Assessment of albendazole efficacy in goats with subclinical gastrointestinal nematode infection

Abstract

The study was designed to determine the current status of albendazole efficacy in goats belonging to the goat unit of village Chharchhed, Block Kasdol, District Balodabazar–Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh. A group of 15 adult goats was selected and subjected to fecal egg count (FEC) estimation in terms of EPG (eggs per gram), followed by hematological examination. The mean EPG value of the animals was 356.7 ± 15.33, which did not indicate severe infection but showed an alarming status and could be considered a subclinical form of infection. Following the initial EPG and hematological assessment, the animals were treated with albendazole at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg body weight. After a specified time interval, EPG and hematological examinations were performed again. The results revealed a significant reduction (p < 0.01) in the EPG values of the animals after treatment compared to before treatment. Moreover, blood parameters such as hemoglobin (Hb), total erythrocyte count (TEC), and packed cell volume (PCV) also showed significant differences (p < 0.01) between the pre- and post-treatment values. The findings indicate that albendazole can still be effectively used as a drug of choice against nematode infections in goats.