Identification of Amblyomma ovale Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) in a Bloodhound Dog from Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

An adult engorged female of the hard tick Amblyomma ovale was found during a routine examination of a bloodhound dog in a private clinic from a small community in the state of Oaxaca, in Southern Mexico. Previously, this tick species had been identified in dogs from four states in the country, where it has been involved as a carrier of Rickettsia spp. To our knowledge, this is the first time that A. ovale has been detected in Oaxaca. Public and animal health authorities should be aware of this and other tick species that may be acting as vectors of tick-borne pathogens (TBP) to both humans and animals.