Myiasis among slaughtered animals in Kashan, Iran: descriptive a veterinary entomological problem in the tropics

Myiasis is a common veterinary entomology problem in many slaughterhouses in the tropics.Prevalence of myiasis among slaughtered cattle was investigated in Kashan abattoir,central Iran, in 2009. All kind of dipterous larvae that may cause myiasis were collected and identified then the prevalence of each infestation analyzed by statistical tests. The results of the study revealed a total of 4 species of dipterous larvae belonged to two families of Sarcophagidae and Oestridae. The identified species were as follows: Family Oestridae:Hypoderma lineatum (61.4%), Hypoderma ovis (12.6%), Oestrus ovis (22.7%) and Family Sarcophagidae: Wohlfahrtia magnifica (3.8%). Of the 7736 examined animals, 2.5% of goats and 0.5% of sheep were infested by any kinds of dipterous larvae. Statistical comparisons were made between sex of host species and occurrence of myiasis, infested animals and species of larvae, the infested body parts of host, and finally between the prevalence and origin of the cattle. Statistically the possibility of infestation of goats was 1.43 times more than sheep (odds ratio=1.43). These finding scan be considered by officials to keep the human and animal myiasis under control. There is also need to investigate the prevalence and incidence of animal myiasis in other parts of the country to clarify the spread of infestation in the country and in the region

Keywords:

Myiasis , Oestrus ovis , Hypoderma lineatum , Hypoderma bovis , Wohlfahrtia magnifica , Iran