IDENTIFICATION OF TICKS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF THEILERIA ANNULATA IN CATTLE IN DISTRICT PESHAWAR
Abstract
Hard ticks are seen as a major hindrance to cattle’s productive performance not only because of the direct damage they cause to the skin, blood suction, and hair loss, but also because of their capacity to transmit various pathogens. The aim of this study was to morphologically identify prevalent ticks in cattle in district Peshawar and to identify the vector of Theileria annulata. For this purpose, a total of 100 cattle in three different locations (Akbar Pura, Naguman, and Warsak Road) in the district of Peshawar were examined for the presence of ticks from March to June 2022, and ticks were collected. Morphological identification of ticks revealed higher prevalence of Rhipicephalus (52.9%), followed by Hyalomma (34.1%) and Haemaphysalis (12.8%). DNA was extracted from each tick genera, and PCR was performed for the detection of Theileria annulata. PCR results revealed the presence of Theileria annulata in Hyalomma ticks only, which confirmed its role as a vector of Theileria annulata in the study area. The effect of various risk factors on the tick burden was also evaluated, and month wise occurrence was significantly higher in June (41.5%), followed by May (23.7%) and April (20.9%), and lower in March (13.8%), indicating the propagation of ticks in the hot and humid season. This study suggests that ticks belonging to the genus Hyalomma may be disease vectors for Theileria annulata; however, additional research is necessary to pinpoint the precise species of Hyalomma and to examine the role of other common ticks as disease vectors.
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Received: September 23, 2026; Published: June 30, 2026
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