Ticks and hemoparasitoses among livestock in Senegal. V. The North-Guinean zone

Abstract

The authors report the results of a study on ticks and hemoparasitoses among cattle, sheep and goats in the North-Guinean zone. During a period of 15 months, ticks were systematically removed from 40 cattle, 40 sheep and 40 goats in order to assess the population dynamics and to determine more accurately the preferential sites of settlement of the following different species collected from these animals: Amblyomma variegatum, Boophilus geigyi, Hyalomma truncatum, H. marginatum rufipes, Rhipicephalus sulcatus, Rh. senegalensis, Rh. lunulatus. Studies on hemoparasitoses were conducted simultaneously using blood smears and splenectomy. The following species were found in cattle: Anaplasma marginale, Ehrlichia bovis, Trypanosoma vivax, Theileria mutans, Theileria velifera. Infections detected in the small ruminants were Anaplasma avis, Ehrlichia ovina, Trypanosoma congolense, Theileria avis. The PCV values of apparently healthy animals as well as the seasonal variations in this haematological parameter were investigated.