DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sajb.2025.v13i02.002

Pages: 217-229

Although Pakistan's economy depends heavily on the livestock industry, animal health is greatly impacted by tick infestation and illnesses spread by ticks. This study evaluated the morphological traits, risk factors, and prevalence of ticks in four districts within the Sargodha Division. Between February and June 2021, 1,067 ruminants (cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep) from 40 farms were watched. The ITS-2 nuclear gene (750 bp) in 10 tick species was the object of PCR detection. The total infestation rate was 32.10%, with Khushab having the lowest percentage (24.71%) and Mianwali having the highest (54.44%). Goats (16.41%), sheep (27.38%), buffaloes (33.73%), and cows (41.5%) were the most affected species. Male buffaloes (59.37%) were more infected than females (33.58%), while female cows (45.10%) were more infested than males (31%). The distribution of ticks differed by species and sex; in cows and buffaloes, the most afflicted regions were the udder and tail, respectively. Ticks were mostly detected in the ears of sheep and goats and concentrated on the testicles of males. The major risk factors were the summer season, inadequate waste clearance, dogs afflicted with ticks, communal living, grazing systems, and poor tick control techniques. According to morphological studies, there is just one soft tick species, Ornithodoros erraticus, and hard ticks from the genera Rhipicephalus, Hyalomma, and Ixodes. Four tick species had positive bands (750 bp) validated by PCR testing. The study emphasizes the necessity for efficient tick management methods by highlighting the epidemiological implications of species, sex, and tick dispersion patterns in infection rates.