Genotypic analysis of ticks species infesting cattle in Al-Diwaniyah abattoir

Abstract

Different vectors are considered critical for disease transmission between animals; however, ticks play a significant role in the dissemination of various infectious illnesses of animals and human importance. The current work was carried out to categorize ticks genetically of those isolated from cattle that entered Al-Diwaniyah abattoir. In the present study, 50 tick samples were collected and subjected to microscopic examination and genetic-based methods of polymerase chain reaction and partial gene sequencing, both utilized the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX1) gene as a genotyping element. The findings of the microscopic examination showed that the ticks were from Hyalomma spp. Further analysis, the polymerase chain reaction revealed the genus of Hyalomma of the ticks, but when the PGS was performed, one sample of H. detritum, three samples of H. excavatum, and two samples of H. marginatum were identified. When the phylogenetic analyses were conducted, H. detritum showed close genetic similarity to an isolate from Spain EU827695.1. H. excavatum revealed similarity with isolates from India MK863382.1 and Turkey MT230050.1. In contrast, H. marginatum displayed close identity to an isolate from Iran (MG557555.1). In conclusion, these findings may indicate evolutionary links of the locally identified isolates to different world isolates, probably due to the trade-moving of animals.

Keywords

• h. detritum
• h. excavatum
• h. marginatum
• ticks
• al-diwaniyah