Abstract
A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of tick infestation and to identify tick species in domestic ruminants (cattle, sheep and goat) in Adelle, Batte, Tuji-gabisa and Ifa-Oromia kebeles of Haramaya district of Eastern Hararghe, Oromia region. Collection and identification of the ticks were undertaken from November 2013 to March 2014. All visible individual adult ticks were collected from half body part of 265 cattle, and whole body part of 198 sheep and 150 goats. The prevalence of tick infestation in cattle, sheep and goats was found to be 25.23%, 10.1% and 10%, respectively. The most abundant species found in this study were Boophilus decoloratus (47.8%), Amblyomma variegatum (28.4%) and Amblyomma gemma (12.48%), whereas, Rhipicephalus pulchellus (9.3%), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (2.02%). Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi is the minor species of tick observed on cattle and sheep and none of these ticks were recorded in goats in the study area. Rhipicephalus pulchellus was observed only on cattle and none of these ticks were recorded in sheep and goats. The difference in the prevalence of tick infestation between species and age was statistically significant (X2=25.143, P=0.000 and X2=21.806, P=0.000) respectively. But sex, breed, locality and body condition were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The adult male ticks were more prevalent than the number of adult female ticks except for Boophilus decoloratus the reverse was true. Since they cause severe damage to the hides and skins of domestic ruminants and thereby reduce the foreign exchange of the country; they also transmit tick borne diseases, effective tick control programs should be formulated and implemented in the national or regional level.
Highlights
In Ethiopia, ticks and tick borne diseases cause considerable losses to the livestock economy, ranking third among the major parasitic disasters, after trypanosomes and endoparasitism
Study area The study was conducted in Adelle, Batte, Tuji-gabisa and Ifa-Oromia kebele of Haramaya district of Eastern Hararghe, Oromia region
Examined animals were considered to be positive for a given tick infestation when at least one tick was collected from them
Summary
In Ethiopia, ticks and tick borne diseases cause considerable losses to the livestock economy, ranking third among the major parasitic disasters, after trypanosomes and endoparasitism. Ticks are harmful blood sucking external parasites of mammals, birds and reptiles throughout the world [1]. The main ticks found in Ethiopia belong to genus Amblyomma, Boophilus, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus [2]. Tick damage hides and skins and interfere with meat and milk production. The most commonly known tick born diseases are anaplasmosis, babesiosis, theileriosis and heart water; ticks cause non-specific symptoms like anemia, dermatitis, toxicosis and paralysis [4]. Ticks resulted an estimated annual loss of US$500000 from hide and skin downgrading and approximately 65.5% of major defects of hides in Eastern Ethiopia [2]
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