Study on the prevalence of ectoparasite infestation of ruminanats in and around Kombolcha and damage to fresh goat pelts and wet blue (pickled) skin at Kombolch Tannary, Northestern Ethiopia

An attempt was made to study the prevalence of ectoparasite damage on live cattle, sheep and goats in and around Kombolcha town and on raw goat skin to assess their skin defect on processed wet-blue (pickled) skins at Kombolcha tannery, south wollo zone, North-Eastern Ethiopia. A total of 240 cattle, 175 sheep, 66 goats, were used to study the prevalence of ectoprasites on live animals as well as 344 fresh goat pelts and pickled (wet-blue) goat skins were used to assess skin defects. The result obtained from live cattle demonstrated a high prevalence of Amblyomma (28.33%) followed by Sarcoptes scabiei (23.75%), Boophilus (11.25%) Demodex (9.58%), Psoroptes (0.4 %), respevtively. The prevalence of ectoprasite infestation of live sheep revealed Mellophagus ovinus (sheep ked) (32.57%), Bovicola ovis (22.28%), Amblyomma spp (12.57%), Sarcoptes scabiei (14.28 %), Ctenocephaliedes spp (8.57%), Demodex (6.85%), Linognathus africanus (6.28%) and Boophilus spp (4%). The result from goats demonstrates a high prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei (30.3%) followed by Linognathus stenopsis (9.09%), Amblyomma (4.54%), Ctenocephalides spp (3.03%), Bovicola caprea (1.51%) and Demodex (1.51%) in that order. Result obtained from fresh goats pelts revealed an over all high prevalence of Sacoptes scabie (53.29%) followed by Linognathus stenopsis (9.88%), Bovicola caprae (2.08%) and Demodex (2.08%). Examination of pickled (wet-blue) skins from follow-up skins show a high prevalence of scratch (74.25%) followed by “Ekek” (68.56%), scar (67.06%), processing defect (28.44%). “Ekek” (Typical scatter type cockle) was found to show a significant (P<0.5) association with Sarcoptes scabiei, Linoganthus stenopsis, scratch and diseases scars, indicating the likely multifactor causes and one major skin problems in the study area.