Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens cause the majority of diseases in the cattle population in Morocco. In this study, ticks were collected from cattle in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region of Morocco and identified morphologically, while tick-borne pathogens were detected in cattle blood samples via polymerase chain reaction assay and sequencing. A total of 3394 adult ixodid ticks were collected from cattle and identified as eight different tick species representing two genera, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus. The collected ticks consisted of Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Rhipicephalus bursa, Hyalomma detritum, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Hyalomma dromedarii, and Hyalomma impeltatum. The overall prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in blood samples was 63.8%, with 29.3% positive for Babesia/Theileria spp., 51.2% for Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., and none of the samples positive for Rickettsia spp. Sequencing results revealed the presence of Theileria annulata, Babesia bovis, Anaplasma marginale, Theileria buffeli, Theileria orientalis, Babesia occultans, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma capra, Anaplasma platys, Anaplasma bovis, Ehrlichia minasensis, and one isolate of an unknown bovine Anaplasma sp. Crossbreeds, females, older age, and high tick infestation were the most important risk factors for the abundance of tick-borne pathogens, which occurred most frequently in Jorf El Melha, Sidi Yahya Zaer, Ait Ichou, and Arbaoua locations.
Highlights
Ticks and their related diseases are a severe constraint to livestock development in many regions of the world [1,2,3]
The main reported tick-borne diseases (TBDs) infecting cattle in the country are theileriosis due to Theileria annulata, babesiosis caused by Babesia bigemina, and Babesia bovis and anaplasmosis due to Anaplasma marginale infection [8,9,10,11]
This study showed that H. marginatum or the Mediterranean Hyalomma is the most prevalent tick species existing in all sampled locations
Summary
Ticks and their related diseases are a severe constraint to livestock development in many regions of the world [1,2,3]. The main reported tick-borne diseases (TBDs) infecting cattle in the country are theileriosis due to Theileria annulata, babesiosis caused by Babesia bigemina, and Babesia bovis and anaplasmosis due to Anaplasma marginale infection [8,9,10,11]. Tropical theileriosis occurs in summer and spring, following the seasonal dynamics and the geographic distribution of its main vector Hyalomma detritum [15,16]. This tick species is well disseminated in North Africa, i.e., Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan [7]. Several tick species are implicated in the transmission of A. marginale, e.g., Boophilus spp., Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus spp., Dermacentor spp., Hyalomma spp., and other vectors, such as insects and the iatrogenic pathway [20]
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