Prevalence of Fleas in Sheep and Goats in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the association of factors (breed, sex, and age); location (village, peri-urban and sales point) and prevalence of fleas in sheep and goats in five Local Government Areas in Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of 300 sheep and 300 goats were selected at random from the three locations. The estimated age, sex, and breeds of each animal were determined. Thereafter, they were examined for presence of fleas and/or skin lesions. Flea samples were collected into universal bottles containing 1% formaldehyde. Location and severity of the flea on each animal were also recorded. The fleas were identified up to species level. Data on the animals, management factors and the prevalence of fleas were processed into contingency tables to establish the association between the prevalence of fleas and factors (age, sex, breed, and location) using Chi-square(X2) test statistics. Fleas (Ctenocephalus felis) were observed to infest sheep in the study area. There were no significant associations (P > 0.05) of all the animal factors with prevalence of fleas. It was therefore recommended that effective ectoparasites control measures should be instituted to prevent adverse effects of these parasites on the health and production of these animals.

Keywords: Prevalence, Fleas, Sheep and Goats, Ogun State.