The epidemiology of pulmonary and gastrintestinal helmintoses of calves has been studied in cross-bred Zebu-Friesian calves, 6 to 9 month old, with natural infections. The calves were maintained in permanent pasturing in the lowland, with climate Aw, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The experiments had the duration of 24 months. At the end the animals were bearer of natural infection of several helminth species. The research was based on fecal analysis and necropsies of at least four calves every 28 days. The animals maintained in permanent pasturing showed tendency to have larger helminth populations in autumn and spring. The graphical representation of an ellipse, obtained through the relationship of total rainfall and average minimum temperature per month, was effective in demonstrating the potential for clinical parasitism in autumn and spring.
Epidemiology; pulmonary and gastrintestinal helmintoses; Haemonchus placei; Cooperia sp; Oesophagostomum radiatum; calves
