EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON HARD TICKS AND TICK BORNE PARASITES, IN SHALATIN CITY, RED SEA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

Legend of figures

Fig. 1: Tick infestation sites.

Fig. 2-5: Tickspecies, 2- Hyalomma dromedarii (♂, ♀);                         3- Haemophysalis sp.,. (♂, ♀); 4- Rhipicephalus sp., (♂, ♀)          5- Hyalomma anat. Anatolicum (♂).

Fig. 6-11: Tick borne haemoparasites, Giemsa stain, x100, 6- Theileria camelensis in blood film of Camelus dromedarii. a) Intracellular trophozoite (low parasitaemia). b) Intracellular trophozoite (high parasitaemia). c) Koch's blue bodies.7- Anaplasma marginale in Camelus dromedarii blood film (→). 8- Theleria ovis in sheep blood film, showing intracellular trophozoite (→) & Koch's blue bodies. 9) - Anaplasma marginale in sheep blood film showing high parasitaemia (→)10- Eperthrozoon sp., in sheep blood film, in the form of minute granules on the surface of RBCs.                11- Theleria ovis in goat blood film, showing intracellular trophozoite (→) & Koch's blue bodies.

Fig. 12-16: Giemsa stained developmental stages Theileria camelensis in salivary gland of feeding Hyalomma dromedarii. Giemsa stain, x100, 12- Penetrating kinete to salivary gland and give rise to multinucleated sporonts. 13 Diversenuclear fragments of the sporonts in division. 14 Multinucleated sporont which divided into numerous small sporoblasts which form sporozoites by budding process at their periphery. 15- Polymorphous multinucleated sporoblast with sporozoite at the periphery (→). 16- Single spindle shaped sporozoites (infectious stage).

Fig. 17-21: Giemsa stained developmental stagesof blood parasites, Theileria camelensis, in haemolymph of feeding Hyalomma dromedarii. Giemsa stain, x100, 17- Multinucleated vermicules. 18- Small rod-shaped vermicule. 19- Large rod -shaped vermicule. 20- Banana-shaped vermicule. 21- Spindle-shaped vermicule.

Fig. 22-25: Giemsa stained developmental stages of Theileria camelensis in eggs of Hyalomma dromedarii ticks,. Giemsa stain, x100, 22- Comma-shaped vermicule (immature stage) in eggs of Hyalomma dromedarii ticks. 23- Small rod-shaped vermicule in eggs of H. dromedarii ticks. 24- Large rod-shaped vermicule in eggs of H. dromedarii ticks. 25- Cresentric form in haemolymph of H. dromedarii ticks.

Discussion

This study was conducted in a semi- arid desert zone where rainfall is low and of short duration (Nov–Jan). Results of the present study revealed that examination of 882 of the various domestic animals species, of which 551 were camels, 225 sheep and 106 goats in Shalatin city, Red Sea governorate, Egypt. Out of 551 camels 154 (27.94%) were found infested with H. dromedarii represented the main tick species infesting camels followed by H. impeltatum, H. a. anatolicum and Amblyomma lepidum, These results were in agreement with, the results obtained by Njanja et al. (1991); Van Straten and Jongejan (1993); Diab et al. (2001); Abdel-Baki (2001); Mazyad and Khalaf (2002); Iqbal (2005); Mamak et al. (2006). It was also found that H. dromedarii females were the main tick species found engorged on the camels, while females of the other species; only partially engorged. This could be due to the fact that camels were not the preferred hosts of the latter tick species. These results coincided with the results recorded by Diab et al. (2001) in Egypt and El-Ghalii and Hassan (2009) in Sudan. The number of obtained Amblyomma ticks in camels was lower than that of Hyalomma species in agreement with that mentioned byEl-Refaii and Wahba (2003) in camels and Hoogstraal (1956) in cattle. This observation has been also noted by Hadani et al. (1996) in sheep, but in very low number and also referred that Amblyomma may be introduced by migrating birds from Africa.

In the present study, 41 (18.22%) out of 225 sheep and 25(23.58%) out of 106 goats infested with Rhipcephalus sp., and Haemophysalis sp., followed by H. dromedarii in sheep and H. a. anatolicum in goats. These results coincided with those recorded by Osman (1997); Abdel-Baki (2001); Mohammad and Ali (2006); Mamak et al. (2006); Al-Khalifa et al. (2007); Omer et al. (2007); Sajid et al. (2008); Abunna et al. (2009). In general with the exception of camels, tick burdens on sheep and goats were low. Seasonality of ticks infestation was observed in May, Jun, July and August. Similar results were observed by Diab et al. (2001) they reported that high tick infestations in Egypt occurred during March to November, while Zeleke, and Bekele, (2004)reported thathighest tick infestation occur during months of July and August. In the present study, there was no clear pattern of seasonality specially in camels where ticks were found throughout the year but it was observed that the highest infestation occurred from May to August. These results agreed with that reported by El-Ghalii and Hassan (2009). This could be attributed to the fact that the non-parasitic flat stages could survive well during winter which was reflected as infestations during the following summer. On the other hand, it was observed that ticks do not go into diapause during winter when ambient temperature drops to about 10 °C. Regarding the seasonal incidence of tick infestation in sheep and goats, it was noticed that highest infestation occurred from May- August., no animals were found infested with ticks from (December- February). Nearly similar results were recorded by Sajid (2007); Mohammad and Ali (2006). The prevalence and general indices of ticks showed difference related to the locality of their host, seasonal changes in the general indices of some ectoparasites paralleled for the peak activity of hard ticks which is from May-August.

Our study revealed that female animals carried more ticks than males. This was true for all adult tick species. Similar findings were recorded by El-Ghali and Hassan (2009). Pregnancy and lactation stress may lower the resistance of females to tick infestation (Ali, 2004). However, this was not true for nymphs as both genders of camels carried loads the differences of which were not significant. This could be due to differences in resistance of male and female camels against larvae that feed and moult on the host, but not against nymphs El-Ghali and Hassan (2009). The current study revealed that male ticks of all species outnumbered females. Similar results were reported by Hoogstraal (1956); Kaiser et al. (1988); El-Ghali and Hassan (2009). This is due to the fact that females detach from the hosts after a few days of feeding to oviposit while males remain for several weeks before dropping (Hoogstraal, 1956). Concerning the sites of tick infestation among studied animals. It was found that the udder, scrotum, belly and brisket were the preferred sites for feeding in camels followed by testis, neck, vulva, anus, shoulder, ear and eye. Similar observation was recorded by El-Ghali and Hassan (2009). However in sheep and goats the predilection sites were fat tail in sheep and tail in goats followed by udder, flank, eye and ear this results agree with the results obtained by Sajid (2007). Predilection site of the infestation may vary with tick species and with animal host. Generally most of ticks have been reported to infest the sites with thinner skin and shorter hair. this predilection is suitable for ticks because it allow easy penetration of their mouth parts into blood vessel for feeding Walker et al. (2003); Sajid (2007). On the other hand, the prevalence of tick infestation has been found to be higher in the study area; this may be attributed to the high temperature and warmer seasons, which are suitable for growth of tick population.

Giemsa-stained blood smears prepared monthly from camels, sheep and goats positive for tick infestation were examined for presence of tick-borne haemoparasites. Two genera were observed in camels; Theileria camelensis, (48.58%)and Anaplasma marginale (6.49%) andParasitaemia, represented by parasites –infected erythrocytes, ranged from less than 2% to10%. These results were in agreement with those obtained by Nassar (1992); El-Refaii et al. (1998); El Kammah et al. (2001); El-Fayoumy et al. (2005); Alsaad (2009); Hamed et al. (2011). In sheep four genera of tick-borne haemoparasites were found Theileria ovis., Babesia sp.,  Anaplasma marginale  and Eperythrozoon sp., Based on morphological characteristics and epidemiological considerations. Theileria ovis was the most common parasite (51.21%). followed by Anaplasma marginle (14.63%), Babesia sp., (12.20%) and Eperythrozoon spp. (9.76%), where in goats two genera of tick-borne haemoparasites were found Theileria ovis (52 %) and Anaplasma marginale (24%) on morphological characteristics and epidemiolog-ical considerations. These results were in agreement with reports of Friedhoff (1997); Hashemi (1997); Walker and Koney (1999); Gholam (2001); Bell-Sakyi et al. (2004).

Examination of haemolymph and eggs-smears, of Hyalomma dromedarii ticks revealed the presence of five forms which were club, banana, spindle, crescentic and rod forms. In Sharkia Governorate in Egypt, Ahmed (1980) showed that one of the examined haemolymph specimens of 20 field collected H. ticks was positive for the developmental stages of Theileria species. Fahmy (1980) revealed that 65.2% of the collected H. males ticks and 59.5% of the females were infected with the developmental stages of Theileria species in Giza Governorate in Egypt. Also, El-Seify (1980); El Bahi (1986); Hamed et al. (2011) in Egypt observed the developmental forms of Piroplasma (Theileria) in haemolymph smears of H. spp. females which  were club, banana and crescent shapes. These forms were observed by El Bahi (1986); Hamed et al. (2011). The developmental stages of Theileria spp., observed in the salivary glands of engorged nymph and moderate fed and unfed adult of Hyalomma dromedarii was the spindle shaped form Our results were similar with those obtained byEl-Seify1 (980); Don et al.(1982); El Bahi (1986); Zapf and Schein (1994); Ulrich et al. (2007).

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