The severe infestation of a water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) herd to bloodsucking louse, Haematopinus tuberculatus, in around of Ardabil province

Buffalo is considered to be a well-known multipurpose animal and it is extensively used for agricultural practices, cultural ceremonies, transportation and supply of animal production. In general, the water buffalo is regarded as more productive, healthier and more useful than the cow. Among many constraints, parasitism is thought to be a major cause that hindering the development of livestock population including buffalo in the world. The diseases caused by ectoparasites are of great importance. The ectoparasites due to their usual habit of bloodsucking, cause heavy economic losses in the form of mortality, lowered general health condition, retarded growth, lower output of work and decrease in the production of milk and meat. Ectoparasites including lice play an important role in the transmission of certain pathogens, but unfortunately, they have not attracted the proper attention of the farmers and veterinarians which adversely affects the animal production. The sucking lice of Haematopinus genus are harmful ectoparasites found on domestic animals. They are classified in the Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta, Order Phthiraptera, Suborder Anoplura and Family Haematopinidae. One of the main species of Haematopinus genus is H. tuberculatus being reported on water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America and Europe. This species has not been yet reported from Iran. On August 2017, the owner of a small buffalo herd with 10 head animals in around Ardabil province, Iran, complained that its buffalos have symptoms including lowered milk, emaciation, restlessness, self-mutilation, licking and nervously scratching. After visiting the herd and checking each buffalo separately, it was found that all animals were infested with lice. Immediately, a significant number of lice in order to species identification were collected from all buffalos and transmitted to the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Tabriz. The study of lice specimens was performed by the following routine technique: in vitro mounting, examination under optical and dissection microscopes and comparison of the resulting morphometric data with those reported in the literature.Species identification was based on the keys proposed authentic references. The specimens collected had a dorsoventrally flattened body, a short head which narrowed at the back and short antennae. The average length and width of an adult female were 4.5 and 2.6 mm, respectively. The average length and width of an adult male were 3.1 and 2.5 mm, respectively. The thorax was small and much wider than long; it was composed of 3 indistinct segments and had a nearly rectangular thoracic sternal plate with two anterolateral processes. The abdomen was oval in shape and consisted of 9 segments, each having enlarged paratergites and each patatergite having a luft of 4-8 posterior setae. The lice had 3 pairs of robust legs, each of which had short coxae, tibiae, and tarsi that terminate in a claw. The respiratory system consisted of tracheae and 7 pairs of spiracles; the first pair leading to the thorax, and the others to the abdomen. The female had the gonopods tapering posteriorly and the median genital plate was irregularly subrectangular with an additional posterior sclerite. The basal abdomen of the male was short and wide. All the morphometric results were homogeneous and identical to Haematopinus tuberculatus characteristics reported on authentic references.

کلیدواژه ها:

Louse ، Haematopinus tuberculatus ، Buffalo ، Ardabil