Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXIX, Issue 1
Written by Elisa Florentina DASCĂLU, Mariana IONITA, Ioan Liviu MITREA
Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are the most important vectors of zoonotic diseases, presenting a high risk of causing diseases in animals and humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ticks and the identification of tick species infesting small ruminants in Southern Romania. The study was undertaken from March 2019 to October 2020, including nine sheep and goats flocks in four Prahova County premises. A total number of 2463 sheep and 1202 goats were examined and 76.53% of sheep and 81.2% of goats respectively were infested. Overall, from the infested animals 2233 ticks were collected and the following species were morphologically identified: Haemaphysalis punctata, with an overall prevalence of 66.5%, followed by Dermacentor marginatus (24.5%) and Ixodes ricinus (9.0%). The annual dynamics of tick infesting small ruminants in the investigated areas showed maximum tick abundance in April, for H. punctata and Dermacentor marginatus, and May for I. ricinus, respectively. To reduce the high prevalence of ticks and their impact on productivity in small ruminants, immediate attention is required as control interventions.
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