PREVALENCE OF ECTOPARASITES AND THEIR EFFECT ON SOME BIOCHEMICAL INDICES IN CAMELS (CAMELUS DROMEDARIUS) AT SHALATIN CITY

Field and abattoir survey was done on a total of 810 male and female
camels at different ages and seasons to study the prevalence of
ectoparasites at Shalatin City, Rod Sea Govemorate, Egypt. Out of 680
examined camels in the field study, 45.59% revealed infestation with
ectoparasites. Of these animals lll76% were infested with sarcoptic
scabiei var camell, 30.14% with ticks and 3.67% showed mixed
infestation. The incidence of ectoparasitw in the abattoir survey was
higher (87.7%) because of the high incidence of Cephalopenia titillator
(67.69%). Tick species like Hyalomma dromedarii, Amblyoma lepidum
and Ornithodoros savignyi species were recorded. Older camels were
more susceptible than younger individuals. Mange mites and bot flies
were more prevalent with higher intensity in females than male camels,
meanwhile tick infestation was more prevalent in males but females had
higher burden. Contrarily to ticks, the highest rate of mites and nasal bot
infestation was recorded in winter while the lowest was in summer.
Nonnocytic not-mochromic anaemia was the hallmark of tick and nasal
bot infestation, but infestation with mites revealed microcytic
hypochromic anaemia. All infested groups showed lencccytosis
accompanied by lymphocytosis and eosinophilia. Proteinogr-am showed
hypoproteinaemia consequent to hypoalbuzninaemia and
hypetglobulinaemia. There was marked hyper ct-globulinaemia and
hyper rglobulinaemia without changes in _B-globulin fraction. Cases of
sarcoptic mange treated with ivermcctin showed disappearance of the
initiated clinical signs and restored haematological and biochemical
indices.