Species Diversity of Ectoparasites of Cattle, Sheep and Goats in Northern and Central zones of Ebonyi State, SouthEastern Nigeria.

A study was conducted on the species diversity of ectoparasites of cattle, sheep, and goats in the Northern and Central zones of Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria. A total of 710 livestock (280 cattle, 200 sheep, and 230 goats) were examined in the two zones using standard entomological methods and a half-body tick count technique to determine the whole-body tick burden. The results showed that out of 440 animals in Ebonyi, 336 (76.3%) were infected, and out of 270 animals in Ebonyi Central, 234 (86.6%) were infected. The Ectoparasite infestation showed that 170 (85.0%) white Fulani cattle, 63 (31.5%) sheep, and 103 goats (51.5 %) were infested with different species of ectoparasites. A total of 709 visible individual ectoparasites were collected from the northern Ebonyi area. Hyalomma dromedarii 188 (26.5%) had the highest number of counts, whereas, in Ebonyi central, 171 ticks were collected from local breed cattle. Ambylomma variegatum 59 (34.5%) had the highest number of counts. Rhipicephalus appendiculatum had the highest diversity (1.60) in Ebonyi North, whereas Ambylomma variegatum and Ambylomma hebraeum shared similar diversity (1.37) in Ebonyi Central. The results obtained from this study helped in determining the ectoparasite species abundance in this area and were added to the entomological database which will help in the control of ectoparasites and tick-borne diseases of livestock in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]