Tick infestation on sheep, goat, horse and wild hare in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The prevalence of tick infestation and their predilection sites on sheep, goat, horse and wild hare were studied at various places of Tamil Nadu, India. The prevalence of tick infestation in Madras red sheep, Tellicherry goat and horse was 77.11, 78.21 and 13.33%, respectively. Sheep were heavily infested with Haemaphysalis bispinosa followed by Hyalomma isaaci, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and H. anatolicum. The ticks from goats were identified as H. bispinosa, R. haemaphysaloides, H. isaaci and R. sanguineus. Horses were infested with Otobus megnini and R. sanguineus. The ticks on wild hare (Lepus nigricollis) were identified as R. haemaphysaloides and H. bispinosa. Wild hare acts as a source of infestation to the sheep and goats since these animals shared the same field.