Nasal bots in Sheep

Compiled by :
Dr.ASHOK KUMAR VALUPADASU
Deputy Director - V&AH Dept., Govt of Telangana
Certified Livestock Advisor –Sheep (MANAGE)
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Sheep is known as museum of parasites, because

Sheep and parasites live together

Parasites are seen located in almost all internal

organs/parts of Sheep

Nasal bots ( larvae) are one among them

Nasal bots ( larvae of nasal fly ) found in nasal

passages and in other facial sinus
The other internal parasites are

1. Helminths ( multi cellular)

a. Round worms ( Nematodes)

b. Flat worms /
Tapeworms ( Cestodes )
c. Flukes ( Trematodes )
2. Protozoa ( Single cell )

a. Coccidia
b. Giardia
c. Cryptosporidium

The adult fly is known as Sheep

nasal fly or Sheep gadfly or
Head maggot fly

Goats are not as severely

affected as Sheep

Adult Nasal fly is 3 cm long

Nasal fly is viviparous @ they

bear living young ( minute
larvae )

Minute larvae are called as first stage larvae also

An understanding on symptoms, location & life cycle of Nasal fly is
very important to control it

Adult fly deposits minute larvae around nostrils of Sheep.

On trying to deposit minute larvae, the adult Nasal fly causes much annoyance
making Sheep to

 stop feeding
 become restless
 press their noses against the ground or against other Sheep
 huddle together under shelters/shade trees

Adult Nasal fly may deposit up to 500 minute larvae around the nostrils

The deposited minute larvae crawl on the nasal mucous membrane and setup
an irritation with their oral hooks and ventral spines which results in an
increased flow of mucus from the nose

After few days ( some times after 3-4 months ), the minute larvae migrate to
frontal sinus and completes their full development and becomes matured
larvae

From minute larvae to matured larvae, it requires 75- 100 days

The mature larvae returns back to the nasal passages & dropped to the ground.

The dropped matured larvae burrow into the soil and pupate in 12-72 hours

After pupation, adult flies emerge in 18-60 days depending on soil, temp &
moisture ( from the pupal stage) and crawl to the surface

After reaching the surface, they become active

The total life cycle lasts for 3 – 6 months

 Symptoms
a. Nasal discharge : Thin and clear at
first & soon it thickens and becomes
discoloured due to bacterial
infection
b. Frequent sneezing
c. Difficulty in breathing
d. Eyes looks inflamed
e. Head is carried low
f. Shaking head to get rid of larvae
g. grating teeth
h. loss of appetite or interference with
feeding
i. Disturbed behaviour
j. Loss of smell sense :
1. Infected Ewes may find it difficult to smell lambs after lambing
because of which proper bonding may not establish between
Ewe & lamb

2. In Breeding Rams, loss of smell sense may affect mating.

k. Nasal irritation may make Sheep / Goats to circle and run randomly
about.

finally resulting in lowered reproduction & poor farm

productivity.

Nasal discharges are one of the 5 points to assess the necessity of deworming
in Sheep/Goats for nasal bots
 Treatment
 Ivermectin or Closantel

Prevention
Prevention is always better than cure. Prevention includes :

a. Protecting Sheep from adult flies not to deposit minute larvae at

nasal orifice by placing fly repellents. This is not practical under
“Open grazing system”

b. Making Sheep to sneeze to expel matured larvae to get rid of

Note : Adult flies may deposit minute larvae at nasal

passage of persons handling Sheep also at the time of

Deworming or Vaccination. Hence all persons involved

shall mask their mouth & nose with cloth /kerchief so as

to protect themselves from Nasal fly

Post Mortem findings

 Frontal sinus :

 Mucous membrane is discoloured and thickened

 Contains thick, discoloured secretion
 Can find matured dead larvae in nasal passages and in other head
cavities also

 Can find matured dead larvae in brain cavity also