Abstract

GONZALEZ-CERON, Fernando; BECERRIL-PEREZ, Carlos M.; TORRES-HERNANDEZ, Glafiro  and  DIAZ-RIVERA, Pablo. Ticks infesting body regions of tropical milking criollo cattle in Veracruz, Mexico. Agrociencia [online]. 2009, vol.43, n.1, pp.11-19. ISSN 2521-9766.

The objectives of this study were to determine the species, number and distribution on body regions, and their relationship to the total number of ticks on Tropical Milking Criollo cattle. Twenty-eight heifers and 16 young bulls (655±35 and 741±89 d old) from an experimental herd located in the central region of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, were used. Ticks (>4.5 mm) adhered to the body of the cattle were collected, counted and identified by species. The data were transformed logarithmically and analyzed using a mixed linear model that included the effects of animal sex, tick species, body region, and their interactions, considering repeated measurements by body region. The number of ticks on different body regions was correlated with the total number of ticks with a Pearson correlation test. The tick species identified were Amblyomma cajennense (Ac) and Boophilus microplus (Bm). The total number of ticks was 10.6±0.8 Ac, 3.5±0.8 Bm, and 14.5±1.15 (Ac+Bm). Although the most infested body regions were the groin (5.6±0.5) and axilla (4.4±0.5), the number of ticks on the left side of the body correlated more highly (R=0.94) with the total number (p<0.01). Thus, the left side was identified as the body region most related to total infestation.

Keywords : Amblyomma cajennsense; Boophilus microplus; tropical milking criollo; ticks; body regions.

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