Accepted for/Published in: JMIRx Bio
Date Submitted: Dec 2, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Dec 5, 2024 - Jan 30, 2025
Date Accepted: Feb 16, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Assessing the Influence of Seasonal and Climatic Variations on Livestock Tick Incidence in Tehran Province, Iran
ABSTRACT
Background:
Ticks are well-known ectoparasites of domestic animals, causing significant economic losses and playing a crucial role in the transmission of pathogens within the livestock industry worldwide, including in Iran. Understanding the distribution and diversity of ticks is essential for effective control strategies, especially in regions like Tehran Province, where livestock plays a vital role in the economy.
Objective:
This study aimed to determine the frequency and distribution of livestock ticks across different seasons and climatic zones in Tehran Province.
Methods:
In 2019, 1,623 livestock and poultry, including chickens, sheep, camels, cows, pigeons, and dogs, infected with ticks were examined. A total of 806 ticks were collected, comprising 121 soft ticks and 685 hard ticks. Tick species were identified and categorized based on their occurrence in mountainous and plain climatic regions.
Results:
Fourteen tick species were identified, including: Soft ticks: Argas persicus, Argas reflexus, Ornithodoros lahorensis. Hard ticks: Boophilus annulatus (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus), Hyalomma asiaticum, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma dromedary, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma detritus, Haemaphysalis sulcata, Haemaphysalis echinacea, Haemaphysalis inermis, Rhipicephalus bursa, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The most prevalent species was R. sanguineus (36.97%), while the least frequent was R. (B.) annulatus (0.37%). Other species with notable frequencies included A. persicus (11.53%) and Hy. marginatum (18.85%). In terms of distribution, 44.78% of ticks were collected from mountainous regions, while 55.21% were found in plain regions, indicating a higher prevalence in plains.
Conclusions:
The study highlights the significant diversity and abundance of both soft and hard ticks in poultry and livestock across various regions of Tehran Province. These findings emphasize the need for targeted tick control measures, considering the differences in tick distribution between mountainous and plain climates. Clinical Trial: Not applicable.
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