Prevalence and husbandry-related risk factors of myiasis in domestic cavies in the western highlands of Cameroon.

The presence of parasites on the farm can be a cause of losses in animal production, and often a threat to public health. A cross-sectional study was carried out in rural areas of the western highlands of Cameroon to determine the prevalence and husbandry-related risk factors associated with Cordylobia anthropophaga infestations in domestic cavies. The overall prevalence of myiasis in animals was 2·80% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1·50-5·10]; myiasis was found in 2% and 4·30% animals in Menoua and Bamboutos divisions, respectively. Eleven farms (8·95%) in total were infested with C. anthropophaga, with 6·41% and 13·34% of farms in the Menoua and Bamboutos divisions, respectively. The relative risk of infestation within each factor showed that the risk of myiasis in animals kept in kitchen compartments without litter was 6·16 times higher (95% CI 1·71-22·29, P = 0·04) than in animals kept in kitchens and house floors. Despite the low prevalence, the burden of cordylobiasis needs to be assessed. It is assumed that the risk of humans acquiring the disease is higher in farmers keeping cavies in kitchen compartments without litter. Farmers need to be educated on control measures to reduce the risk of infestation, which include both sanitation and medical (larvae extraction) measures.

A study of the acaricidal properties of an essential oil extracted from the leaves of Ageratum houstonianum.

Study on acaricide property of foam soap containing essential oil of Ageratum houstonianum leaves was tested on Rhipicephalus lunulatus. Four doses of the oil (0.00, 0.02, 0.025 and 0.03 microl/g) with four replications for each dose were used in vitro. Each replication consisted of 10 ticks in a Petri dish with filter paper impregnated uniformly with the foam soap on the bottom. The same four doses in three replications were used in vivo. Each replication was made up of 10 naturally ticks infested goats. Results of this study indicate that foam soap containing essential oil of A. houstonianum leaves is toxic to R. lunulatus. The in vitro mortality rate was observed to vary from 0 to 50% on day 8 after treatment with the controls as compared to 95% with the lowest dose (0.02 microl/g) on day 8 and 100% with the highest dose (0.03 microl/g) on day 3. Meanwhile, the in vivo mortality rate was observed to be 23.4% with the control on day 8 after treatment whereas the highest dose killed 95.1% of the ticks by this day. The LD50 of the foam soap containing essential oil of this plant was 0.0259 and 0.0173 microl/g on day 2 after treatment, in the laboratory and on the farm, respectively. This indicates a potentially high efficiency of this medicated soap on this parasite.