2025, Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part D

External parasites, or ectoparasites, include a wide variety of parasitic arthropods belonging to the order Acari or the class Insecta. These ectoparasites are important because they can cause skin lesions and transmit pathogens responsible for vector-borne diseases, which in many cases are of greater clinical significance than the parasitic infestation itself. Investigations were carried out over a three-month period at a veterinary clinic in the municipality of Cocody (Abidjan) to collect ectoparasites from dogs. These ectoparasites were collected from 60 dogs by searching the entire body of each animal. The collected ectoparasites were then stored in a bottle containing 70% ethanol and labeled. A questionnaire was given to each dog owner to gather information about the animals. This information included gender, name, breed, reason for consultation, place of residence, and lifestyle of the animal. The dogs came from several municipalities in the city of Abidjan. The results of the diagnosis carried out at the Pasteur Institute laboratory showed that the ectoparasites collected are arthropods consisting of insects and mites. A total of 845 ectoparasites were collected.The proportion observed during the analysis showed a higher abundance of mites, including ticks (68.88%; 582) and a slightly lower proportion of insects, including fleas (6.74%; 57), Cayor worms (22.96%; 194), and eggs (1.42%; 12).The specific composition yielded one species of tick and two species of flea. These species are Rhipicephalus sanguineus with 55.14%, Ctenocephalides canis with 4.97%, and Ctenocephalides felis with 1.78%. These identified vectors are capable of transmitting a wide range of pathogens. They can therefore transmit zoonotic agents. It is therefore possible for these ectoparasites to interfere in the human/animal relationship.