Identification of tick species infesting livestock in Dera Ismail Khan Pakistan

Ticks are blood-feeding obligate ectoparasites that belong to order Arachnida with three main families (Ixodidae, Argasidae, and Nuttalleillidae). Ticks transmit viral, bacterial, and zoonotic diseases in humans, and animals (wild and domestic). Ticks directly and indirectly affect the livestock industry which plays an important role in the rural economy of Pakistan. These are the main source of income and a source of food for poor people. The current study was conducted to identify the tick species infesting livestock in Dera Ismail Khan Pakistan. For this purpose, different farms were randomly visited and 130 ticks were collected from 200 scanned animals. The collected ticks were identified to species level using morphological keys. In the current study, four tick species were identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma anatolicum, and Dermacentor marginatus were identified. The most dominant species were Hy. anatolicum (35.39%) followed by R. sanguineus (30.00%), Hy. marginatum (23.85%) and D. marginatus (10.77%). Hy. anatolicum was the predominant tick species and accounted for 35.39% of the ticks. Tick infestation was highest in buffaloes followed by cows, sheep, and goats. Tail and ear were the most preferable sites for tick infestation than other body parts.