I REFER to your report “Need for more research on goats”, (NST, Oct 23) in which Dr Mohd Hayati Osman (Pas-Pendang) commented on the heavy losses experienced by farmers who had taken up the Boer goat scheme.

Hayati was quoted as saying: “According to the Veterinary Services Department officers, the animals died of liver failure. However, they could not say why their livers failed. We need to do more research on the viability of the breed before the government launches it on a large scale.”

While there can be several causes for liver failure, including poisoning and disease, one of the common causes of liver failure in goats (including Boer goats) is due to faciola hepatica — a small, flat, leaf-shaped worm parasite which causes the disease facioliasis.

Goats are infected by consuming vegetation near water contaminated by encysted cercaria (a larval stage of the worm parasite). This larval stage of the parasite develops into small, aquatic snails (Limnea rubiginosa), which acts as the intermediate host for the liver fluke. They are mostly found in padi-growing areas.

In the early stage of infection, the goats can be successfully treated with periodical dosing of suitable worm medicines effective against liver fluke.

The rearing of ducks in padi fields can act as a biological control to eradicate these snails and also facioliasis in that area.

M. GANESHADEVA, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – October 29, 2008