Spatial and seasonal analyses of tick prevalence in livestock across selected districts of Balochistan, Pakistan.

Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on the blood of domestic animals, resulting in significant reductions in weight, milk production, and hide quality. They are also vectors of a variety of pathogens that cause disease in animals. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and species distribution of ticks among domestic animals (cattle, goats, sheep, buffaloes, and camels) across 12 districts of Baluchistan. A total of 759 domestic animals were carefully examined, and ticks were collected using hand and forceps. The collected samples were meticulously preserved in 70 % ethanol and appropriately labelled. All 308 collected ticks belong to two genera, Hyalomma (74.2 %) and Rhipicephalus (25.9 %), and seven species: H. anatolicum, H. scupense, H. excavatum, H. dromedarii, R. appendiculatus, R. annulatus, and R. sanguineus sensu lato. The overall tick prevalence was 41.37 % (314/759), with the highest prevalence recorded in cattle (57.14 %), followed by goats (40.93 %), sheep (32.18 %), buffaloes (32 %), and camels (25.66 %). There were significant (p < 0.05) associations between tick infestation and factors, including host sex, age, breed, herd type, area, and season. A high tick burden impact animal productivity and increases the likelihood of tick-borne disease transmission. The findings of this study will help in the development and implementation of control measures for these parasites at the local and global levels.