PREVALÊNCIA DE ECTOPARASITOS EM CAPRINOS E OVINOS DO MUNICÍPIO DE MOSSORÓ, RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Abstract

Goat and sheep present a diversity of external parasites which may result in considerable productivity loss in these animals. It was visited 15 establishments of reform agrarian from August 2005 to November 2006 to identify ectoparasites in goats and sheep. Examination was done and samples of the exsudate of the outer ear and skin scraping were collected. From 494 goats inspected, 89.87% presented ectoparasites and 76.72% in sheep. The arthropods identified in goats were: Damalinia caprae (89.87%), Rhipicephalus microplus (1.01%), larvae of Cochliomyia hominivorax (0.4%), Psoroptes cuniculi (0.4%), and Ctenocephalides felis (3.23%), Amblyomma parvum (1.01%), Linognathus stenopsis (0.2%), that were described for the first time in Brazilian Northeast. And multiparasitism of the D. caprae and R. microplus (0.46%), P. cuniculi and D. caprae (0.23%). In sheep it was found D. ovis (74.5%), R. microplus (0.86%), larvae of C. hominivorax (0.43%) and A. parvum (0.43%) that was observed for the first time this specie in the Brazilian Northeast. Furthermore, it was observed the association of D. ovis and R. microplus (0.56%). In relation to sex and age, no association was found (p>0.05). It was found differences in relation to the period of the year (p<0.05), and prevalence in the dry months (82.15%). It is important to develop studies to evaluate the importance of ectoparasites as a limiting factor to animal production.