Abstract:
Ticks and tick-borne blood parasitic infections are a major problem in
livestock management. These infections result weight losses, reduction in
growth and dairy production, high cost for drugs and veterinary care. The
present study was carried out to identify the prevalence of ticks and tick borne blood parasites on dairy cattle in three locations namely,
Kahambiliyawatta (free range farming), Malingamuwa (semi-intensive
farming) and Ullalapola (intensive farming), in Mirigama veterinary range of
Gampaha district, Sri Lanka. In studied cattle (n=80), the most abundant tick
genus was a hard tick belonging to genus Boophilus. The mean tick
abundance values were ranked as high (n>15), moderate (5–15) and low
(n<5). Tick abundance was high in Kahambiliyawaththa farm (42.2 ± 4.54),
moderate in Malingamuwa farm (13.8 ± 0.952) and low in Ullalapola farm
(3.6±0.581). There was a significant statistical difference (χ2
=15.893,
p<0.001) in tick borne blood parasitic infection in cattle among the studied
farms. Among the studied cattle, Theileria sp. was found in all three study
sites and its percentage prevalence was 24% while for Babesia bigemina, it
was 22% and only recorded in Kahambiliyawaththa and Ullalapola farms.
Ehrlichia bovis had the lowest prevalence (1%) and found only in Ullalapola
farm. The present study reveals that the prevalence of tick-borne blood
parasites is different among three selected locations. Further, the severity of
the tick infestation on the body of cattle does not reflect the extent of the
infection of tick-borne blood parasites in the host.
