Prevalence and larval burden of Oestrus ovis (Linne 1761) in sheep and goats in northern mediterranean region of France

A slaughterhouse survey to determine prevalence and larval burden of Oestrus olds larvae in sheep and goats was performed monthly during one year in Pezenas, South of France, northern mediterranean region. A total of 1303 sheep and goat heads were selected,at random. O. ovis larvae were found in 274 sheep out of 631 (43.4%), and the prevalence rate varied from 14.3% in February to 65% in October. The mean number of larvae in infected sheep heads was 10.86 with 9.24 L1, 0.91 L2 and 0.71 L3. One hundred and ninety-one goats out of 672 were infected (28.4%), and the prevalence rate varied from 6.25% in September to 47.1% in April. In infected-goat :heads, the mean parasitic burden was 5.35 with 4.04 L1, 0.73 L2 and 0.58 L3. These results confirm worldwide observations indicating that the prevalence and the parasitic burdens are less in goats than in sheep. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.