Seasonal distribution and faunistic of ticks in the Alashtar county (Lorestan Province), Iran

Abstract

IntroductionTicks are non-permanent obligate parasites that have considerable medical-veterinary and zoonosis importance. In this regard a study designed to investigate the distribution and fauna of ticks in the Alashtar county in Iran from April and March 2014.MethodsTicks were collected from livestock farms and facilities from selected rural and geographically location in the Alashtar county. Based morphological characteristics and reference identification keys, ticks were identified.ResultsA total of 549 ticks including 411 hard and 138 soft ticks were found. Ten tick species including Haemaphysalis concinna (0.36%), Haemaphysalis sulcata (0.36%), Hyalomma anatolicum (0.18%), Hyalomma dromedarii (0.18%), Hyalomma marginatum (1.45 %), Hyalomma schulzei (0.36%), Rhipicephalus annulatus (0.18%), Rhipicephalus bursa (28.1%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (43.63%) and Argas persicus (25.2%) were identified. Tick seasonal distribution were 47.26%, 22.63%, 14.96% and 15.15% in the spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. The tick distribution was more from plain areas (64.96%) than the mountainous areas (35.04%). The rates of the tick contamination were 97.3% and 2.7% in the traditional and industrial livestock's, respectively. The livestock contamination ranks to the hard ticks were cattle (39.51%), sheep (34.15%) and goats (26.34 %), respectively. Chi-square analysis showed a significant difference among the seasonal distribution of the ticks in the spring, summer and autumn or winter; between the tick distribution in the plain and mountainous areas; and between the traditional and industrial livestock's tick contamination (P < 0.05).ConclusionPresent study proves to change the traditional livestock's to the industrial livestock's. These findings highlight the importance of ticks and shows need to their control and tick pest management.

Effect of Meteorological Factors on Hyalomma Species Composition and Their Host Preference, Seasonal Prevalence and Infection Status to Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever in Iran

“…These variables had reverse impact on the incidence of CCHF in Iran (14, 37, 40) and Senegal (41) Higher rainfall provide unfavorable conditions for Hyalomma spp. tick activity and development (42).…”

Prevalence of endo‐ and ecto‐parasites of equines in Iran: A systematic review

“…Another study in France reports of three cases of acquired toxoplasmosis in humans caused by the consumption of raw horse meat (Pomares et al, 2011). Although this does not fit in the traditional classification of parasites (as either ectoparasite or endoparasite), the larvae of parasitic flies, Gasterophilus intestinalis, G. nasalis, G. inermis, have also been reported to cause serious health problems to equines in Iran (Davari et al, 2017;Hosseini et al, 2009;Tavassoli & Bakht, 2012).…”

“…parasites living inside the host), the latter can be further classified as protozoa or helminths (Kwenti, 2017). Ticks, especially the hard ticks (Ixodidae), are the most frequent ectoparasites reported in equines (Davari et al., 2017). Protozoa commonly infecting equines include Eimeria sp., Neospora sp., Theileria (Babesia) equi, Babesia caballi, Cryptosporidium sp .…”

Molecular identification of Anaplasma / Ehrlichia spp based on 16S rRNA gene in Hyalomma ticks in border line of Iran-Pakistan

“…anatolicum-infested animals were found the most common and the widest geographical range. This species were reported as the most prevalent hard tick previously from most parts of the country including borderline of Iran-Iraq [16], centre [17], south-eastern and northwestern [15,18], north [19], northwest [20,21], southwest [22], and south [23] of Iran.…”