EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL STRATEGIES OF BOVINE IXODIDAE TICKS IN SELECTED DISTRICTS OF GAMO ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ticks are a global threat to livestock productivity, causing significant economic losses, and synthetic acaricides are the primary method for controlling Ixodidae ticks. However, synthetic acaricides are often accompanied by drawbacks; the development of acaricide resistant ticks and contamination of the environment and animal products with insecticide residues. There's no research data focused on developing alternative tick control strategies.Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the epidemiology and control strategies of bovine ixodidae ticks in selected districts of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify bovine ixodidae tick species and assess alternative control strategies on dominant tick species. The study used host-related factors, including age, sex, breed, and Body Condition Score (BCS), along with environmental factors such as temperature, season, and humidity, to assess their influence on tick prevalence. The study districts were stratified by agro-ecology, kebeles selected proportionally to cattle population, and cattle chosen via simple random sampling. A cross-sectional study on 1,152 cattle revealed an overall tick prevalence of 84.81%, with Amblyomma variegatum as the most abundant species (44.52%). A Questionnaire survey of 450 households revealed widespread use of chemical acaricides, with ivermectin most common, alongside traditional methods like plant remedies and manual picking. A participatory study on livestock owners' tick control showed common use of traditional plant remedies like Qoboo, Bortoo, and Gasso (Ricinus communis, Erythrina brucei, and Agarista salicifolia) for their effectiveness and availability. In-vitro tests showed strong acaricidal activity in plant extracts. In vitro acaricidal activity of water extract of Erythrina brucei showed mean tick mortality of 4±0.5, 2.6±0.8, 1.6±0.3, and 1.3±0.3 at 6 hours, and 6±0.5, 5±0.3, 4.3±0.5, and 3.3±0.3 at 24 hours for concentrations of 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 mg/ml, respectively. Ricinus communis showed mortality of 4.6±0.3, 3±0.5, 1.6±0.3, and 1±0 at 6 hours, and 8±0.5, 6±0.5, 5±0.5, and 2.3±0.3 at 24 hours for the same concentrations. Agarista salicifolia resulted in tick mortality of 4.6±0.3, 3.3±0.3, 2.3±0.3, and 2±0.5 at 6 hours, and 8±0.5, 7±0.5, 6.3±0.3, and 5.6±0.3 at 24 hours for the same concentrations. The results suggest that combining plant-based methods with conventional ones can sustainably control ticks, and address resistance and environmental concerns, benefiting Ethiopia’s livestock productivity.