Abdul Naser Al-Omar*(1) and Morshid Kassouha(2)
(1). Hama Research Center, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GSCAR), Damascus, Syria.
(2). Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Dr. Abdul Naser Al-Omar. E-Mail: abdnaser64@gmail.com).
Received: 10/09/2018 Accepted: 05/11/2018
Abstract
This study was carried out on 386 heads of cows in Hama governorate during the period of March 2013 till February 2014. (134) samples of ticks were collected from cows chosen randomly aiming to recognize tick’s infection and determine its genus and species, the effect of season, animal age, breeding system and the places of its localization. The ticks had been determined through morphology specifications using Stereoscope according to dependent standard identification keys. Results showed sufficient difference (p<0.01) in ticks infection rates in cows according to the season of the year, and the rate of prevalence for the whole year was (34.71%), while in summer and spring the rates were (52.94%) and (36.73) respectively, but in autumn and winter the rates were (31.11%) and (16.66%) respectively. Also, it was noticed that there were sufficient differences (p<0.05) in prevalence rates according to animals ages where the highest rate was in the age group less than two years old at a rate of (47.77%), whereas the least rate was in age group more than six years old. Also, it was noticed that there was sufficient difference (p<0.05) in prevalence rate according to breeding system where the rate was higher under semi-intensified breeding system (40.32%) in comparison to intensified breeding system (29.20%). It was also noticed sufficient difference (p<0.01) in prevalence rate according to cow’s genus whereas it was higher in females (79.1%) in comparison to males (20.89%). Result also showed three types of ticks in cows which were: Rhipicephalus Spp. with prevalence rate of (50.74%), Hylomma Spp. with prevalence rate of (44.02%) and Boophilus Spp. with prevalence rate of (5.22%). Six sorts of ticks were determined where it was noticed sufficient difference in its prevalence rate, square chi amounted to 166.985 at a significance level less than (0.01), but the most prevalence specie was Rhipicephalus Turanicus (50.74%) then Anatolicum Excavatum Hyalomma (32.83%) and Hyalomma Impelatum (7.46%) and finally Boophilus Annulatus (5.22%), whereas the prevalence of Hyalomma Marginatum Marginatum and Hyalomma Detritum Detritum was in less rates amounted to (2.23%) and (1.5%) of whole ticks isolations respectively.
Key words: Ticks, Cows, Syria.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF