One of the most prevalent and dangerous parasites of calves in and around the Barmer area of Rajasthan is Toxocara vitulorum, which causes parasitic illnesses. Through the use of T. vitulorum's flotation technique, 200 faecal samples in total were collected and analysed. Toxocara vitulorum was discovered to be present in 25.50% of populations. Compared to male calves, which had a prevalence of 21.00%, female calves had a greater sex-specific prevalence of 30.00%.

Toxocara vitulorum, infection, calves, Barmer district, Rajasthan.

T. vitulorum, an asciridae family member, is one of the economically damaging digesting worms. Its types include T. canis, T. cati, T. leonine, T. malaysiensis, and T. vitulorum, and the genus Toxocara includes nematodes that attack both people and animals.  Dogs, cats, cows, buffaloes, cattle, and cows can all develop toxocariasis. Even though T. vitulorum is widespread, the world's climatic circumstances have a strong influence on its occurrence. Prevalence is greater in hot, humid regions than in cold, dry ones, such as subtropical nations. If no action is taken to control the worm infection, it will have a significant negative economic impact on animal productivity.

In accordance with Urquhart et al. (1996), clinical symptoms start to show 10 to 15 days after delivery and last for six months. Clinical symptoms include anorexia, constipation, greasy, foul-smelling diarrhea, and dehydration. Infected animals also exhibit digestive disorders and intestinal mucosa injury, which can lead to diarrhea that is difficult to pass and dehydration. further clinical signs include pyrexia, neurological symptoms, anemia, a tangled and lifeless appearance to the haircoat, a cough, further respiratory symptoms, and a butyric acid odor (similar to garlic) on the breath. According to Urquhart et al., (1996); Devi et al. (2000), intestinal perforation can lead to peritonitis-related death in cases of severe illnesses.

Collection of faecal samples. 100 female and 100 male dairy calf feces samples out of a total of 200 were randomly collected. The samples were packed into sterile polythene bags, labeled carefully with the host's information, the location, and the season of collection, preserved in a refrigerated transport box, and transported to the laboratory for additional analysis.

Coprological examination. By using the flotation method outlined by Soulsby, fecal samples were checked for the presence of Toxocara vitulorum eggs.

100 of the total samples tested came from male calves, whereas 100 came from female calves. More female calves (30.00%) than male calves (21.00%) were found to have Toxocara  vitulorum infection. Table 1 and Fig. 1 show the prevalence by sex. While Islam et al., 2005 observed higher incidence in male calves than female calves, Devi et al. (2000) showed a similar higher frequency in female calves than male calves. It is generally accepted that because female calves are permitted to suckle more frequently and produce more milk than male calves, they are more exposed to the risk of infection through the trans-mammary route, even though the exact cause of the higher infection in females has not been adequately explained by previous researchers. The preceding fact and variations in the amount of faeces samples investigated during the current investigation may also be responsible for the reason why there was a little higher prevalence in female calves than male calves.

Table 1: Sex-wise Prevalence of Toxocara vitulorum infection in calves.

Fig. 1. Microphotograph of Toxocara viulorum.

Durga Bai Sodha, Phool Kanwar and P.K. Pilania  (2024). Toxocara vitulorum Infection of Calves in and Around Barmer District of Rajasthan. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(1): 26-27.