Identification and Infestation of Ticks on Cattle in the Peri-Urban Area of Ngaoundere, Cameroon

Identification and Infestation of Ticks on Cattle in the Peri-Urban Area of Ngaoundere, Cameroon

Livestock production yield in the sub-Saharan Africa is influenceby ticks and the diseases they transmit. The aim of this study was to identify the tick species in the peri-urban area of Ngaoundere, the capital of the Adamawa region (Cameroon), where traditional farms co-exist, lack of acaricide products usage and no modern farming. This study was conducted from August to September in 5 localities and in 8 farms. All visible ticks were collected from the animals selected for the study and preserved in 70% ethanol. Ticks collected were counted and morphologically identified. The collection of ticks showed that Tropical Bont Tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) geigyi, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Hyalomma truncatum, Hyalomma marginatumrufipes, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Haemophysalys laechi were the main tick species and sub- species found in the sub-urban area of Ngaoundere, with prevalences: 24.4%; 1.97%; 0.91%; 3.26%; 0.18%; 0.74%; 0.88%; 0.04% respectively. The use of acaricides reducedsignificantly (p<0.01) the infecting load of ticks and contributes to the improvement of the hematocrit (p<0.01). Young cattle are more likely to be harmed by ticks and tick-borne diseases, as they are more infected andanaemic than adults (p<0.05). The results of this study revealed that the services of a veterinarianis required in orderto establish a real strategy against ticks and use of acaricides to reduce the tick population hence improving cattle physiological parametersas well as productivity.