Data-driven risk assessment of gastrointestinal parasitism in zero-grazed goats: Influence of age, gender, and body weight: Gastrointestinal parasites in goats

Md Safiul Alam Bhuiyan; Rayhan Firdaus  Rusly; Fatin Naazira  Along; Su Chui Len Candyrine; Mohamad Asrol   Kalam; Rohaida Abdul Rasid; Rovina  Kobun; Mohammad Mijanur  Rahman; Norafizah  Abdul Rahman

doi:10.51200/jsffs.v2i1.7351

Authors

Md Safiul Alam Bhuiyan Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Rayhan Firdaus Rusly Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Fatin Naazira Along Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Su Chui Len Candyrine Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Mohamad Asrol Kalam Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Rohaida Abdul Rasid Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Rovina Kobun Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Mohammad Mijanur Rahman Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Norafizah Abdul Rahman Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51200/jsffs.v2i1.7351

Keywords:

data-driven risk assessment, faecal egg count, gastrointestinal parasite, goat host demographic, katjang goats

Abstract

Gastrointestinal parasite (GIP) infections are a primary constraint on health and productivity in intensive caprine production, yet their impact in zero-grazing systems is frequently underestimated. This study aimed to quantify the prevalence and intensity of GIP infections in a research herd and to identify host-specific demographic drivers of parasite shedding. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 Katjang goats at the Livestock Research Unit, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Faecal egg counts (EPG) were quantified using standardised methods, and the resulting data were analysed using Negative Binomial (NB) regression to account for high overdispersion. Results revealed an exceptionally high herd prevalence of 98%. Parasite intensity was highly aggregated, characterised by a small percentage of "super-shedders," including one extreme outlier exceeding 26,000 EPG. The NB model (α = 0.656, P < 0.001) identified age and gender as the most significant predictors of infection intensity. Younger goats (<1 year) exhibited the highest mean EPG (2,640), suggesting increased susceptibility due to physiological immaturity. Furthermore, gender was a primary driver of variation (P = 0.034), with males exhibiting significantly higher mean EPG and greater shedding variance than females. While body weight showed high variability among mid-weight individuals, lower body weight often coincided with peak shedding in younger cohorts. These findings indicated that in confined, zero-grazing systems, infection intensity is heavily influenced by host-specific factors rather than environmental exposure alone. The study highlights the inadequacy of traditional, herd-wide deworming protocols. Instead, a data-driven risk assessment approach utilising Targeted Selective Treatment (TST) is recommended. By focusing monitoring and treatment on high-risk demographics—specifically young kids and breeding males—producers can effectively reduce environmental contamination, improve animal welfare, and enhance overall food security in intensive goat farming operations.

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