PREVALENCE, SEASONAL DYNAMICS, AND POTENTIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CAPRINE NASAL MYIASIS CAUSED BY OESTRUS OVIS IN LODHRAN, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Oestrosis is a parasitic disease of nasal myiasis and adjoining sinuses of sheep and goats caused by larvae from Oestrus genus and is a disease of economic significance in small ruminants. This study was aimed to estimate the prevalence, seasonal dynamics, age-group larval burden, and potential factors associated with infestation of caprine oestrosis. A total of 47 goat heads were collected from participating abattoirs from October 2021 to April 2022 at Lodhran district Punjab, Pakistan. Heads of goats (n = 47) slaughtered in Lodhran district, Punjab, Pakistan, were inspected for presence of Oestrus ovis larvae (L). Heads were split along longitudinal axes, and larvae (L1, L2, and L3) were collected.  On analyzing the results, we found that the prevalence rate in goats was (40%; 19/47), and the prevalence rate varied from 25% in March and April-2022 to 71% in November 2021. Animals between age1-2 years (52%) were more infected with larvae as compared to younger animal 0-1 year (18%) and animals older than 2 years. The prevalence was higher in females (42.9%) than in males (33.3%), though this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.736). Out of the 53 collected larvae from goats, 0% was L1, 11% were L2, and 88% were L3 and the mean number of larvae in infected goats where: 2.79 ± 2.1 (range: 1-8). Myiasis-causing larvae collected from Lodhran, district, Punjab, Pakistan, were authenticated as Oestrus ovis, according to morphological characteristics. In conclusion, these findings may be used to design control strategies for myiasis in goats. In order to lower the overall prevalence of this disease, it would be necessary to use effective pesticides and insecticides against Oestrus ovis, in all routine parasite control treatments especially in females and young animals.