Diversity of ticks biting humans in Aydın province of Turkey

Abstract

A total of 3655 samples collected from people applied to the hospitalswith a complaint of tick bite between February 2007 and November 2008 inAydin Province (Turkey) were examined in the present study. The sampleswere evaluated in respect to species, sex, development periods, hostspeciality and seasonal distribution. Of 3655 samples, 14,49 % (n=530)were not ticks. On the other hand, 12,33 % (n=462) of examined sampleswere comminuted and therefore could not be identified on the basis ofgenus or species. Results indicated that 9 out of 2664 ticks (0,3%)were Argasidae, while 2655 of them (99,7%) were Ixodidae. Evaluation ofthe developmental periods of ticks and the distribution of tick speciesindicated that the majority of the ticks were the nymph of Hyalomma spp.(n=1718), constituting 64,71% of all samples. Results obtained from thepresent study further indicated Hyalomma marginatum (n=409, 15,40%) asthe most common tick species among adult ticks within the Hyalomma spp.