Evaluation of the “3-minute search and collect” protocol for dog ectoparasite surveys in the domestic-wildlife interface area

Background and Aim: Dog ectoparasites are a major concern regarding the emergence of several vector-borne zoonotic diseases associated with domestic dogs. Information on the quantified assessment of ectoparasite collection methods from dogs remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ”3-minute method” for col- lecting dog ectoparasites in the human and wildlife border interface in Northern Thailand. Materials and Methods: The ”3-minute method” (TMM) was compared with the bath- ing-combing method (BCM) in 31 domestic dogs in the domestic-wildlife interface area, comprising 4 villages in Nan province, Thailand, from July 2022 to July 2023. All ectopara- sites were collected, and morphological identification was confirmed. The percentage of agreement between TMM and BCM was calculated using Kappa. A seasonal comparison of ectoparasite infestation was conducted using the TMM method. Results: Comparatively, the diversity of ectoparasites collected by TMM was revealed to be similar to the BCM method: ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Ixodida: Ixodidae), Hae- maphysalis spp. (Ixodida: Ixodidae), Dermacentor spp. (Ixodida: Ixodidae)), fleas (Cten- ocephalides felis orientis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)), and lice (Heterodoxus spp. (Phthiraptera: Boopiidae)). More ectoparasites were collected by the BCM than by the TMM method. The average efficiency percentages of TMM and BCM were 12.8% and 87.2%, respectively. The observed percentage agree- ment between BCM and TMM was very good (K = 0.9) for ticks, good (K = 0.7) for fleas, and moderate (K = 0.5) for lice. The diversity of ectoparasites in dogs living in the domestic dogs-wildlife interface area showed that there were 4 species of ectoparasites collected in the dry season compared to 6 species in the rainy season. Conclusion: The fast-body search for 3 minutes is a fast, inexpensive, and effective method for the identification and study of the diversity and abundance of ectoparasites from owned dogs when compared to bathing and combing methods with Amitraz. This method can be used as a non-invasive technique to collect ectoparasites from domesti- cated dogs for further study. Sharing ectoparasites from wildlife to domestic dogs in the domestic-wildlife interface area has reported.