Epidemiological study of ixodid ticks infesting cattle reared by small holder farmers

The present study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of ticks on cattle kept by small holder farmers and livestock keepers in Lucknow, U.P, India. A total of 2710 cattle were examined on random basis throughout the year, out of which 1602 cattle were found infested with ticks. The overall prevalence of ticks infestation in cattle was observed 59.11%. A total of 2042 ticks were collected from the cattle’s body. The collected ixodid tick species were identified as Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, the most prevalent (59.74%) species followed by Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (26.80%) and Haemaphysalis bispinosa (18.80%). The number of ticks collected from cattle was dominated by the male species of the ticks. The prevalence of ixodid ticks was analysed and discussed with respect to sex, breed and age of cattle, season, management practices and predilection site.