ORIGINAL RESEARCH Prevalence of mange among West African Dwarf sheep and goats and associated haematological and biochemical parameters Alex I. Ogundiyi & Martha Nchang Bemji & Olufunmilayo A. Adebambo & Morenike A. Dipeolu & Okanlawon M. Onagbesan & Ikechwuku J. James & Olusegun A. Osinowo Accepted: 23 December 2011 / Published online: 13 January 2012 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012 Abstract This study was carried out to assess the preva- lence of mange in sheep and goats in five local government areas (LGAs) of Ogun State in South Western Nigeria. A total of 4,973 sheep and 7,902 goats of West African Dwarf breeds were sampled of which only 4 (0.08%) of sheep and 42 (0.53%) of goats were confirmed positive for mange infestation. In all the LGAs sampled, Odeda LGA had the highest concentration of sheep (39%) and goats (51%) while Abeokuta South had the least percentage of sheep (1%) and goats (1%). All the mange-infested cases in sheep were recorded in just one LGA (Ewekoro) which constituted 0.24% of the population within the location. For goats, three out of five LGAs namely: Obafemi Owode, Ewekoro and Abeokuta North had prevalence of 1.46%, 0.53% and 0.72% respectively. There was no significant (P >0.05) difference between non-infested and infested animals in terms of packed cell volume (31.79±0.87% vs. 31.41± 1.13%), haemoglobin (10.51±0.21 g/100 ml vs. 10.28± 0.37 g/100 ml) and red blood cells (8.71±0.29×10 12 /l vs. 9.40±0.37×10 12 /l). The infested group however showed significantly (P <0.01) higher white blood cells count (7.60±0.22×10 9 /l) than the non-infested animals (6.81± 0.17×10 9 /l). Neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil and monocyte as well as chloride were not significantly affected by the health status of the animals. There existed significant (P < 0.01) difference between non-infested and infested animals in terms of total protein (5.42±0.16 vs. 4.75±0.20 g/dl), sodium (137.98±1.53 vs. 128.92±1.92 mEq/l) and potassi- um (4.04±0.14 vs. 3.46±0.18 mEq/l). It can be concluded from this study that the prevalence of mange mite infestation varied with location and was generally low or absent in some of the LGAs considered. Goats were particularly more susceptible to mange infestation than sheep. More concerted effort is needed to control mange in order to avoid spread since it is a contagious disease. Keywords Mange . Haematological/biochemical parameters . Small ruminants . Nigeria Introduction Ruminants especially sheep and goats occupy a very impor- tant position in livestock production by the rural populace in Nigeria. The National Population Commission (NPC 2004) puts the population of sheep and goats in Nigeria at 29.0 million and 45.3 million, respectively. West African Dwarf sheep is the predominant sheep breed of the humid tropics from South West Africa through Central Africa. Adult males weigh approximately 37 kg and are horned. Ewes have mature weight of 25 kg. The females are usually polled. They can be bred at age of 7 to 8 months. They tend to have a short lambing interval. The prolificacy of adult ewes A. I. Ogundiyi : M. N. Bemji (*) : O. A. Adebambo Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun, Nigeria e-mail: bemjimn@unaab.edu.ng M. A. Dipeolu Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun, Nigeria O. M. Onagbesan : I. J. James : O. A. Osinowo Department of Animal Physiology, University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun, Nigeria Trop Anim Health Prod (2012) 44:1263–1269 DOI 10.1007/s11250-011-0067-z