Helminth and arthropod parasites of Angora goats on irrigated Kikuyu grass pastures in the eastern Cape Province.

Angora goat kids and yearlings grazing irrigated Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) grass pastures in the eastern Cape Province, became heavily infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus rugatus, leading to high mortality in both age groups. Peak burdens of the former were recorded during March and May, and of the latter during May and June. Larger numbers of the cestode Moniezia expanza, occurred in the kids than in the yearlings. Despite the stress of high helminth burdens, no clinical cases of coccidiosis were seen. Both groups of goats were infested with small numbers of immature stages of the tortoise tick, Amblyomma marmoreum, and the yellow dog tick, Haemaphysalis leachi. Infestation with the biting louse, Damalinia limbata, occurred within 2 d of birth, but never reached very large numbers. Larvae of the nasal botfly, Oestrus ovis, were present only from January to July.