Seasonal infestation of donkeys by lice: phenology, risk factors and management.
Abstract: A longitudinal study was undertaken over a 21 months period to examine the seasonal abundance of lice infesting donkeys, the risk factors which predispose donkeys to infestation and the effectiveness of louse management. All the lice seen were Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus. A strong seasonal pattern, which was correlated with mean monthly temperature, was observed with higher prevalence and intensity in the cooler, winter months (October-March). Overall infestation in these animals was over-dispersed, suggesting that some individuals are strongly predisposed to infestation. Donkey age and mean hair length were characteristics which affected louse prevalence: older and younger donkeys and donkeys with longer hair harboured the highest numbers of lice. However, the practice of coat-clipping, to reduce the infestation, resulted in a lower louse prevalence only in the summer, suggesting that clipping is not an effective form of louse control in cooler months. Higher louse burdens were associated with larger areas of visible excoriation and hair damage, suggesting that B. ocellatus does adversely impact animal welfare. However, the ability of animal carers to estimate louse presence or absence accurately on an individual donkey was not sufficiently high to allow targeted selective treatment of heavily infested animals to be employed effectively. As animals are housed in closed herds these findings suggest that clipping in the summer and treating all animals with insecticide in late autumn, prior to turn-in may be an effective louse management strategy.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2014-04-19 PubMed ID: 24792748DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.04.012Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research discusses how lice infestations in donkeys vary with seasonal changes and evaluates the effectiveness of different methods to manage the issue.
Study Design and Findings
- The research is a longitudinal study conducted over a period of 21 months, targeting the lice affecting donkeys. This type of extended observation allows for the study of changes over time and in different circumstances, such as during different seasons.
- All the lice recorded were of the species Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus.
- The study found a strong seasonal pattern in lice infestation, with the problem reaching its peak during colder, winter months (October-March). This seasonal pattern was found to be in correlation with the mean monthly temperature.
- The scientists observed an over-dispersal in overall infestation — which means the infestation was not evenly spread but rather some donkeys were more prone to it than others.
Infestation Risk Factors
- Not all donkeys were equally at risk: the age of a donkey and its mean hair length were found to affect lice prevalence. Both older and younger donkeys and those with longer hair were most at risk.
- Infestation led to larger areas of visible excoriation (skin damage) and hair damage. This suggests that this form of lice does impact the wellbeing of the animals affected.
Management Measures
- Coat-clipping was used as a measure to combat the infestation. However, it was only effective in reducing the louse prevalence in the summer, indicating that this method is not a viable solution for cooler months.
- Animal carers were not able to accurately estimate louse presence or absence on individual donkeys, making it hard to specifically target heavily infested animals. Thus, treatment must be more broad-reaching.
- The findings suggest a possible louse management strategy: clip the donkeys’ coats in the summer and treat all animals with insecticide in late autumn, before they are housed indoors for the winter.
Cite This Article
APA
Ellse L, Burden FA, Wall R.
(2014).
Seasonal infestation of donkeys by lice: phenology, risk factors and management.
Vet Parasitol, 203(3-4), 303-309.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.04.012 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Veterinary Parasitology and Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK. Electronic address: lauren.ellse@bristol.ac.uk.
- The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon, UK.
- Veterinary Parasitology and Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animal Husbandry / standards
- Animals
- Equidae / parasitology
- Hair
- Ischnocera / physiology
- Lice Infestations / therapy
- Lice Infestations / veterinary
- Longitudinal Studies
- Risk Factors
- Seasons
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