Parasites Affecting the Musculoskeletal System of Goats

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This chapter discusses some of the important parasites affecting or found in the musculoskeletal system of goats. Among them, many are zoonotic in nature. Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide occurring zoonotic disease belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. Toxoplasma stages are found in different parts of goats, including the musculoskeletal system. Transmission of toxoplasma from goat meat to humans in India is of low importance as the meat is properly cooked before consumption. However, it can spread to cats if they are fed with improperly cooked infected meat. Also, carcasses infected with toxoplasmosis will lose their infectivity very shortly after the death of the animal. Similarly, sarcocystosis is a silent zoonotic parasitic disease caused by obligatory intracellular protozoa of the genus Sarcocystis. The main factor that helps in the control of sarcocystosis in goats is to avoid dogs and cats in the animal sheds. Besnoitia caprae is found in goats. To date, Besnoitia caprae has not been assigned with any definitive host and or intermediate hosts. This parasite has a close resemblance with other species of Besnoitia. Hammondia causes a transient myositis that may be present in the skeletal muscles of infected goats. In areas of high endemicity of Oestrus ovis, humans are at high risk of zoonosis and the parasite may cause ophthalmic infections. Wohlfahrtia magnifica causes traumatic myiasis in the flesh of goats. Coenurus is treated mainly by the treatment of infected dogs and proper disposal of intermediate host carcasses. In many countries, trichinellosis is an emerging disease in goats.