Assessment of farmers' knowledge, attitude, practices ( <scp>KAP</scp> ) and effectiveness of anti‐parasitic drug against buffalo louse, <i>Haematopinus tuberculatus</i>

Lice infestations in water buffaloes can lead to decreased weight gain, reduced milk production and damage to the animals' skin and hair. In addition to causing skin irritation, anorexia, restlessness and, in severe cases, anaemia, lice infestations can spread infectious diseases, including anaplasmosis. In this study, 1000 buffaloes were examined for louse infestation, and 543 buffaloes tested positive for Haematopinus tuberculatus, showing a 54.30% overall prevalence. The face-to-face interviews of 125 respondents showed positive attitudes of 85.60% respondents towards lice control and 64.8% literate respondents who were aware of the losses caused by lice infestation. Literate respondents' animals were comparatively less susceptible to louse infestations as compared to illiterate respondents. The in vitro efficacy of amitraz, fenvalerate and fipronil ranged from 63.33% to 76.77% against lice. However, the overall in vivo efficacy of amitraz, fenvalerate and fipronil was 83.10%, 74.41% and 95.13%, respectively. The current study is the first on buffalo lice conducted in the Indore district of Madhya Pradesh state, India, emphasizing the crucial examination of lice infestation in this specific area and KAP analysis.