Relationship between the Prevalence of Ectoparasites and Associated Risk Factors in Free-Range Pigs in Kenya

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of ectoparasites and possible risk factors in free-range pigs from 135 farms of Busia District, Kenya. Three hundred and six pigs were examined for presence of external parasites using standard parasitological methods. Data on manage...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:ISRN veterinary science 2013, Vol.2013, p.1-5
Main Authors: Kagira, John Maina, Kanyari, Paul Njuki, Maingi, Ndicho, Githigia, Samuel Maina, Ng'ang'a, Chege, Gachohi, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Agriculture
Divisions
Epidemiology
Farmers
Hogs
Livestock
Parasites
Statistical analysis
Studies
Veterinary medicine
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of ectoparasites and possible risk factors in free-range pigs from 135 farms of Busia District, Kenya. Three hundred and six pigs were examined for presence of external parasites using standard parasitological methods. Data on management practices including housing and history of acaricide spraying were also collected. The ectoparasites found in the pigs were Haematopinus suis (96.1%), Sarcoptes scabiei (63.7%), and ticks (29.7%). The tick species included Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (70%), Boophilus decoloratus (31%), and Amblyomma variegatum (12%). The occurrence of the infestations was associated with age, being highest in sows (S. scabiei) and finishers (ticks and H. suis). Male pigs had highest prevalences of H. suis and ticks, while female pigs had highest prevalence of S. scabiei. The prevalence of the parasitic infestations was significantly (P
ISSN:2090-4460
2090-4452
2090-4460
DOI:10.1155/2013/650890