Prevalence and Morphological Identification of Tick Infestation in Small Ruminants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Prevalence and Morphological Identification of Tick Infestation in Small Ruminants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Zulfiqar Ali1, Asad Ullah2*, Shumaila Gul3, Maryam Begum4, Raheela Taj5, Tahira Tayyeb1, Maiz ur Rahman1, Muhammad Owais Khan1, Rafiq Ullah1, Imad Khan2, Ali Gohar2, Shakirullah Khan6, Khudija Ghani7 and Muneeb Islam8
ABSTRACT
Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are obligate ectoparasites of diverse hosts that affect livestock globally and are carriers of several bacterial, viral, and protozoan infections that affect both animals and human. Ticks (Class Arachnida) are ectoparasites of a wide variety of vertebrates, including livestock, and wild animals. Ticks are arachnids of veterinary and medical importance because they can transmit various diseases. Accurate identification of tick species is crucial for effective disease surveillance, prevention, and control strategies. Morphological identification and epidemiology based on the examination of key external features remain a fundamental and widely used approach for tick taxonomy. This research work provides a comprehensive overview of the morphological characteristics used in the identification of ticks, focusing on the main genera and species of medical and veterinary significance. The purpose of the current study was to determine the prevalence of tick infestation, epidemiological characteristics, associated risk factors, and investigation of a variety of hard tick infestation in small ruminant populations in District Mardan, Buner, and Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 5000 goats and sheep of various ages, breeds, sexes, and locations were inspected and examined for tick infestation. A total of 1774 goats and 1044 sheep were found to be tick infested, and the percentage prevalence was 59.37 for goats and 51.45 for sheep were recorded. Our studies showed tick diversity, infestation rate, and numerous factors (season, age, and gender of host) influencing tick infestation rate in goats and sheep population in District Mardan, Buner, and Dir lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Among the identified species Haemaphysalis and Rhiphicephalus were the most prevalent genera. To build a precise nationwide model of tick infestation, more study is required to confirm our findings in the area and to validate our findings in other locations of Pakistan. It is possible to boost domestic animal productivity while reducing the spread of deadly tick-borne illnesses in society by educating farmers about ticks and providing nearby veterinary services. A large-scale study is needed to explore the hard tick’s diversity across the country and awareness is needed to minimize the risk of infection, especially among farmers and farms owners.
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