brizantha grazing during the day and kept in feedlot at night. To EPG counting, feces during final pregnancy and beginning lactation were sampled. Samples were collected twice a week at seven a.m. According to the results from two phases, post parturition was the main critical period (P<0.01), with mean value of 4387 EPG, and pre parturition period showed mean value of 679 EPG. It was observed the fluctuation of EPG during the analyzed phase (thirty days before and thirty days after the parturition), which the ten first days after the parturition were the most (P<0.05) critical period.