The relationship between parasite counts, lesions, antibody titres and daily weight gains in Psoroptes ovis infested cattle.

Psoroptes ovis counts, extent of lesions (clinical index: ClinI), daily weight gains (DWGs) and anti-P. cuniculi antibody titres in ELISA were recorded during seven therapeutic field trials. Relationship between these different data were studied. The differences between the mean DWG of treated and untreated control animals of the different trials ranged from 39 to 1206 g/day. Data were pooled for statistical analysis and the influence of trial conditions (management of the herd, farm, treatment) was extracted from each individual data by subtracting, from the DWG of each animal, the mean DWG of its trial. Such data were called daily weight gain over the trial mean (DWG/TM). Multiple regression of DWG/TM, calculated over the period between the clinical examinations in control animals (n = 40), on clinical indices and sex demonstrated a significant DWG/TM reduction per percentage of affected body surface according to the following equation: DWG/TM (in g/day)= 135-22 ClinI(0)-13 ClinI(28/35)-70 (if male) (R2 adjusted = 0.39), where ClinI(0) and ClinI(28/35) are the clinical indices recorded respectively at the beginning (day 0) and at the end (day 28 or 35) of the experimental period during which the animals were left untreated. A nonsignificant relationship (R2 adjusted = 0.07) was found between the antibody titres on day 28 or 35 and the individual DWG/TM This would suggest that serology could be used to estimate the prevalence of the disease on a local or national basis but not to calculate its economic impact.