Concurrent Infestation of Buffalo Calves
with
Ctenocephalides
felis strongylus
and Piroplasms
Asif Iqbal, Muhammad Sohail Sajid*, Muhammad Kasib Khan and Zeeshan
Furhaad
Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad-38040,
Pakistan
*Corresponding Author: drsohailuaf@hotmail.com
Abstract
The present report describes four cases of
Ctenocephalides felis strongylus
infestation in buffalo calves of district Toba Tek Singh,
Punjab,
Pakistan. The
infested animals were suffering from pyrexia, alopecia, hyperkeratinization,
accelerated pulse, tachypnea, depression, anemic mucous membranes and ataxia
(n=3). Flea infestation was generalized with higher infestation in hairy areas
of body especially legs, flank and mane.
Microscopic examination of the peripheral blood revealed moderate (n=2) to high
(n=2) numbers of piroplasms. All four calves were treated with ivermectin (Ivomec,
Merial, France; 0.02mg/kg) twice at 15 days
intervals. The treated calves were found aparasitemic on day 10th
post treatment. The three cases recovered in 10 days after completion of the
second round of treatment. One calf died 8 days after second treatment on day
11. However, the vector role of
Ctenocephalides felis strongylus may be better studied on conventional/
molecular grounds using salivary glands of the specimens.