They are obligate blood-feeding vectors with the ability to transmit a wide variety of pathogens. Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. Additionally, molecular characterization of ticks using the ITS2 region was a reliable tool to discriminate species of ticks and confirmed the morphological identification. burgdorferi infection, but a significantly high prevalence of tick infestation among domesticated animals in Egypt, which possesses a potential animal and public health risk. sanguineus tick pool showed a 100% homology.Īnalyzed data revealed a relatively low rate of B. Just one dog (1.67%) and its associated tick pool of R. Variegatu with ticks identified in Egypt and various continents worldwide. Molecular characterization of ticks using the ITS2 region confirmed the morphological identification, as well as displayed high similarities of R. Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus, and both Hyalomma dromedarii and Amblyomma variegatum, were morphologically identified from infested dogs, cattle, and camels respectively. The rate of infestation was significantly higher in camels (90%), followed by cattle (76%) and dogs (69%) ( P = 0.001).

The overall tick infestation rate among examined animals was 78.33% (235/300).

The identified tick species were characterized molecularly by PCR and sequencing of the ITS2 region. burgdorferi by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Blood samples from 160 tick-infested animals and their associated ticks ( n =1025) were collected and examined for the infection with B. Three hundred animals (dogs=100, cattle=100, and camels=100) were inspected for tick infestation. burgdorferi in different tick vectors and animal hosts. Studies on the presence of Lyme borreliosis in Egyptian animals and associated ticks are scarce. Hard ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites that serve as vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi. This information provides a baseline knowledge of important piroplasms parasites and raising awareness of their prevalence in Lesotho.īorrelia burgdorferi is the spirochete that causes Lyme Borreliosis (LB), which is a zoonotic tick-borne disease of humans and domestic animals. Research findings in this study require a joint effort from both veterinary and medical sectors to unite and conduct more epidemiological studies of tick-borne diseases in both animals and humans and to also determine the role played by tick species in the transmission of the detected parasites in domestic animals of Lesotho. This study is the first to report on a relationship of Babesia parasites with tick species in Lesotho and it is evident that vector-borne diseases are present in ticks of domestic animals in this country. The PCR-positive samples were confirmed by direct sequencing of the product. ovis) parasites were not detected in the current study. evertsi was the only tick species PCR positive for ovine babesiosis with 3.2% for B. Otobius megnini tested positive for only B. bigemina with a 15% and 3% infection rate, respectively. evertsi evertsi tested positive for the presence of B. DNA extracted from the Lesotho Rhipicephalus decoloratus and R.

The overall infection rate of piroplasms was 7% with Babesia bigemina at 3.4% (11/322), B. A total of 322 pooled tick DNA samples were subjected to PCR screening for the presence of piroplasms. In the absence of information on the relationship of tick species and piroplasms parasites in Lesotho, the current study was aimed at detecting piroplasms parasites of economic importance from ticks of domestic animals. Ticks are medically important and significant vectors of diseases affecting livestock, humans, and companion animals than any other arthropod vectors.

Clc sequence viewer 7 phylogram scale