Distribution of ectoparasites infested sheep and goats in Duhok Province, North Iraq

Abstract EN

An investigation into ectoparasites of sheep and goats was carried out in Duhok province North West region of Iraq, during six months of a year, from January to June 2010.

One thousand and two hundred forty eight (1248) sheep and 954 goats in 110 flocks from 80 villages were examined.

Among them overall animals (66.89 %) were infested with one or more species of ectoparasites.

Of 720 (57.7 %) and of 753 (78.9 %) sheep and goats, respectively were infested.

Five different types of ectoparasites, ticks (46.7 %, 34.9 %), lice (3.8 %, 33.8 %), mites (7.1 %, 0.1 %), fleas (2.8 %, 7.75 %) and ked (1.2 %, 4.5 %) were identified sheep and goats, respectively.

Five species of hard ticks (Ixodidae) were identified in both sheep and goats, namely Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicun (48.37 %, 13.5 %), H.

marginatum (18.01%, 8.1%), Rhipicephalus sanguineous (21.09 %, 39.93 %), R.

turanicus (16.8 %, 49.54 %) and Haemaphysalis ssp.

(2.5 %, 0.9 %).

Two species of lice were infested each one of animal these namely, Damalinia Ovis (75 %) and Linognathus stenopsis (33.3 %) on sheep, and D.

caprae (80.74 %) and L.stenopsis (19.2 %) on goats.

Sheep were highly infested with two species of mites, Sarcoptes scabiei (25.84 %) and Psoroptes Ovis (74.15 %) than the goats, which one goat was found (0.1 %) infested with S.

scabiei.

Three species of fleas were found infested both sheep and goats.

Out of 106 collected fleas (47.2 %, 43.4 %, 9.4 %) were Ctenocephalides felis felis, Pulex irritans and Xenopsylla cheopis, respectively.

However, the only one species of Ked Melophagus ovinus were infested (1.2 %) of sheep and (4.5 %) of goats.