Ectoparasites of domesticated animals in a rural Barangay, Davao City, Mindanao Island, Philippines

As the re-emergence of maladies in humans caused by bacterial species continues, the need to identify and determine possible routes of infection of bacterial pathogens is necessary. Special focus on the contribution of ectoparasites that infest domesticated animals appears timely especially in suburban or rural settings where domesticated animals form part of their communities. It is for this purpose that infested domesticated animals and their associated ectoparasites of a rural community in Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines were accounted. Ectoparasites were sourced from domesticated animals with hair, feather, and fur and were extracted manually from the hosts and identified based on morphological features. Fifty host domesticated animals were inspected, 41 of which were infested with ectoparasites. A total of 433 individuals of ectoparasites were found: 87 (in chicken), 199 (in dogs), 94 (in cat), nine (in dove), and 44 (in goat) representing 10 species. Except for goats, 41% of the domesticated animals were infested with more than one species of ectoparasite. Ten species of ectoparasites were identified with lice species dominating the pool of ectoparasites identified: Lice- 8; flea - 1; tick -1. All host domesticated animals were infested with at least one louse species while ticks were found only in dogs, and the flea species extracted only from dogs and cats. Data suggest the differential distribution of ectoparasites among domesticated animals in this rural barangay. Moreover, ectoparasites may transfer from one domesticated animal to another given the occurrence of several ectoparasite species in more than one inspected domesticated animal.

ABSTRAK

Apabila kemunculan semula penyakit malaria pada manusia yang disebabkan oleh spesies bakteria terus berlaku, keperluan untuk mengenal pasti dan menentukan kemungkinan jangkitan patogen bakteria adalah diperlukan. Tumpuan khusus terhadap peranan ektoparasit yang menjangkiti haiwan domestikasi muncul tepat pada masanya terutama di kawasan sub urban atau luar bandar di mana haiwan domestikasi dijadikan sebahagian daripada komuniti manusia. Untuk tujuan ini, haiwan domestikasi dan ektoparasit yang berkaitan dengan masyarakat luar bandar di Davao City, Mindanao, Filipina telah diambil kira. Ektoparasit diperolehi daripada haiwan domestikasi dari rambut, sayap, dan bulu dan diekstrak secaramanual dari perumah dan dikenal pasti berdasarkan ciri morfologi. Sebanyak 50 haiwan domestikasi diperiksa, 41 daripadanya telah dijangkiti oleh ektoparasit. Sebanyak 433 individu ektoparasit ditemui: 87 (pada ayam), 199 (pada anjing), 94 (pada kucing), sembilan (pada merpati), dan 44 (pada kambing) mewakili 10 spesies. Kecuali untuk kambing, 41% daripada haiwan domestikasi dipenuhi lebih daripada satu spesies ektoparasit. Sepuluh spesies ektoparasit telah dikenalpasti dengan spesies kutu yang menguasai kumpulan ektoparasit yang dikenal pasti: Kutu-8; hama - 1; sengkenit -1. Kesemua haiwan domestikasi di infestasi dengan sekurang-kurangnya satu spesies kutu manakala sengkenit hanya terdapat pada anjing, dan spesies hama diekstrak hanya dari anjing dan kucing. Data menunjukkan wujud perbezaan taburan ektoparasit di kalangan haiwan domestikasi di kawasan barangay. Selain itu, ektoparasit boleh dipindahkan dari satu haiwan domestikasi kepada yang lain memandangkan berlakunya beberapa spesies ektoparasit dalam lebih daripada satu haiwan yang diperiksa.

Kata kunci: Penyakit, mikrobiologi, parasit, haiwan peliharaan, zoonosis