Abstract
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in order to determine the epizootiology of ectoparasitic fauna infesting domestic cattle population of district Toba Tek Singh (T. T. Singh), Punjab, Pakistan. A questionnaire-based surveillance of 3864 cattle respondents, randomly selected through two-stage cluster sampling was conducted over a period of one year from March, 2011 to February, 2012. A total of 822 (21.27%) subjects were found infested with ectoparasites including ticks (39.1%), mites (4.34%), lice (23.23%), fleas (0.89%) and flies (5.32%). Taxonomic studies revealed following species: Hyalomma anatolicum and Rhipicephalus microplus of ticks; Ctenocepahlides (Ct). felis and Ct. canis of fleas; Haematopinus eurysternus, Damalinia bovis and Linognathus vituli of lice; Psoroptes bovis and Sarcoptes scabei of mites; and Stomoxys calcitrans of flies. Friesian cattle (Bos taurus) was significantly more proned to infestation as compared to Jersey (Bos taurus), cross-bred (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) and Sahiwal (Bos indicus). Among various determinants, age and sex of host; feeding and animal keeping systems were not found statistically associated with the prevalence of ectoparasites (P>0.05). However, cemented floor was having a positive statistical association with the ectoparasites (P<0.05). The prevalence of fleas, lice and mites was found higher in winter, while prevalence of ticks and fly reached to their peaks in summer and spring seasons, respectively. The data corresponds to a significant chapter of domestic cattle population and can help to restrict the spread of invasion, which causes skin and hide quality squalor and disease spread in the area. (C) 2014 Friends Science Publishers