![]() Because of the probable threat of ticks to humans and animals, further studies are needed to understand the relationship between tick-borne pathogens (TBP) and tick species ( 3).Īlmost 80% of the world cattle population is affected by ticks and tick born diseases and India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are included in the endemic regions. A specific association exists between vector-borne pathogens and their associated hosts, so it is very important to identify and characterize tick species. The number of tick-borne pathogens is increasing with the passage of time because of the discovery of novel species of bacteria, viral pathogens, and protozoan parasites ( 2). Ticks are the most important vectors for animal and human diseases worldwide, and these arthropod vectors are associated with different pathogenic microorganisms ( 1). Understanding different tick species and their distribution across different zones will be helpful for developing efficient control strategies against different tick born infections. High tick burdens and infestation rates are responsible for the spread of different tick-borne infections, resulting in loss of animal productivity and posing a threat to animal and human health. This study showed the diversity and infestation rate of different ticks with respect to their hosts and agro-ecological zones of Pakistan. The infestation rate of Hyalomma was the highest (47.4%) in sheep Haemaphysalis (46.9%), goat Rhipicephalus (69.7%), buffalo Rhipicephalus (62.3%), cattle Hyalomma (70%), camel Ixodes (60.9%), donkey Ixodes (75%), horse and Rhipicephalus (61.1%), dog. The infestation rates of Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus were the highest in zone 2 (71.4 and 52.9%, respectively). Camels showed the highest tick infestation rate in zones 1 and 2 (21.4 and 26.7%, respectively), whereas donkeys showed the highest infestation rate in zones 3, 4, 6, and 7 (25, 39.3, 3.3, and 21.4%, respectively). Tick infestation of different animals differed on the basis of the zones. The overall tick prevalence was 14.3% host-wise infestation rate was 12.2% in sheep 12.6%, goat 11.7%, buffalo 11.7%, cattle 19.6%, camel 27.4%, donkey 23.5%, horse and 24.3%, dog. Eleven tick species belonging to 4 genera were identified: Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma scupense, Hyalomma dromedarii, Hyalomma isaaci, Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Haemaphysalis cornupunctata, Haemaphysalis montgomeryi, Haemaphysalis bispinosa, and Ixodes kashmiricus. A total of 2,846 animals were examined for the tick infestation, and 408 animals were tick-infested. ![]() The ticks samples were collected and morphologically identified at genus and species level using morphological keys under stereomicroscope. The aim of this study was to identify different tick species and distribution on different hosts especially livestock, such as sheep, goat, cattle, buffalo, and camel, and livestock associated canines and equines, such as horse, donkey, and dog, across different agro-ecological zones of Pakistan. Because of the hot and humid conditions in different agro-ecological zones of Pakistan, ticks are abundant and parasitize a variety of animals. Ticks are ectoparasites that act as vectors for transmission of various pathogens to wild and domesticated animals and pose a serious threat to human health.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |