PREVALENCE OF ENDO (TREMATODES) AND ECTO-PARASITES IN COWS AND BUFFALOES OF QUETTA, PAKISTAN

Prevalence of endo and ecto-parasites in cows and buffaloes were investigated in Quetta city, Pakistan. A total of 396 livers and gall bladders of cows and 340 of buffaloes were selected randomly.  Overall prevalence of liver parasites in cows and buffaloes was 45.70 and 37.05%, respectively.  The species found in livers of cows were: Fasciola hepatica (16.16%), Fasciola gigantica (12.37%), Paramphistomum explanatum (7.82%) and mixed infections (9.34%). The corresponding values for buffaloes were 11.47, 13.52, 5.58 and 6.47%. For ecto-parasites, out of 404 cows and 386 buffaloes examined, 28.96 and 25.64% respectively gave positive results for ecto-parasites. The prevalence of ticks, lice, mites and mixed infection was found to be 10.14, 7.17, 5.19 and 6.43%, respectively in cows and 6.99, 9.84, 4.92 and 3.88% respectively in buffaloes. It was concluded that the prevalence of endo and ecto-parasites in cows was higher than in buffaloes due to differences in feeding habits and hygienic habitats of the two species