Ticks Infestation in Bovine : Prevalence of Ixodid Ticks

Parasitic diseases are most prevalent in Pakistan causing huge losses to livestock health. Ecto and endo-parasites cause 40% production losses to our herds. Among ecto-parasites ticks play a major role of vector in spread of different diseases of livestock. Surveillance studies have indicated high prevalence of different ticks in domestic and wild animals in the country. A study investigating hard ticks (ixodidae) infestation and their genera identification was carried out in Tandojam and its surrounding areas. Part of the data was collected from survey and field observations,while further examination leading to genera identification was carried out in the Laboratory of Department of Parasitology , Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam. The total prevalence of ixodid ticks was found as 47% in bovines.Species wise prevalence was recorded as 50% in buffaloes and 23% in cattle. During present study, five genera of ixodid tick infesting the bovines in Tandojam were identified i.e. Boophilus (48%), Hyalomma(44%) Ixodes (4.26%), Rhipicephalus (2.71%) and Amblyomna (1.50%) in descending order.