Molecular Identification of Ixodid Tick Species and their Screening for Selected Protozoan Pathogens Collected from Large Ruminants of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

Ticks (Acari: ixodid) are notorious blood sucking ecto-parasites of wide range of animals which serve as vector of different types of pathogens like viruses, bacteria, rickettsia and protozoa and cause mortality in humans and animals. This study was focused on morphological and molecular identification of ixodid ticks, using morphological keys and an internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Moreover, the presence of Babesia and Theileria species was also investigated in ticks using 18S rRNA gene. Identification of ticks collected from 384 cattle and 384 buffaloes screened revealed three tick genera and six tick species: Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus annulatus, Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum and Haemaphysalis punctata. Of those four species were confirmed on morphological basis, two ticks species Rhipicephalus microplus and Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum whose morphological feature were overlapping with other identified species, were confirmed through molecular tools amplifying ITS-2 gene. Ticks DNA were then examined by PCR employing a genetic marker that target (18S rRNA gene), for the presence of Babesia and Theileria species in identified ticks. The most common pathogen species observed in ticks was Theileria annulata. This study exposed different hard tick species are prevalent in the study area and these ticks are playing major role in transmission of protozoa (Theileria annulata). On the basis of finding of present study an area-wise control strategy for ticks and ticks borne protozoan species have been suggestive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]