3.8 Article

Distribution, prevalence and diversity of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting one-humped camels from Southwest Punjab, Pakistan

Publisher

ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100825

Keywords

Camels; Ixodid ticks; Infestation; Diversity; Prevalence; Pakistan

Ask authors/readers for more resources

In this study, a total of 593 ticks were collected from one-humped camels in two tehsils of Layyah district, Punjab, Pakistan, in order to investigate their diversity, prevalence, and distribution. The results showed that camels located in Tehsil Choubara had a significantly higher tick infestation rate compared to camels from Tehsil Layyah. It was also observed that older camels were more prone to tick infestation. Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus were the two genera identified, with Hyalomma genus being the most prevalent.
In tropical countries like Pakistan, ticks are the most prevalent vectors for transmitting diseases to wild and domestic animals leading to their morbidity and mortality. In the present study, a total of 593 ticks infesting onehumped camels (n = 244) were collected during April till June 2021 from two tehsils of Layyah district located in Punjab (Pakistan) in order to investigate their diversity, prevalence and distribution. Data analysis revealed that camels located in Tehsil Choubara were significantly more tick infested than camels from Tehsil Layyah (P = 0.02). It was observed that the older camels were more prone to tick infestation that younger ones. Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus were the two tick genera identified during the present study and tick specimens of Hyalomma genus were the most prevalent (n = 590, 99.5%). In particular, Hyalomma dromedarii was the most prevalent tick species (n = 559, 94.3%), followed by Hyalomma anatolicum (n = 24, 4%), Hyalomma marginatum (n = 7, 1.2%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (n = 3, 0.5%). The overall abundance of male ticks was higher than the female ticks with a ratio of 1:2.1. Neck was the most preferred site for the tick infestation followed by ventral, sternum, under tail, head, udder and back of analyzed camels. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding tick diversity on camels from Layyah district and based on our finding, we recommend large-scale tick control strategies to be implemented in this district to uplift the livestock sector.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

3.8
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available