Study on Prevalence of Major Ixodid Ticks of Cattle, in Selected Sites of Harari Region, Eastern Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted on the identification and prevalence estimation of cattle tick species in selected areas of Harari Regional State from December 2015 to April 2016 with a total number of 384 cattle. Adult ticks were collected from main body regions of cattle which were kept under extensive management system and then transported to the parasitology laboratory of College of veterinary medicine, Haramaya University for identification. Out of the total 384 cattle examined, 229 (59.6%) were found to be infested by one or more tick species. In this study, 1201 adult ticks were collected and identified to genera level. Four tick genera (Amblyomma, Rhipicephalus, Boophilus and Hyalomma) were identified. The highest tick prevalence recorded was Amblyoma with a prevalence of 38.5 (n=462) followed by Rhipicephalus recording 29.9 (n=356) prevalence. The prevalence of tick infestation was found to be statistically significant (P= 0.032) among the age groups, with highest prevalence in adult than young animals. In female animals higher tick prevalence was obtained than male animals in the study area with no statistical significant difference. Special attention should be given to the control and prevention of ticks in the study area.