Block the Bite by Mosquito Net: Farmer’s Innovation in Protecting the Livestock

Abstract

The tropical climate of Indian sub-continent is conducive for many arthropod parasites to multiply rapidly, grow and disperse in wider geographical area. Over 20% of all emerging infectious diseases are arthropod-borne pathogens. Arthropods mainly, mosquitoes, ticks and flies like Culicoides play significant role in spreading deadly pathogens, causing annoyance, restlessness and other deleterious effect on health of humans and animals, which in turns leads to production losses in animals. It is well known fact that, developing countries like India, majority of the farmers are mainly depend on animal husbandry practices along with agricultural activities for their livelihood. In India, small and marginal farmers are more and any loss in livestock production interns of reduction in livestock fitness, weight gain, and animal welfare, will have direct negative effect on farmers livelihood. Furthermore, major arthropods like mosquitoes, tick and flies act as vectors to aid in transmission of pathogen between livestock reservoirs (epizootics) and incidentally humans (zoonotic diseases). In tropical countries like India, parasitic infestation (ectoparasites and endoparasites) is one of the major threats to livestock production system and due to their direct and indirect (vector potential) effects. So, it’s very crucial to safeguard livestock from the bite and annoyance of ectoparasites to avoid transmission cycle and to enhance animal husbandry activities.