Prevalence, Seasonal distribution, Risk factors, and Diversity of Ticks in Equines from Sindh Province, Pakistan

Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites that can infest various hosts and transmit various tick-borne pathogens. There were no comprehensive studies on ticks infesting equines in Sindh province, Pakistan. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence, seasonal distribution, and diversity of ticks infesting equines (donkeys, mules, and horses) in the Sindh province, Pakistan. A total of 403 equines were examined for tick infestation and a total of 158 ticks were collected from May 2023 to May 2024. The prevalence of ticks among equines was 37.5% (151/403). Equines in rural areas had higher (37.9%) tick infestation than urban (30.4%). Female equines (donkeys and horses) had a bit higher (40.8%%) infestation rate followed by males (39.9%) (donkey and horse) and mules showed no infestation. Age-wise infestation showed that 6-10 years had the highest (47.4%) infestation rate followed by 1-6 years (32.5%), 11-15 years (30.4%), and 16-20 years (30%). Horses showed the highest (64.5%) tick infestation rate, followed by donkeys (35.6%) and mules did not experience any tick infestation. Equines of brown color had the highest (43%) infestation rate. Equines that were not treated with acaricides had a higher (40%) infestation rate than acaricide-treated equines. The common preferred attachment sites for tick infestation were ears (14.6%) and thighs (14%). Female ticks were the most prevalent (17.4%) than males (15.4%) and nymphs (4.7%). Three tick genera including Hyalomma (34%), Rhipicephalus (3.7%), and Haemaphysalis (2.5%) were identified in the current study. Hyalomma dromedarii had the highest (15.9%) infestation rate followed by Hyalomma anatolicum (11.2%), Hyalomma scupense (4.2%), Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides (2.7%), Haemaphysalis bispinosa (2.5%), Rhipicephalus microplus (1.0%), and Hyalomma isaacii (0.2%). Two species including Hy. isaacii and Ha. bispinosa were reported for the first time infesting donkeys in Sindh province, Pakistan. The highest infestation rate was observed in summer months from June to August, while seasonally, Summer (June-August) had the highest (54.5%) tick infestation rate followed by spring (March-May) (45.8%), autumn (September-November) (36%) and winter (December-February) (12%). Tick management in these areas should involve breed-specific studies, vaccination programs, seasonal control measures, and veterinary infrastructure development