Ectoparasites encountered on Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in Ahoué (Alépé, Côte d’Ivoire)
Paper Details
Ectoparasites encountered on Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in Ahoué (Alépé, Côte d’Ivoire)
Abstract
Guinea fowls are short-cycle birds raised for their meat and their eggs. Very few studies have been conducted on parasites infesting these birds. This study aims to improve their health in farming to enhance their productivity. To do this, 180 guinea fowls, including 87 with gray plumage and 93 with white plumage, were inspected from March to April 2025, at Ahoué poultry farm (Alépé, Côte d’Ivoire), in order to collect ectoparasites infesting them. These ectoparasites underwent morphological identification at the Laboratory of Animal Biology and Cytology of Nangui Abrogoua University according to appropriate keys. A total of 345 ectoparasites were collected, and they were exclusively lice. These lice were grouped into three species: Goniocotes gallinae, Goniodes gigas, and Menacanthus stramineus. The most predominant species was Goniocotes gallinae. It was found in all the guineafowls examined with an average abundance of 1.7 and represented 88.7% of the collected lice. In contrast, only 10% of the guineafowls hosted Goniodes gigas and 7.22% carried Menacanthus stramineus. These two species were less abundant (abundance of 0.12 and 0.10 respectively for Goniodes gigas and Menacanthus stramineus) and represented respectively 6.08% and 5.22% of identified lice. Regarding the average parasitic intensity, values were not significantly different (1.7 for Goniocotes gallinae, 1.16 for Goniodes gigas, 1.38 for Menacanthus stramineus). This study identified the main lice of the guinea fowl in southern Ivory Coast. Further studies will verify presence of pathogens in these lice that could be transmitted to guinea fowls or to the breeders.
AIP (Agence Ivoirienne de Presse). 2015. Le renforcement des infrastructures de bases et la valorisation de l’agriculture, des enjeux pour le plein essor du département d’Adzopé. news.abidjan.net/articles/550343/monographie du département d’adzopé.
Amba GJA, Diomandé S, Gnahoré E, Mangara A., Bakayoko A. 2024. Dynamique quantitative et variabilité floristique des adventices des vergers de cacaoyer (Theobroma cacao L.) dans le Département d’Adzopé au Sud-Est de la Côte d’Ivoire. Journal of Applied Biosciences 201, 21288–21302.
Amole T, Augustine A, Balehegn M, Adesogoan AT. 2022. Livestock feed resources in the West African Sahel. Agronomy Journal 114(1), 26-45.
Baruwa OI, Okuneye PA, Oyegbami A. 2016. Profitability and resource-use efficiency of guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) production in Ogun State, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development 20(2), 45-52.
Beaucournu JC, Launay H. 1990. Les puces de France et du Bassin Méditerranéen occidental (Siphonaptera). Fédération Française des sociétés de sciences naturelles, France, 548 p.
Beaucournu JC. 2013. Ajouts et corrections à la faune des Puces de France et du Bassin méditerranéen occidental (Siphonaptera). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France 118(2), 173-196.
Bonkoungou GFX. 2005. Characteristics and performance of guinea fowl production under improved and scavenging conditions in Sahelian region of Burkina Faso. Master’s Thesis. The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University. Copenhagen, Denmark.
Clayton DH, Moore J. 1997. Host-Parasite Evolution: General Principles and Avian Models. Oxford University Press.
Coulibaly FO, Ouattara N, N’zue KS, Yeo K. 2025. Influence of egg size on optimal growth of three varieties of local guinea fowl chicks in the Hambol region (Côte d’ivoire). International Journal of Biosciences 26(2), 232-240.
Dik B, Uslu U. 2006. Mallophaga (Insecta) species occurring on storks (Ciconia ciconia Linnaeus, 1758). Turkish Society for Parasitology 30(3), 220-225.
Duchemain JB. 2003. Biogéographie des puces de Madagascar. Doctoral Thesis, University of Paris XII-Val de Marne. Medicine Faculty of Créteil. Doctoral School of Life and Health Sciences, 254 p.
Idrissou Y, Assani AS., Toukourou Y., Worogo HSS, Assogba BGC. 2019. Systèmes d’élevage pastoraux et changement climatique en Afrique de l’Ouest : Etat des lieux et perspectives. Livestock Research for Rural Development 31(8), 1-20.
Kamuanga MJB, Somda J, Sanon Y, Kagoné H, Zoundi JS, Hitimana L. 2008. Élevage et marché régional au Sahel et en Afrique de l’Ouest Potentialités et défis. Etude réalisée dans le cadre du partenariat entre la Commission de la CEDEAO et le Secrétariat du CSAO/OCDE sur l’avenir de l’élevage au Sahel et en Afrique de l’Ouest. Edition : Club du Sahel et de l’Afrique de l’Ouest/OCDE, 4 boulevard des Iles 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux, 182 p.
Koné GA, Kouassi GF, Kouakou NDV, Kouba M. 2017. Typologie des éleveurs de pintades (Numida meleagris) de Côte d’Ivoire. Twelfth Days of Poultry and Duck Research, Tours, April 5 and 6, 2017. 1-5.
Kouassi GF, Koné GA, Good M, Kouba M. 2019a. Factors Impacting Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris) Production in Ivory Coast. Journal World’s Poultry Research 28, 1382-1388.
Kouassi GF, Koné GA, Good M, Assidjo NE, Kouba M. 2019b. Effect of Hevea brasiliensis seed meal or Euphorbia heterophylla seed supplemented diets on performance, physicochemical and sensory properties of eggs, and egg yolk fatty acid profile in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris). Poultry Science 99, 342–349.
Martínez de Chirinos N, Valera M, Rodríguez J. 2001. Prevalence of Ectoparasites in Domestic Fowls (Gallus gallus domesticus) from the San Francisco Municipality in Zulia State, Venezuela. Revista Científica UDO Agrícola 1(2), 79–83.
Meguini MN, Righi S, Zeroual F, Saidani K, Benakhla A. 2018. Inventory of lice of mammals and farmyard chicken in North-eastern Algeria. Veterinary World 11(3), 386–396.
Memeteau S, Seegers H, Jolivet F, L’Hostis M. 1998. Assessment of the risk of infestation of pastures by Ixodes ricinus due to their phyto-ecological characteristics. Veterinary Research 29, 487-496.
MIRAH (Ministère des Ressources Animales et Halieutiques), 2014. Plan Stratégique de Développement de l’élevage, de la Pêche et de l’aquaculture en Côte d’Ivoire (PSDEPA 2014-2020). Tome I: Diagnostic-Stratégie de développement-Orientations-Plan d’actions. Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Direction de la Planification et des Programmes, 102p.
MIRAH. 2010. Importation des produits animaux et d’origine animale http://www.ressourcesanimales.gouv.ci/actualite.php?rd=30
Mungube EO, Bauni SM, Tenhagen BA, Wamae LW, Nzioka SM, Muhammed L, Nginyi JM. 2008. Prevalence of parasites of the local scavenging chickens in a selected semi-arid zone of Eastern Kenya. Tropical Animal Health and Production 40(2), 101–109.
Moreki JC, Seabo D. 2012. Guinea Fowl Production in Botswana. Journal World’s Poultry Research 2(1), 1-4.
Murillo AC, Mullens BA. 2016. Survey of Lice (Phthiraptera) on Backyard Poultry Flocks in California. Journal of Medical Entomology 53(3), 707–711.
Nahal A, Righi S, Boucheikhchoukh M, Benakhla A. 2021. Prevalence of ectoparasites in free-range backyard chicken flocks in north east Algeria. Veterinarska Stanica 52(6), 693–702.
Nnadi PA, George SO. 2010. A cross-sectional survey on parasites of chickens in selected villages in the subhumid zones of southeastern Nigeria. Journal of Parasitology Research 1-6.
Ouarab S, Baaloudj A, Aouar-Sadli M, Medjdoub-Bensaad F, Abdelkader D. 2021. Diversity of ectoparasites and their pathogens in birds (Passeriformes and Columbiformes) in Bouinan Region (Blida-Algeria). Ecology Environ Conserv, 27(1), 253-260.
Pajot FX. 2000. Les poux (Insecta, Anoplura de la région Afrotropicale). Ed. IRD, collection Faune et Flore tropicales 37, Paris, 294 p.
Permin A, Hansen JW. 1998. Epidemiology, diagnosis and control of poultry parasites. FAO Animal Health Manual, No. 4. Rome : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 160 p.
Rezaei H, Eslami A, Rahbari S. 2014. Survey of Ectoparasites of Indigenous Chickens in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Iranian Journal of Parasitology 9(3), 403–408.
Tiba A, Karamoko Y, Yeo N. 2025. Overview of haematophagous flies involved in the transmission of vector-borne diseases in cattle at department of Kounahiri (Côte d’Ivoire). International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 45, 1547–1553.
Tuo Z, Yao KP, Zouh Bi ZF, Douan BG, N’Goran EK. 2020. Tiques des bovins (Bos taurus et Bos indicus) et des aulacodes (Thryonomys swinderianus) dans le district des Savanes de Côte-d’Ivoire. Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique, 113(1), 52-59.
Walker AR, Bouattour A, Camicas J-L, Estrada-Peña A, Horak IG, Latif AA, Pegram RG, Preston PM. 2003. Ticks of domestic animals in Africa: A Guide to Identification of Species. Bioscience reports, Edinburgh Scotland, U.K., Printed by Atalanta, Houten, The Netherlands 219 p.
Wall R, Shearer D. 2001. Veterinary Ectoparasites. Biology, Pathology and Control. Editorial offices : Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EL, 275 p.
Yapi JN, Soro OS, Coulibaly AY, N’Glouan WJ, Karamoko Y. 2025. Evaluation of coccidiosis impact on the productivity of Numida meleagris (Guinea fowl) farms in northern Côte d’Ivoire. International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies 45(1), 35-42.
Yildidrim A. 2012. Nutrition of Guinea Fowl Breeders: A Review. Gaziosmanpasa University, Faculty of Agriculture. Journal of Animal Science Advance 2(2), 188-193.
Zouh Bi Zahouli Faustin, Oussou Konan Alexis, Tiba Aristide, Konan Amoin Rachelle, Karamoko Yahaya, 2025. Ectoparasites encountered on Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in Ahoué (Alépé, Côte d’Ivoire). Int. J. Biosci., 27(3), 201-209.
Copyright © 2025 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.