Relative Prevalence of Tick Species in Cattle Body Parts and Breeds under Different Management Systems in Semi-arid Environment in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

The blood ecto-parasites, ticks (Order: Acarina) pose serious threat to cattle health in Nigeria. The present study assessed the effects of management system and cattle breed on infection by different species of tick on different cattle body parts, over eight weeks period in Maiduguri. Results generally indicated significant (P<0.05) difference among cattle husbandry system, tick species, cattle body parts and cattle breeds. The result on cattle husbandry system revealed significantly higher tick incidence under extensive than intensive cattle management system.The result also showed that out of the three tick species encountered, Hyalomma was significantly more predominant than Amblyomma and Boophilus on cattle in Maiduguri. Result of the study further expressed preference for infection by tick different cattle body parts in which the anus, followed by udder, abdomen and then inguinal. Conversely, tick infection on the chest, tail, dewlap, eye, ear, genitalia and scrotum was generally low. The result also indicated differences among cattle breeds in which Kuri breed, closely followed by Ambala was the most vulnerable to infection by tick, but incidence on Wadara, Red Bororo, White Fulani, Sokoto Gudali were statistically at par. In contrast, the incidence on Wadara/Simental, White Fulani/Frezan, White Fulani/Simental and Wadara/Frezan were generally lower. Regression results on population dynamics expressed differences in the initial take-off population in tick under the two husbandry system (r² = 0.8239 - 0.8932), and in different cattle breeds (r² = 0.6929 - 0.9054) over eight weeks period. Thus, initial tick population under extensive (16.094 ticks/cattle) cattle management system was comparably higher than in the intensive (2.7277 ticks/cattle) system, and the respective rate of population increase (r) per individual tick of 0.0764 vs 0.0872 ticks/week were similar under both systems. In respect of the cattle breeds, initial tick population varied from 2.2110 - 23.717 ticks/cattle, and was less for crossbreeds compared to pure locals, in which lowest and the highest take-off population was recorded on Sokoto Gudali and Kuri, respectively. Rate of population increase (r) per individual tick varied from 0.0398 - 0.1739 among breeds, and was higher on Wadara/Simental, Sokoto Gudali, Wadara, Ambala, relative to lower rates on White Fulani/Frezan. In conclusion, the present study has shown that tick incidence under extensive system of cattle management was higher than under intensive system, and that out of the three tick species encountered, Hyalomma was the most predominant in Maiduguri. The study generally revealed higher preference by tick for cattle anus, followed by udder, abdomen and then inguinal, than other body parts with generally infection, and that local breeds were more prone to infection than the improved crossbreeds of cattle. Therefore, tick was a serious menace to cattle production in Maiduguri, regardless of the management system employed and type of breed, and that three species of ticks are prevalent, while ticks showed preference for infection to certain cattle body parts.