Epidemiology of Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera: Mallophaga) Fauna of Poultry in Sub-Saharan Africa

Chewing lice are among the most significant ectoparasites affecting poultry, causing irritation, anemia, and reduced productivity, thereby posing economic and welfare challenges for poultry farmers. Their impact is particularly pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where poultry production is predominantly free-range with limited biosecurity, which increases exposure to infestation. This review was conducted to determine the epidemiology of chewing lice species of poultry in sub-Saharan African countries. A search of peer-reviewed literature on the epidemiology of chewing lice species of poultry was conducted on four electronic databases from 1990 to 2024. Nineteen species of chewing lice, namely Menacanthus stramineus, Menacanthus cornutus, Menacanthus pallidulus, Menopon gallinae, Lipeurus caponis, Lipeurus tropicalis, Gallacanthus cornutus, Goniocotes gigas, Goniocotes gallinae, Goniocotes hologaster, Goniodes gigas, Goniodes meleagridis, Goniodes gallinae, Goniodes dissimilis, Cuclotogaster heterographus, Stenocrotaphus gigas, Columbicola columbae, Chelopistes meleagridis, and Amyrsidea powelli, were reported from six poultry species distributed across ten African countries. The identification of the chewing lice species was primarily based on microscopic examination of the morphological features, which resulted in the exclusion of some studies that failed to identify lice to the species level. Poultry species infested included chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), guinea fowls (Numida meleagridis), pigeons (Columba livia), and geese (Anser cygnoides). Nigeria recorded the highest number of chewing lice species. The genus Goniodes showed the highest species diversity, and M. stramineus was the most predominant species, reported in nine of the ten reviewed countries. Infestations were mostly reported in chickens compared to other poultry species, and the prevalence ranged from 1.28% in chickens in Ethiopia to 100% in chickens from Zimbabwe. Results from this review provide valuable insights into the species diversity and regional distribution patterns of chewing lice fauna, highlighting their dispersion and host associations. The review will serve as a valuable resource in the design of effective and sustainable prevention and control strategies of chewing lice, especially in free-range chickens reared by resource-poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa.