Natural Infections of HyalommaSpecies with Theileria annulatain Malatya Region

Authors: MÜNİR AKTAŞ, NAZİR DUMANLI

Abstract: This study was carried out to determine Hyalommaticks and the natural infections of Hyalommaspecies with Theileria annulata in cattle and their shelters in Malatya province between May 1998 and January 1999. Selected areas in Malatya province were visited to collect ticks from cows and their shelters during the study. Salivary glands of Hyalommaspecies were dissected and thin films were prepared. The nymphs collected from cattle and their shelters were kept at 26 °C and 85% relative humudity. Unfed adults of Hyalom- maspecies taken from engorged nymphs and collected from shelters were kept at 37°C and 85% relative humudity for at least five days,and then salivary glands were dissected. All films prepared from salivary glands were stained with Methylegreen/Pyronin stain and examined for T.annulata infection under microscope. A total of 1633 Hyalommaticks were collected from cattle,and their species were determined and the numbers were as follows: Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum 990 (60.6%),H.a.excavatum 485 (29.6%), H.detritum 155 (9.4%)and H.marginatum 3 (0.1%).From these ticks,720 H.a.anatolicum,258 H.a.excavatum and 87 H.detritum were dissected to determine the infection rates of T.annulata.The infection rates were found to be 12.4% for H.a.anatolicum,7.8%for H.a.excavatumand 4.6%for H.detri- tum. Eighty-three out of 443 H.a.anatolicum collected from shelters were positive for T.annulata. Mean numbers of infected acini per infected male and female ticks from cattle were 9.2 and 15.4 in H.a.anatolicum,4.0 and 6.8 in H.a.excavatum. In H.a.anatolicum collected from shelters, the above rates were 9.3 and 4.9, respectively. In male H.detritumcol- lected from cattle, there were no infections.

Keywords: Theileria annulata,Hyalomma,Salivary gland,Cattle

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