Infestation of dairy cows by ticks Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794) and Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) in eastern Poland

Abstract

Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus are widely distributed tick species in Europe. The main hosts for immature stadia of these ticks are small rodents, mostly the genera Apodemus and Microtus, whereas for adult specimens – wild ungulates. These species of ticks are also found on companion and breeding animals including dairy cows. Researches were conducted in the eastern Poland from 2013 to 2014. During consecutive days bodies of cows grazing on the pasture were surveyed and all ticks were collected. Simultaneously ticks were collected from plants with flagging method. Significant preponderance of ornate cow ticks over bean castor ticks infesting cows was observed. The most frequent spot of the tick location on cows’ bodies was neck. Statistically a significant impact of air temperature and humidity on the risk of tick’s attacks on cattle grazing in open countryside and lack of difference between number of ticks collected from animals and plants had been confirmed. Dairy cows could be considered as one of the preferred hosts for adult specimens of D. reticulatus. Grazing of dairy cows in the area of ticks’ occurrence causes risk of tick infestation and possible tick-borne pathogen transmission and progression of vector-borne disease. In human case TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) could be transmitted by ingestion of infected milk.