Biodiversity of Blood Sucking Flies associated with the Prevalence of Anaplasma marginale infection in Dairy Farms in Ratchaburi Province

The objective of this research was to study the association between the biodiversity of blood sucking flies and prevalence Anaplasma marginale infections in dairy cattle in Ratchaburi Province. A total of 1,419 samples of blood sucking flies was collected from dairy farms of Ratchaburi Province, including 375 samples from Photharam District, 652 samples from Ban Pong District, and 392 samples from Jom Bueng District. The flies were classified by taxonomy and A. marginale was detected, using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The blood sucking flies were characterized into 2 families and 3 genus including Muscidae family: genus Stomoxys (Stomoxys calcitrans, S. indicus, and S. sitiens) and genus Haematobia, and Tabanidae family: genus Tabanus (Tabanus rubidus and T. striatus). Blood sucking flies were including associated with the amount of rain and they are mostly found during June to August. According to A. marginale detection, the percentage of A. marginale infection in blood sucking flies 4.75% (68/1,419). Factors influenced the infection of A. marginale in blood sucking flies were diversity of blood sucking flies, season, and the amount of rain (P<0.05). Therefore, for the control, the breeding habitat of these flies should be modified which is around the dairy farms, before the rain season while the surveillance should be arranged to prevent the epidemic caused by blood sucking flies in the area.