Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Abound in the Cattle Population of the Rabat-Sale Kenitra Region, Morocco
Latifa Elhachimi,
Carolien Rogiers,
Stijn Casaert,
Siham Fellahi,
Thomas Van Leeuwen,
Wannes Dermauw,
Félix Valcárcel,
Ángeles Sonia Olmeda,
Sylvie Daminet,
Sarah El Hamiani Khatat,
Hamid Sahibi,
Luc Duchateau
Affiliations
Latifa Elhachimi
Departement de Parasitologie et de Sante Publique, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II, B.P 6202, Rabat 10112, Morocco
Carolien Rogiers
Biometrics Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Stijn Casaert
Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Siham Fellahi
Departement de Parasitologie et de Sante Publique, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II, B.P 6202, Rabat 10112, Morocco
Thomas Van Leeuwen
Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Wannes Dermauw
Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Félix Valcárcel
Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducción Animal, CN INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ángeles Sonia Olmeda
Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Sylvie Daminet
Department of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Sarah El Hamiani Khatat
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction, Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, B.P 6202, Rabat 10101, Morocco
Hamid Sahibi
Departement de Parasitologie et de Sante Publique, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II, B.P 6202, Rabat 10112, Morocco
Luc Duchateau
Biometrics Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Tick-borne pathogens cause the majority of diseases in the cattle population in Morocco. In this study, ticks were collected from cattle in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region of Morocco and identified morphologically, while tick-borne pathogens were detected in cattle blood samples via polymerase chain reaction assay and sequencing. A total of 3394 adult ixodid ticks were collected from cattle and identified as eight different tick species representing two genera, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus. The collected ticks consisted of Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Rhipicephalus bursa, Hyalomma detritum, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Hyalomma dromedarii, and Hyalomma impeltatum. The overall prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in blood samples was 63.8%, with 29.3% positive for Babesia/Theileria spp., 51.2% for Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., and none of the samples positive for Rickettsia spp. Sequencing results revealed the presence of Theileria annulata, Babesia bovis, Anaplasma marginale, Theileria buffeli, Theileria orientalis, Babesia occultans, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma capra, Anaplasma platys, Anaplasma bovis, Ehrlichia minasensis, and one isolate of an unknown bovine Anaplasma sp. Crossbreeds, females, older age, and high tick infestation were the most important risk factors for the abundance of tick-borne pathogens, which occurred most frequently in Jorf El Melha, Sidi Yahya Zaer, Ait Ichou, and Arbaoua locations.
