Northern Bahr el Ghazal Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries said its health team has confirmed the disease that killed 10 cows early this week is Ectoparasites.
The disease killed the animals in Achana and Jurboc of Aweil West County. The cows are said to have displayed symptoms such as enlarged lymph glands, listlessness, difficulty in feeding, and frequent cough.
Authorities had suspected that it could be East Coast Fever.
A team was sent to the cattle camps to investigate the actual cause of the animal deaths.
“The disease is Ectoparasite disease that is caused by ticks,” confirmed Luka Manut Jel, Director General in the State Ministry of Animal Resources.
“So the doctors managed to provide treatment to the sick animals before coming back.”
Ectoparasites are organisms that inhabit the skin or skin surface of another organism. They include lice, ticks, mites, fleas. They are detrimental as they depend on their host for sustenance, maturation, and multiplication.
In March, Warrap State Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries vaccinated over 400 cattle against foot and mouth disease.