Abstract
Goats are critical in mixed smallholder agricultural systems in lower and middle-income countries, while fleas are important human and animal health concerns around the world. Convenience sampling was used to describe and consider risk factors for flea infestations of peri-urban goats, with the aim of informing the iterative development of animal husbandry and management based control strategies. Seven hundred and ninety-two goats were examined in 228 households across 10 peri-urban communities surrounding Blantyre in southern Malawi. The prevalence of Ctenocephalides felis fleas was 18.3, 37.1 and 100% at the levels of individual goats, households and communities, respectively, highlighting a neglected human and animal health concern. Constant introduction of new livestock coupled to a lack of biosecurity within communities, the ubiquitous presence of dog and cat hosts for C. felis, the frequency and thoroughness of cleaning overnight goat accommodation, and goat age less than 12 months old were identified as risk factors for flea infestation. This focal cross-sectional study highlights the significance of fleas in peri-urban communities and uncovers trends and commonalities that are needed to inform sustainable disease management. The majority of the peri-urban goat keepers were female, had resided in the same community throughout their whole life and had primary level education. Advice on the planned management of fleas in livestock needs to be tailored towards this demographic group. This approach affords an opportunity to promote public health measures to address household flea infestations and zoonotic disease spread.
Highlights
Smallholder agriculture involving production of food for both consumption in the home and as a source of income is vital in the world’s poorest countries, including Malawi
Better understanding of the animal health and zoonotic disease risks associated with flea infestation of goats is a global challenge
The aims of this study were to build on these preliminary observations by describing the hitherto unknown prevalence and aforementioned risk factors for flea infestation in peri-urban goats in Malawi, thereby helping to inform more widely applicable sustainable control strategies
Summary
Smallholder agriculture involving production of food for both consumption in the home and as a source of income is vital in the world’s poorest countries, including Malawi. With prolonged exposure to flea saliva, some hosts become hypersensitive, resulting in pustule formation and crusting with intense pruritus (Halliwell 1979); the severity of hypersensitivity induced lesions and pruritis is not proportional to flea burdens. Due to their blood feeding 181 Page 2 of 11. Fleas are important as vectors in the biological transmission of viral, bacterial, protozoal and filaroid nematode pathogens (Rust and Dryden 1997; Lappin 2018; Otranto 2018), including zoonotic Bartonella spp. and rickettsia. Better understanding of the animal health and zoonotic disease risks associated with flea infestation of goats is a global challenge
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