Page 1 of 8
European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 10, No. 1
Publication Date: February 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/aivp.101.11525. Suleiman, M., & Yusuf, S. H. (2022). Prevalence of Ectoparasites Infesting Local Chickens in Selected Sub-Urban Communities
Around Katsina Metropolis, Nigeria. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(1). 31-38.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Prevalence of Ectoparasites Infesting Local Chickens in Selected
Sub-Urban Communities Around Katsina Metropolis, Nigeria
Suleiman, M.
Department of Biology, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, Nigeria
Yusuf, S. H.
Department of Biology, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
A study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of ectoparasites infesting local
chickens in five sub-urban communities namely Babbar Ruga, Barhim, Kambarawa,
Modoji and Morawa, around Katsina Metropolis, Nigeria. Physical examination to
search for ectoparasites on both skin and feathers was performed and ectoparasite
species were identified. The prevalence was observed to be higher in Modoji and
Kambarawa than that of the other three communities. This study revealed that
there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in prevalence of ectoparasites
infesting local chickens among the five communities. Out of the mean number of 300
chickens examined, 73.66 (24.55%) harboured ectoparasites. Also, 8.78% of male
chickens were infested by ectoparasites which was not significantly (p > 0.05)
different from that of their female counterparts (10.78%). Local chickens within the
age group of 11 and above had the highest (8.33%) infestation, while those within
the age group of 0-5 had the least (3.00%). Findings of this study also showed the
prevalent rate of ticks and mites as 19.44 and 5.11%, respectively. Among the
ectoparasite species identified, Argas persicus had the highest prevalence (19.44%)
followed by Dermanyssus gallinae (3.11%) and Ornithonyssus syviarum (2.00%).
There is need for more investigations on ectoparasites infesting local chickens in
other parts of Katsina State, Nigeria.
Key words: Chickens, Ectoparasites, Management, Mites, Prevalence, Tick
INTRODUCTION
Indigenous domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domestica) variously referred to as local chickens,
back yard chickens or village chickens are type of domesticated fowl, a sub species of red jungle
fowl belonging to the family Phasianidae and order Galliformes [1]. In 2016, chicken
contributed 89 and 92% of the world poultry meat and egg production, respectively [2]. In
Nigeria, poultry production was estimated to be 160 million, with chickens comprising about
72.5 million out of which backyard poultry covers about of 43.4 million in 2012 [3].
Local chickens are mostly kept in small numbers and usually taken care of by women and
children. Domestic chickens contribute up to 15% to the Nigeria’s gross domestic product
(GDP) and accounts for 36% of total protein intake of the country in 2012 [4]. Chickens are
extremely important in providing valuable high quality protein, poverty alleviation, income and
Page 2 of 8
32
European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 1, February-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
food security [5]. Mismanagement of local chickens leads to consequences such as retardation
in growth, laying few eggs and high mortality [2].
Ectoparasites are critters that live primary on the outside of another animal. They may be
obligatory, programmed to feed on human hosts to complete their lifecycle, or facultative
parasites preferring to feed non human hosts, infesting humans only as accidental or dead-end
hosts [6]. Four major ectoparasites infesting poultry are Lice, mites, fleas and ticks. They feed
on feathers, dead skin, blood or scales and cause primarily loss in both growth and eggs
production [7].
The various ways of controlling ectoparasites are classified according to Agbede [8] as (i)
Ecological control which involves the modification of the environment of the parasite by
maintaining good sanitation; (ii) Biological control which are control through natural processes
which involves the release of predators; (iii) Chemical control which involves proper use of
insecticides such as high pressure spray treatment; (iv) Botanical control which involves the
use of insect traps and repellents. Application of such methods depends on the biological and
ecological characteristics of the ectoparasite and they may act directly, affecting mortality
and/or reproduction [9].
The aim of this research was to investigate the occurrences of ectoparasites infesting local
chickens and the management practices adopted by the local chicken breeders in some
communities around Katsina metropolis, Nigeria.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
Study sites selected for this research are some communities around Katsina metropolis,
Nigeria. The communities included Babbar Ruga, Barhim, Kambarawa, Modoji and Morawa
(Figure 1).
Sampling Procedure
Sixty (60) local chickens were examined from Babbar Ruga community 3 chickens from each of
20 households) during a visiting period of July, August and September, 2019 which gave a total
of 180 chickens. The chickens were examined for ectoparasitic infestation using random
sampling method from among households who reared at least five chickens. They comprised of
both sexes of various age groups. The same procedure was followed for sampling from each of
the other villages, i.e. Barhim, Kambarawa, Modoji and Morawa.
Page 3 of 8
33
Suleiman, M., & Yusuf, S. H. (2022). Prevalence of Ectoparasites Infesting Local Chickens in Selected Sub-Urban Communities Around Katsina
Metropolis, Nigeria. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(1). 31-38.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.101.11525
Figure 1: Map of Katsina Showing the Five Sub-urban Communities Selected for the Study
Collection of Ectoparasites
Methods of Mata et al. [10] were adopted for sample collection. During this exercise, chicken’s
legs were tied with a rope and placed on a white tray. After restraining, chickens head, vent,
neck, leg, back, wattle, comb, and wing were examined by using naked eye and hand lens.
Ectoparasites were collected by parting the feathers by gently brushing the base of the feathers
with a fine soft brush and thumb forceps so as to prevent the chickens from injuries. All
potential ectoparasites collected were placed in clean sampling bottles. Each chicken examined
was assigned a serial number on the sampling bottle for easy identification. Bio data like sex,
age, and predilection sites of each chicken were recorded. The ectoparasites collected were
preserved in 70% ethanol in well labeled specimen bottles accordingly. Same procedure was
conducted to each of the five selected communities visited.
Identification of Ectoparasites
All types of ectoparasites collected were transported to the Biology Postgraduate Laboratory
of UMYUK and categorized accordingly. The preserved ectoparasites were identified on the
basis of their morphological characters as recommended by Soulsby [11]. The collected
ectoparasites were examined under dissecting microscope using 10 mag and each
morphological character was recorded for identification [12].
Determination of the Prevalence of Ectoparasites among Local Chickens
The prevalence of ectoparasites was determined according to Petrus et al. [13] as follows:
Page 4 of 8
34
European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 1, February-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Data Analysis
All collected data were entered into Micro-Soft Excel sheet to compute mean number of
chickens examined during the three visits. Data collected were analyzed by using
PAleontological STatistics (PAST) version 2.17. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was
used to test if there was any significant difference in ectoparasitic prevalence on local chickens
among the five different selected communities. Chi-square (X2) Goodness of fit was employed
to test if there was any significant difference in infestation between males and females as well
as among various age groups of the local chicken. All analyses were carried at p < 0.05 level of
significance.
RESULTS
Prevalence of Ectoparasites Infesting Local Chickens in Selected Sub-urban Communities
around Katsina Metropolis
Out of the five different communities visited for examination of ectoparasites attacking local
chickens, Morawa had the highest (28.33%) prevalence, while Babbar Ruga had the least
(21.67%)(Table1). The prevalence in the communities was in the order: Morawa > Kambarawa
> Modoji > Barhim > Babbar Ruga. Analysis of variance showed that there was significant
difference (F(4, 10) = 8.428; p = 0.0030) in the prevalence of ectoparasitic infestations on local
chickens among the five communities around Katsina metropolis.
Table 1. Prevalence of Ectoparasites Infesting Local Chickens in Selected Sub-urban
Communities around Katsina Metropolis
Study Sites Mean Number of
Chickens Examined
Mean Number of
Chickens Infested
Mean Prevalence
(% ± S.D.)
Babbar Ruga 60 13.00 21.67 ± 1.92c
Barhim 60 13.33 22.22 ± 0.96c
Kambarawa 60 15.33 25.55 ± 0.96b
Modoji 60 15.00 25.00 ± 1.67b
Morawa 60 17.00 28.33 ± 1.67a
Mean values followed by different superscript letters are significantly different at p < 0.05
Prevalence of Ectoparasite Species Attacking Local Chickens in Selected Sub-urban
Communities around Katsina Metropolis
There were two species of mites (Dermanyssus gallinae and Ornithonyssus syviarum) and one
species of tick (Argas persicus) found attacking local chickens in the study areas (Table 2).
Barhim had the highest prevalence (6.67%) of D. gallinae whereas the species was not
recovered in Morawa. There was a significant difference (F(4, 10) = 7.304; p = 0.0112) in the
prevalence of D. gallinae among the five communities.
Prevalence of O. syviarum was generally low in the five communities varying between 0.00 and
7.22% (Table 2) which was significantly different (F(4, 10) = 15.5; p = 0.0043). However, A.
persicus did not show any significantly different (p > 0.005) prevalence among the selected
communities.
Page 5 of 8
35
Suleiman, M., & Yusuf, S. H. (2022). Prevalence of Ectoparasites Infesting Local Chickens in Selected Sub-Urban Communities Around Katsina
Metropolis, Nigeria. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(1). 31-38.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.101.11525
Table 2. Prevalence of Ectoparasite Species Infesting Local Chickens in Selected Sub-urban
Communities around Katsina Metropolis
Locations Mean No. of Chickens
Examined
Mean Prevalence of Ectoparasite Species (% ± S.D.)
Ectoparasite Species
Dermanyssus
gallinae
Ornithonyssus
syviarum Argas persicus
Babbar Ruga 60 2.78 ± 0.96b 1.67 ± 1.67b 17.22 ± 0.96a
Barhim 60 6.67 ± 1.67a 0.00 ± 0.00c 15.55 ± 2.55a
Kambarawa 60 2.78 ± 0.96b 0.56 ± 0.96c 22.22 ± 2.55a
Modoji 60 3. 89 ± 0.96b 0.00 ± 0.00c 21.11 ± 2.55a
Morawa 60 0.00 ± 0.00c 7.22 ± 1.92a 21.11± 2.55a
Mean values followed by different superscript letters are significantly different at p < 0.05
Prevalence of Ectoparasite Infestation in Relation to Sex of Local Chickens in Selected
Sub-urban Communities around Katsina Metropolis
Female chickens were found to be more infested with ectoparasites than their male
counterparts in all the communities except Babbar Ruga where an opposite situation was
recorded (Table 3). Although the infestation in infestation between male and female chickens
varied, X2 test showed that the ectoparasites prevalence was not significantly different (p >
0.05) between the sexes in all the five communities.
Table 3. Prevalence of Ectoparasites in Relation to Sex of Local Chickens in Selected Sub-urban
Communities around Katsina Metropolis
Locations Mean Prevalence (% ± S.D.) X2 p -value
Male Female
Babbar Ruga 8.33 ± 4.41 7.78 ± 2.55 1.439 0.487
Barhim 8.33 ± 1.67 10.57 ± 4.18 1.946 0.378
Kambarawa 9.44 ± 5.36 11.67 ± 4.41 2.412 0.299
Modoji 7.78 ± 4.20 11.67 ± 5.77 4.263 0.119
Morawa 10.00 ± 6.01 12.22 ± 4.81 2.412 0.299