Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Infesting Sheep and Goats in Nyala Town, South Darfur, Sudan

Abstract

Sudan is a large country with appreciable population numbers of sheep and goats. Ticks and tick-borne diseases constitute a real threat to mutton production in this country. The current study was designed to survey species of ticks infesting sheep and goats in Nyala town, South Darfur, Sudan during the period of March 2006 to February 2007. Hundred animals on a monthly basis (50 sheep and 50 goats) were examined. Three tick genera and ten species were identified. These were Rhipicephalus guilhoni (71.7%), Rhipicephalus camicasi (7.97%), Rhipicephalus evertsievertsi (9.02%), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (6.41%), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (3.66%), Hyalomma marginatum rufipus (0.38%), Hyalomma detritumdetritum (0.20%), Hyalomma dromedarii (0.20%), Hyalomma excavatum (0.20%) and Amblyomma variegatum (0.26%). None of H. marginatum, H. detritumdetritum, H. dromedarii were found to infest goats. The individual species of ticks identified in the present survey exhibited a diverse pattern of prevalence and seasonal abundance in response to climatic variables throughout the study period. There was no significant difference in numbers of ticks infested males and females of sheep and goats. It was concluded that South Darfur State in Sudan is a conducive area for establishment of hard ticks that infest small ruminants