PREVALENCE OF TICK INFESTATION ON SMALL RUMINANTS IN AND AROUND DIRE DAWA, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Across section, study of tick was conducted to identify types of tick species and determine the Prevalence of tick infestation in small ruminants in and around Dire Dawa Administrative council, Eastern Ethiopia. Collection and identification of the ticks were undertaken from November 2014 to May 2015. The overall prevalence of tick infestation in the study area was 278 (72.39% /384). All visible individual adult ticks were collected from the body of 196 goats and 188 sheep. The prevalence of tick infestation in goats and sheep was found to be 73.9% and 70.7%, respectively. In this study, eight species of ticks, which grouped under four genera, were identified. The most abundant species found in this study were Rhipicephalus pulchellus (34.1%), Amblyomma variegatum (24.5%), Rhipicephalus evertsievertsi (22.1%), Hyalomma truncatum (15.6%), Hyalomma marginatum rufipes (12.2%) and Amblyomma gemma (10.9 according to predominance. Hyalomma dromedari (4.2%) and Boophilus decoloratus was the minor species observed on both goats and sheep in the study area. The difference in prevalence of tick infestation was found statistically significant variation (P < 0.05) between the sex, age exception of Boophilus decoloratus and Hyalomma dromedari in all cases male ticks dominated females.