Surveillance of ectoparasite of dogs in the State of Tripura

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2021 to October 2022, to determine the prevalence of ectoparasites in dogs of different sex, breed and age groups in Tripura. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of ectoparasites, determine associated risk factors and identify the most important ectoparasites species of dogs in four districts of Tripura. A total of 528 dogs were screened for ectoparasites and were identified using standard taxonomic keys.Of 528 dogs, 69.69% (368/528) were positive to one or more ectoparasites. Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick was the most prevalent species (54.92%) followed by fleas Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis (41.47%), lice Trichodectis canis (3.03%) and mites demodex spp. and sarcoptes scabies var. canis (8.90%). No significant difference (p>0.05) was seen in the district wise prevalence but during study period significant difference (p