Observations on the potential for natural transfer of Psoroptes cuniculi and Chorioptes bovis ( Acari: Psoroptidae) between goats and sheep

Authors: Bishop DM, Tenquist JD, Heath ACG
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 37, Issue 2, pp 56-58, Jun 1989
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Goat, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Inflammation, Integument/skin/wool/hair/fur/feather, Disease/defect, Disease transmission, Epidemiology, Parasites - external
Article class: Scientific Article

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Abstract: Goats and sheep were pastured together and held in close contact in yards twice a month for 21 months. The goats had a high prevalence of both the rabbit ear canker mite, Psoroptes cuniculi and the chorioptic mange mite, Chorioptes bovis. The sheep were not infested with P. cuniculi at the beginning of the study and viable C. bovis could not be detected. At no time during the study did P. cuniculi establish in the ears of sheep, despite a maximum prevalence of >95% P. cuniculi in goats. This may have been related to the viscous nature of sheep cernmen. Levels of cernmen in goats` ears increased with increasing prevalence of the mite in the flock. The prevalence of C. bovis in the sheep flock did not exceed 10%, despite a maximum prevalence of >90% infested goalts. The difficulty of detecting light infestations of mites means that it was not clear whether the C. bovis infestation of sheep was derived from goats or was present when the study began. Whatever the source, close contact with goats with an active and extensive C. bovis infestation seems unlikely to seriously influence populations of the ectoparasite in sheep. Psoroptes cuniculi was found to he established in goats as young as five days and post-mortem examination of goats’ ears was more successful at revealing P. cuniculi than was use of an otoscope during life.

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