A survey on the prevalence of some ectoparasite species infesting sheep and goats in Kalar district, Kurdistan region, Iraq

Sarkawt R. Kakabwa; Omer M. Amin; Noor N. Polus; Nabeel A. Mawlood2

doi:10.21271/ZJPAS.33.1.8

Authors

Sarkawt R. Kakabwa Department of Biology, College of Education, University of Garmian-Kalar, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Omer M. Amin Department of Biology, College of Education, University of Garmian-Kalar, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Noor N. Polus College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Salahaddin-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Nabeel A. Mawlood2 College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Salahaddin-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21271/ZJPAS.33.1.8

Keywords:

Ectoparasites, Sheep, Goats, Kalar, Prevalence

Abstract

Tamed small ruminants such as sheep and goats are deemed important sources of people livelihood in Garmian area including Kalar district. Sustainability and prosperity of livestock resources are vigorously influenced by the heavy infestation of small ruminants with ectoparasites owing to the enormous economic loss caused by them, particularly in under-developed countries including Iraq. Hence, the present survey, carried out from March, 2019 to February, 2020 in Kalar district, intended to investigate the rampancy of external parasites among sheep and goats being reared in the aforementioned district. To meet the requirements of the survey, a total of 1700 sheep and 400 goats were arbitrarily sampled. The overall rate of ectoparasitosis in this study was 53.09%, in that, the infestation rate in goats (95%) was significantly higher than that of sheep (43.23%). Regarding sheep pediculosis, two species of lice; Linognathus (L.) africanus (35.58%), Damalinia (D.) ovis (24.11%), and two species of ticks; Hyalomma (H.) anatolicum (2.94%), Rhipicephalus (R.) turanucus (4.41%), in addition to the nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis (12%) were identified. On the other hand, two species of lice; D. caprae (80%), L. africanus (30%), and two species of ticks; H. anatolicum (7.5%) and R. turanucus (3.75%) were detected in goats. Co-infections were significantly higher in sheep as compared to goats in this survey. Some of the aforementioned external parasites are known to transmit zoonotic diseases since sheep and goats are reared in close cohabitation with humans. For that reason, sustainable control of ectoparasitosis especially, tick infestations in domestic livestock is compulsory to prevent both economic loss and transmission of some serious diseases.

References

Abdellatif, M.Z., Elmazar H.M. and Essa A.B., 2011. Oestrus ovis as a cause of red eye in Aljabal Algharbi. Libya. Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology, 18, 305-308.

AL-Amery, A.M., 2007. Serepidemiological study of myasis caused by Oestrus ovis larvae. A thesis. Baghdad: Baghdad University.

Al-Saffar T.M. and Muhammad B.A., 2008. Epidemiological and identification study of sheep lice in Al-Mosul city. AL-Qadisiya Journal of Veterinary and Medicine Sciences, 7, 7-11.

Al-Ubeidi, N.H., Al-Ani, A.J. and Al-Kennany, E.R., 2017. Detection of nasal bot fly larvae in slaughtered sheep of Ninevah governorate – Iraq. Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research, 16, 240-247.

Dorchies, P., Duranton, C. and Jacquiet, P., 1998. Pathophysiology of Oestrus ovis infection in sheep and goats: a review. Veterinary Record, 142, 487-489.

Hidalgo, A., Palma, H., Oberg, C. and Fonseca-Salamanca, F., 2015. Oestrus ovis infection of grazing sheep during summer in southern Chile. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, 35, 497-500.

Hussien, H.H. and Yaqub, A.Y., 2010. Distribution of ectoparasites among sheep in Baghdad. Bulletin of Diyala Pure Sciences, 6, 213-245.

Jacquiet, P. and Dorchies P., 2002. Towards a lower prevalence of Oestrus ovis infections in sheep in a temperate climate (south west France). Veterinary Research, 33, 449–453.

James, P.J. and Moon, R.D., 1998. Pruritis and dermal response to insect antigens in sheep infested with Bovicola ovis. International Journal for Parasitology, 28, 419-427.

Jarjees, M.T., Daoud, M.S. and Hassan, M.H., 2000. Natural occurrence of Oestrus ovis L (diptera) larvae in sheep in Ninevah province. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 13, 323-329.

Kadir, M.A., Zangana, I.K. and Mustafa, B.H.S., 2012. A study on epidemiology of hard tick (Ixodidae) in sheep in Sulaimani governorate - Iraq. Proceedings of the 6th Scientific Conference, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 26, Supplement III: 95-103.

Kim, K.C. and Ludwig, H.W., 1978. The family classification of the Anoplura. Systematic Entomology, 3, 249-284.

Mohammad M. K., 2016. Ixodiod tick fauna infesting sheep and goats in the middle and south of Iraq. Bulletin of the Iraq national History Museum, 14, 43-50.

Mohammad, M.K. and Jassim, S.Y., 2011. Distribution of hard tick species among sheep Ovis aries L. in Al-Anbar Province, western desert of Iraq. Bulletin of the Iraq national History Museum, 11, 7-31.

Mustafa, B.H.S., 2019. Detection on ectoparasites on small ruminants and their impact on the tanning industry in Sulaimani province. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 33, 303-309.

Oormazdi, H. and Baker, K.P., 1979. An examination of the dietary constituents of the cattle-biting louse, Bovicola bovis. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 73, 185-187.

Parola, P. and Raoult, D., 2001. Ticks and Tickborne Bacterial Diseases in Humans: An Emerging Infectious Threat. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 32, 897–928.

Pols, N.N. and Mawlood, N.A., 2015. Morphological Study of some ectoparasites of goats in Erbil Governorate Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Zanco Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 27, 39-44.

Rashmi, A. and Saxena A.K., 2017. Population levels of phthirapteran ectoparasites on the goats in Rampur (U.P.). Journal of Parasitic Diseases, 41, 778-781.

Saad, A.H., Muhamed, A.K. and Ismail, A.Y., 1993 .Seasonal occurence of Oestrus L (Dipetra: oestridae) in goats in Arbil. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 16, 5-7.

Seid, M., Zeryehun, T., Kemal, J. and Telahun, B., 2018. Ectoparasites of small ruminants in and around Kombolcha, northeastern Ethiopia. Ethiopian Veterinary Journal, 22, 81-93.

Walker, A.R., Bouattour, A., Camicas, J.L., Estrada- Pena, A., Horak, I.G., Latif, A., Pegram, R.G. and Preston, P.M., 2003. Ticks of Domestic Animals in Africa. A Guide to Identification of Species. Bioscience Reports, London, UK. pp. 86-217.

Yakhchali, M. and Hosseine, A., 2006. Prevalence and ectoparasites fauna of sheep and goats flocks in Urmia suburb, Iran. Veterinarski Arhiv, 76, 431-442.

Zangana, I.K., Ali, B.A. and Naqid, I.A., 2013. Distribution of ectoparasites infested sheep and goats in Duhok province, north Iraq. Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research, 12, 54-64.