Materials and Methods: Physical examination and laboratory investigations were employed in the 434 small ruminants (307 sheep, 127 goats).

Results: The overall prevalence of ectoparasite was 34.1% (148/434) accounting for 135 (43.9%) in sheep and 13 (10.2%) in goats. The difference in prevalence between the two species was statistically significant (p<0.05). Overall, seven species of ectoparasites which belong to lice, ticks and fleas were identified. Among the external parasite identified, in sheep Damalina ovis (19.5%) was predominant followed by Boophilus decoloratus (14.9%) and Linognathus ovillus (11.1%) while in goats Boophilus decoloratus (4.4%) was the dominant external parasite followed by Linognathus stenopsis (3.1%). The prevalence of Ctenocephalides species was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the young goats than adults. The prevalence of Amblyoma variegatum, Hyaloma species, Damalina ovis, Linognathus ovillus and Ctenocephalides species in sheep, and Linognathus stenopsis in goats was higher (p<0.05) in animal with poor than good body condition scores.

Conclusion: The present study demonstrated a high prevalence and diverse ectoparasite fauna; hence a serious attention is warranted in the study area.