Ectoparasites and haemoparasites of chickens in sokoto, northwestern Nigeria

Abstract

A study to determine the prevalence of ecto and haemoparasites of chickens was carried out in Sokoto metropolis between April and August 2010. A total of 200 adult chickens from 2 different production systems (commercial and free range) were sampled. Thin blood smear was used to analyse the blood sample while the ectoparasites recovered were properly examined. All chickens from the free range production system were infested with ectoparasites and 12% had haemoparasites. Only 50% of the chickens in the commercial system had ectoparasites. One tick, five lice and one species of haemoparasite were identified with the following prevalences (free range %/commercial %): Tick; Argas persicus (66/0); Lice; Amyrsidea powelli (50/0), Goniocotes gallinae (74/16), Goniodes gigas (56/16), Lipeurus tropicalis (94/34), Menacanthus cornutus (100/50) and haemoparasite; Plasmodium gallinaceum (12/0). In general, the occurrence of the parasites was significantly influenced by production system being significantly higher in the free range system than the commercial system of production (p< 0.0001).