IXODID TICKS INFESTATION OF ZEBU CATTLE CROSSES IN SOKOTO STATE NIGERIA

Ticks transmit different tick-borne diseases (TBD) in cattle and humans while their bites predispose the cattle to dermatophilosis which result in down-grade of hides and other production loses. Zebu Cattle (Bos indicus) Crosses found in 5 Local Government Areas of Sokoto State were sampled for ticks between February and July 2013. Body surfaces of the 498 cattle were visually examined and any tick found was manually detached and preserved in 70% ethanol and subsequently identified using the Keys to African Ticks. A total of 1528 hard ticks infested 288 cattle [infestation rate IR (%) = 57.3; mean tick burden, MTB (tick/cattle) = 5.44±1.21]. Generally, Bulls were more infested (IR=63.9; MTB=5.75±1.12) than cows (IR=54.4%; MTB=5.17±1.56). Among Zebu crosses, infestation was in the order Friesian-X (IR=61.2; MTB=6.1±1.1), Red Bororo (IR=60.0; MTB=5.0±9.56), Sokoto Gudali (IR=59.5; MTB=5.3±1.27), and White Fulani (IR=52.1; MTB=5.6±2.6). Genera of ticks identified were Hyalomma (60.9%), Boophilus (22.6%), Rhipicephalus (10.1%) and Amblyomma (6.4%) but percentage distributions by species were Hyalomma truncatum (18.4), H. dromedarii (15.4), H. impeltatum (9.4), H. rufipes (9.3), H. impressum (8.4), Boophilus decoloratus (8.2), B. geigyi (7.5), B. annulatus (6.9), Amblyomma variegatum (6.4), Rhipicephalus evertsi (5.5), and Rh. Sanguineus (4.5). Sokoto is at risk of TBD out-break. In man, TBDs are difficult to treat because they are often misdiagnosed as malaria or other febrile conditions. Effective tick-control strategies should be adopted by cattle owners, herdsmen and veterinary personnel to prevent wide-spread potential outbreak of TBDs considering the present activities of nomadic herdsmen in the country