Influence of Agro-climatic Factors on the Prevalence of Ixodid Ticks on Cattle in Telangana State, India.

Background: Ticks and tick borne diseases (TTBD) of cattle pose serious threats to the growth of dairy industry and cause a significant reduction in production. Impact of tick borne diseases on poor farming communities has been ranked very high. Considering the economic impact of tick infestation on livestock, the present epidemiological survey was undertaken. Methods: A total of 8872 cattle were examined from three different agro-climatic zones viz. central (Khammam, Warangal), north (Nizamabad, Karimnagar), south (Mahaboobnagar, Rangareddy) to know the influence of Agro-climatic factors and season on the prevalence of Ixodid ticks on cattle in Telangana State, India from March 2019 to February 2020. Result: An overall prevalence of 63.4% tick infestation was recorded in Telangana state out of which 78.05%, 71.3% and 51.9% of tick infestation was found in central, north and southern agro-climatic zones of Telangana, respectively. Among the six districts under study, highest prevalence was recorded in Khammam (79.7%) followed by Warangal (76.2%), Nizamabad (73.7%), Karimnagar (69.4%), Mahaboobnagar (55.8%) and Rangareddy (47.5%) districts. Seasonal influence showed significantly (P<0.05) highest tick infestation in rainy season (71.9%), followed by summer (66.1%) and lowest in winter season (52.2%). The results of present investigation aid in planning yearlong tick controlling measures on cattle in Telangana state, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]