Population Dynamics of <i>Hyalomma dromedarii</i> on Camels in the United Arab Emirates

oleh: Nighat Perveen, Sabir Bin Muzaffar, Mohammad Ali Al-Deeb

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-05-01

Deskripsi

<i>Hyalomma dromedarii</i> is the most important tick species infesting camels in the Middle East. So far, there are no studies on the population dynamics of <i>H</i>. <i>dromedarii</i> ticks on camels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Thus, the current study was performed: (1) to assess <i>H. dromedarii</i> population dynamics under common camel breeding and management practices in the study area, (2) to evaluate <i>H. dromedarii</i> life stage changes and sex ratio over time, and (3) to measure parasitological indicators of <i>H. dromedarii</i> infestation. We conducted monthly on-site tick visual counts and collection from camels in Al Ain, UAE, over 12 months. Our results show that the infestation prevalence was very high during the whole study period, with a mean of 94.33%. The maximum infestation intensity occurred in June, while the minimum occurred in January. Overall, <i>H. dromedarii</i> ticks were found on camels during the entire year in spite of monthly applications of an acaricide. This study reveals that <i>H. dromedarii</i> has a very high prevalence and continuous presence on camels in the UAE regardless of the weather fluctuations and acaricide applications and showed the need for an effective control strategy.