Vol. 2, Issue 2, August, 2018
ISSN(E): 2523-6067
ISSN(P): 2521-8328
PREVALENCE OF LICE INFESTATION IN DOMESTIC PIGEON COLUMBA LIVIA DOMESTICA IN SOUTH-EASTERN PAKISTAN
Abdullah G. Arijo1,Anil Kumar Malhi1 Nasreen Akhter1, Zubair Ahmed Laghari1, Mool Chand Malhi2,
1Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan 70060.
2Department of Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan 70060.
ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out to determine prevalence of lice infestation in pet pigeons in Umerkot region of south-eastern Pakistan. The samples were collected from a total of 100 pet pigeons from fourteen different localities of Umerkot city. The data recorded includes point prevalence, diversity and intensity of lice infestation in different breeds of pigeons kept under different management systems. In the study area pigeons were found to be infested with two lice species i.e. Columbicola columbae and Menopon gallinae. The overall prevalence of the lice infestation was recorded as 80% (80/100). The highest infestation rate was recorded in the area of Oad Mohalla and Kolhi Daro 100% (5/5) followed by Sanbhwani, Babar, Khosa Mohalla with the infection rate as 80% (5/4) and Chandiram Mohalla 80% (10/8), in Pathan Mohalla the infestation rate as 70% (10/7), in Machi and Lohar Mohalla the infestation rate was 60% (5/3) and in Sheikh Mohalla infestation rate was also 60% (10/6), respectively. Interestingly, female pigeons were found more susceptible with highest infestation rate 86% (42 / 49) as compared to 74% in males. It was also found that adult birds are more susceptible to the infestation than that of young birds while birds with poor body condition was highly susceptible to the infestation indicating clear correlation with nutrition and lice infestation. Meanwhile, severity of infestation in affected birds was recorded as 60%, 28.75%, and 11.25% as low, medium and high infestation, respectively. It was found that lice infestation is an important problem in pigeons in the study area and might be the source of infection, which needs proper attention to control infectious diseases.
Keyword
Domestic, Pet pigeon, Lice, Prevalence, Pakistan.
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