Diversity of hard ticks parasitizing farm animals in the Qarabulli region, Northwestern Libya.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are 26 species of ticks known to exist in Libya. Despite the presence of a number of investigations on ticks in Libya, there are no published studies on ticks in the Al-Qarboulli area. AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the tick species infesting farm animals in the Qarabulli region. METHODS: Ticks were collected manually on a monthly basis from the examined hosts (cattle, sheep, dogs, and camels) that were selected randomly in the period between July 2021 and June 2022. RESULTS: A total of 717 ticks were collected on 775 hosts, eight tick species were encountered:(41.00%),(23.43%),(12.13%),(9.21%),(8.51%),(5.30%),(0.28%), and(0.14%). The mean prevalence of all species was 22.32%. The mean intensity of all species was 0.93 ticks per host. The presence of ticks among the months of the year varied among tick species. CONCLUSION: The results showed high tick infestation in farm animals of Qarabulli, Libya, suggesting an increased risk of tick-borne diseases. This highlights the need for preventative measures and public awareness to reduce tick populations. Further studies are recommended to understand the spread of tick-borne diseases in the area.