To Study the Effectiveness of the Organic Ectoparasiticide "GochidGo" against Cattle Tick Infection in Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Ticks cause great economic losses to livestock, and tick-borne diseases are one of the emerging threats to livestock and public health in India. The chemical ectoparasiticides are being used to control these ectoparasites, but their residues are reported in milk and meat. Hence, it is important to find effective and eco-friendly control measures for ticks. The present study aimed to determine the efficacy of botanical acaricides against ticks with respect to chemical ectoparasiticides in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, India. This study was conducted on the Holstein Frisian breed of cattle. Twenty-four cows from two different herds were selected for the trial, and the selected cows were quantitatively assessed for tick infestation. Four different doses of botanical ectoparasiticide, ‘GochidGo’, along with conventional chemical ectoparasiticides containing Amitraz 12.5% EC formulation, were taken for the trial. The cow sheds of both locations were treated with GochidGo and Amitraz 12.5% EC formulation at a dose of 7ml/litre of water. Tick mortality was counted in both cases. GochidGo treatment had the highest mortality at the dose of 5ml/litre of water, which was at par with Amitraz 12.5% EC formulation. The GochidGo formulation, however, had taken a substantially (p<0.05) longer period for ticks re-appearance, demonstrated its long-lasting effects and proved that it is safe for humans and animals.