PREVALENCE, SPECIES DIVERSITY, AND RISK FACTORS OF TICK INFESTATION IN POULTRY FARMS IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Tick borne parasites are a serious health and economic problem for poultry production in Pakistan as well as in the developing countries. Poultry productivity is greatly reduced by their presence, particularly in the rural and semi‐urban farming systems. The present study was designed to estimate species composition, infestation rate and risk factors associated in infestation of ticks in layers kept under intensive and extensive farming system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Among 360 examined birds, 134 (37.2%) were infested with ticks. Argas persicus, Argas miniatus, and Argas robertsi were the tick species identified. Prevailed among them was A. persicus (68.7%), followed by A. miniatus (21.6%) and A. robertsi (9.7%). Birds aged above 12 months suffered more infestation. In overcrowded farms, infestation turnover was significantly higher (47.5%) when compared to the low density farms (22.4%). Extensively raised chickens (55.6%) had total ticks that were greater than intensively managed flocks (24.1%). Most infested body regions were underwings (32.8%) and ventral abdomen (31.3%) while the head and wattle were tick free. This identifies the need for targeted etoparasite control programs and awareness campaigns to prevent production losses from ticks in poultry.