Morphological characterization and prevalence of ectoparasites in goats in and around Guwahati, Assam, India

A year-long study on the prevalence of various ectoparasites in goats was carried out in and around Guwahati, Assam, India. A total of 716 numbers of goats were screened for different ectoparasites and the highest prevalence of 68.44% was recorded in fleas. This was followed by ticks (67.32%), lice (43.02%) and mites (14.38%). The most common ectoparasites found throughout the year were Haemaphysalis bispinosa, H. hystricis, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, Linognathus africanus, Damalinia (Bovicola) caprae, Ctenocephalides felis orientis, C. canis, C. felis felis and Sarcoptes scabiei var. caprae. The present study also reported Linognathus africanus and Damalinia (Bovicola) capra for the first time in goat from Assam. Significantly higher prevalence of tick and flea was found in female goats than the male goats. However, the prevalence of lice and mite were similar for both male and female goats. Age-wise, goats older than 6 months were more likely to have ticks and mites. But younger goats, under 6 months, were more likely to have fleas. Lice were found in goats of all ages and seem not to depend on age. Seasonally, ticks were most common during the pre-monsoon season, which is March, April, and May. On the other hand, lice, fleas, and mites were most common during the winter season, during December, January, and February months. The study revealed that goats of Guwahati, Assam have a considerable high burden of different ectoparasites and needs appropriate preventive measures for controlling them.