Lice infestation of goats from southwestern Mississippi, USA

There is increasing interest in goat production in the State of Mississippi and in the use of goat milk by the people. So goats are growing in economic importance. The present study was conducted to determine the distribution of goat lice in southwestern Mississippi and the extent to which they are a problem in the region. During the period of March 1997 to January 1998 lice were collected from the bodies of goats from 14 southwestern counties of Mississippi by brushing, searching and picking them with forceps. They were put in vials containing 70% alcohol, mounted in CMC medium and identified. Of 1445 goats examined 997 (69.0%) were infested. Nine-hundred and seventy-six (69.0%) of 1408 does and 21 (57.0%) of 37 bucks were infested. The prevalence was highest in Warren (100% of 106) and Franklin (100% of 24) counties and least in Lawrence (38.0% of 64) county. The lice species identified were Linognathus stenopsis (Anoplura: Linognathidae) and Demalinia crassipes (Mallophaga: Ishnocera). Lice appear to be of common occurrence on goats in Mississippi (they were found in all of the 14 counties surveyed), and are therefore a management and sanitation problem. The prevalence is more in goats (69.0% of 1445) than in pigs (31.7% of 407). This is the first significant report on lice infestation of goats covering the southwestern region of Mississippi.