Seasonal prevalence and mean intensity of Psoroptes ovis infestation in goats in the Brazilian semiarid region

Abstract

To determine the prevalence and seasonal variation of Psoroptes ovis (Delafond, 1858) mange in goats in the semiarid region of Paraíba, 541 crossbred goats of both sexes and different ages were examined between June 1999 and May 2001 and between August 2011 and December 2012, by washing their ear canals. The monthly prevalence of the infestation varied between 66.66% and 100% without significant differences (p = 0.10) among months and years. The intensity of infestation was higher between 2011–2012 (p < 0.05), with an annual rainfall of 123 mm, than between 1999-2000, which had an annual rainfall of 614.9 mm. By the Spearman test there was a negative correlation between the relative humidity and the rainfall of the intensity of the P. ovis infestation. It is concluded that parasitism by P. ovis occurs at a similar prevalence rate during the entire year but increases during dry years.