Pilot Study: Occurrence of Ear Mites and the Otic Flora in Domestic Ruminants on St. Kitts

Abstract Psoroptes , a globally occurring mite, and Raillietia , a primarily tropical mite, have been attributed to otitis in ruminants. Within the Caribbean, little is known about the prevalence of these mites and their relation to the microbial flora of the ears. From May 2015 to May 2016, ears of cattle, sheep and goats brought to the St. Kitts abattoir were examined post-slaughter for mite infestations. No Raillietia spp. were seen and none of the sheep had ear mites. Psoroptes spp. were found in 2.6% of the cattle and 22.6% of the goats. Tick control programs, focused on cattle and sheep, might influence the occurrence seen in this study.