Hyalomma anatolicum as the Main Infesting Tick in an Important Livestock Rearing Region, Central Area of Iran.

Background: This study was carried out to determine the infestation of domestic ruminants to ticks in an important livestock-rearing region, located in central part of Iran.

Methods: Ticks were collected from cattle, sheep, and goats and then were identified with appropriate identification keys to species level in two different ecological regions of plains and mountain in 4 seasons in 2015.

Results: Totally 492 ticks from cattle, sheep, and goats in 34 herds were collected. Totally, 18.53% of domestic animals were infected by ticks. All ticks were belonged to family Ixodidae and classified into three genera and six species comprising Hyalomma anatolicum (38.83%) , Hy. Asiaticum (23.37%), Hy. marginatum (2.85%), Hy. sp. (3.45%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (14.02%) and Haemaphysalis sulcata (10.98%). Sex ratio of the collected specimens showed 241 (48.99%) male, 219 (44.51%) female and 32 (6.5%) nymph.

Conclusion: Studied area is important for production of livestock and dairy products. Annually, many livestock products are exported to other parts from this region; therefore, it is very important to identify the infection rate of tick-borne diseases as well as safety factors on livestock.