The first record of ostrich feather louse (Struthiolipeurus struthionis) collected from farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus) in the United Arab Emirates

Research (Published online: 18-01-2024)

13. The first record of ostrich feather louse (Struthiolipeurus struthionis) collected from farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus) in the United Arab Emirates

Nighat Perveen, Sabir Bin Muzaffar, Mohammad Nafi Solaiman Al-Sabi, Layaly Hamdan, Adnan Aldarwich, Daniil Iliashevich, Khaja Mohteshamuddin, Olivier Andre Sparagano, and Arve Lee Willingham

Veterinary World, 17(1): 125-130

Nighat Perveen: Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE; Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE.

Sabir Bin Muzaffar: Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE.

Mohammad Nafi Solaiman Al-Sabi: Department of Basic Medical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.

Layaly Hamdan: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE.

Adnan Aldarwich: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE.

Daniil Iliashevich: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE.

Khaja Mohteshamuddin: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE.

Olivier Andre Sparagano: Agricultural Sciences and Practice, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, GL7 6JS, UK; Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Arve Lee Willingham: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, UAE.

Background and Aim: Ostrich (Struthio camelus) farming in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a relatively new field of farming. Farmed ostriches are susceptible to ectoparasite infestation, which affects their production. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of ectoparasites on ostriches raised on a farm in Abu Dhabi Emirate.

Materials and Methods: The feathers of 42 ostriches (26 females and 16 males) were collected and morphologically examined for ectoparasites. In total, 283 lice (89 males and 194 females) were collected from birds. However, there were no ticks or other ectoparasites. Lice were preserved in 1.5 mL tubes containing 70% ethanol and were later identified using taxonomic keys. The prevalence, mean intensity of infection, and mean abundance were estimated.

Results: One louse species, Struthiolipeurus struthionis was identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. struthionis in ostriches raised in the UAE with an overall prevalence of 88%. The prevalence of lice was significantly higher in July (100%) than that in May (66.7%). Likewise, the mean intensity and abundance of lice were significantly higher in June (10.6 and 9.94, respectively) than in May (3.25 and 2.2, respectively).

Conclusion: The high prevalence of lice poses a serious risk to ostrich farming by negatively affecting the health and productivity of ostriches.

Keywords: lice, ostrich parasites, prevalence, Struthiolipeurus struthionis, United Arab Emirates.