Ixodid tick infestation, tick-borne diseases in cattle and invitro acaricide resistance testing in Jimma town, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Ticks are responsible for blood loss, damage to hides and skins, and ticks worry through, injection of toxins and transmit a number of pathogenic organisms. Tick resistance to acaricides is an increasing problem in the world and poses a real economic threat to livestock husbandry. The relevant information on acaricide efficacy is scarce in the study area but there are very few studies on tick species and tick-borne diseases. A cross- sectional study design was conducted from March 2022 to June 2023 to asses hard tick infestation, tick-borne diseases in cattle and to determine the efficacy of Amitraz 12.5% and Diazinon 60 % EC acaricides against Ixodid ticks using Adult Immersion Test (AIT) in Jimma town, Ethiopia. Of 384 examined cattle, 235 (61.2%) were found infested with ticks. Three species (Amblyomma cohaerence 59.2%, Boophilus decoloratus 38.9% and Rhipicephlus evertsi 1.9%) belonging to three genera were identified in the study area. Of the risk factors, body condition score and sex were significantly associated with tick infestation (p = 0.002, p < 0.05 and p =0.000, p < 0.05) respectively. Of 70 cattle examined for haemoparasites, 26 (37.1%) cattle had haemoparasites. The haemoparasites identified were Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma merginale and Theilaria mutans with prevalence of 46.2%, 26.9% and 26.9% respectively. Amblyomma cohaerence and Boophilus decoloratus ticks treated with Amitraz 12.5% at field recommended concentration died and did not lay eggs while some of Amblyomma cohaerence and Boophilus decoloratus treated with Diazinon 60% at field recommended concentration survived and as a result few baches of eggs were laid following seven days incubation time. There was significant variation (p < 0.05) between the two acaricides in the overall oviposition inhibition. Further large scale investigation might be necessary to assess tick distribution, tick-borne diseases and tick resistance to acaricides.