Permanent ectoparasites of goats and sheep in Sobral, Ceara, Brazil

Abstract

Ectoparasites of goats and sheep raised in Sobral were identified and their prevalence and seasonal dynamics were studied. The arthropods identified in the first stage of this work, and their respective prevalence, were Bovicola caprae and Psoroptes cuniculi in 62.17% and 36.02% of the goats, and Bovicola ovis and Boophilus microplus in 18.49% and 9.65% of the sheep examined. The clinic cases of ectoparasitism registered during a 12 - month period were psoroptic otoacariasis and cutaneous myiasis caused by P. cuniculi and Cochliomyia hominivorax, respectively. The otoacariasis happened in 1.22% of the goats and the myiasis appeared in 0.35% of the goats and 1.92% of the sheep. The myiasis were restricted to the rainy season whereas the otoacariasis was registered in different times of the year. The B. caprae and P. cunicull populations in goats increased during the dry period and reached their maximum peak in December. When the rains started in January. the P. cuniculi population suffered a dramatic reduction. This phenomenon, similar to the selfcure known in nematodes, seem; to be associated with the first growth of the green pasture. The B. caprae population was reduced after heavy rains (325 mm) registered in March.