Diversity of hard tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting small ruminants in some breeding farms in Tizi-Ouzou area (Northern Algeria)

Abstract

Ticks are hematophagous arthropods and obligate ectoparasites with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are of great medical and veterinary importance. Studying the composition of the tick fauna is a crucial step in establishing vector control programs. In this context, an inventory of hard ticks infesting small ruminants in the Tizi-Ouzou area was carried out over a one-year period, from December 2020 to November 2021. Using the direct collection technique on the host animal, a total of 663 animals examined, 170 were infested and a total of 1318 adult tick’s specimens were collected in four sampling sites. The result shows a tick diversity comprising six different species. The most abundant species was Rhipicephalus bursa (68.66%), followed by Rhipicephalus sanguineus (29.74%) and Ixodes ricinus (1.36%). Other species were less abundant, each representing only 0,08% of the total abundance. The highest specific richness was recorded in the Ain El Hammam site located at high altitude. A positive correlation was observed between the farms’ altitude and the tick diversity. The result of FCA analysis showed that distribution of ticks is related to altitude and habitat of tick’s species.