Ectoparasites of Nesting Cattle Egret Bubulcus Ibis L. (Ciconiiformes: Ardeidae) at Kafer El-Sheikh City, Egypt

Abstract

Nesting cattle egrets are considered nuisances when their breeding colonies are near structures used by humus due to noise, odour, spoiling the environment and concern over health hazards. Cattle egrets play an important role in disseminating many pathogenic microorganisms , viral, bacterial, rickettsial and parasites to domestic birds, animals and man. Ectoparasitic infection is one of the most important parasitic diseases of birds because they are not markedly host specific which makes infected foreign birds potentially dangerous carriers to other habitats. These ectoparasites may also be mechanical or biological vectors to the more serious viral and bacterial pathogens. So, this work aimed to study the ectoparasitic fauna of nesting cattle egrets at Kafr El-Sheikh city to elucidate their possible role of transmission of such parasites and infectious organisms to domestic birds and mammals. In the present study, a total of 81 adult cattle egrets were captured from KafrEl-Sheikh city and examined for ectoparasitic infection during the period from June to September 2006. Results revealed that Ectoparasites Of Nesting Cattle Egret Bubulcus Ibis L ...