African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6902

Article in Press

Mixed hard ticks (ixodidae) species burden count on afar cattle

Mebrate Genet Gebre, Endashaw Bekele, Kefelegn kebede and Juan-lin Han

  •  Received: 26 March 2022
  •  Accepted: 23 June 2023
Cattle are exposed to various levels of parasite burden challenges. Among the common parasites ticks are identified as the most notorious threat to cattle due to sever irritation, toxic effect, allergy , means of diseases transmission, anemia and are of socio-economic and veterinary medicine importance. The motto of this research was to divulge the significance and degree of Ixodidea (hard ticks) invasion problem in some selected districts of Afar Region, Ethiopia. The highest standard deviation (±33.35) and means 44.00 were registered for karbuda district while the lowest standard deviation (±6.42) and mean (6.17) for Orasita.The maximum number of ticks carried by animals is 129, average number of ticks carried by each animal is 19.14, which show how much the cattle are seriously invaded by these notorious blood sucking insects-ticks. The highest correlation is seen between the total count to the rest body predilection sites, while the weakest correlation is between tick burden on the neck and dewlap. Heavy tick burden distribution showed in lower Awash Region (Bokaytu and Karbuda districts), while lowest burden in upper Awash Region.

Keywords: Ixodidae, ticks, burden.