Research Article
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Published Online: 24 February 2021

Genetic Relationship Between Hard Ticks (Ixodidae) Infesting Cattle from Select Areas of a Wildlife–Livestock Interface Ecosystem at Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

Publication: Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
Volume 21, Issue Number 3

Abstract

Background: There has recently been a substantial increase in the number of tick species and tick-borne infectious agents in Tanzania. Owing to their impact on human, livestock, and wild animal health, increased knowledge of ticks is needed. So far, no published data on the genetic relationship between hard tick (Ixodidae) sequences collected from cattle are available in Tanzania.
Methods: Ticks from cattle in the wards, which lie at the border of Mikumi National Park, were collected in the dry season, November to December 2019. Morphological identification of ticks was initially performed at the genus level. To identify ticks at the species level, molecular analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene was performed. Evolutionary relationships and genetic distances between ticks were determined using MaximumLikelihood and Kimura 2-parameter methods, respectively.
Results: Based on morphology, two genera (Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma) were identified in the 630 adult ticks collected from a total of 252 cattle. Six species (Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus evertsi, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, and Hyalomma turanicum) were confirmed by BLASTn and phylogenetic analyses. Considerable mean and pairwise genetic distances were observed for Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma genera.
Conclusion: The presence of different phylogenetic clusters and considerable mean and pairwise genetic distances observed reflect possible biological diversity of hard ticks present in the study area. Considering the value of the cattle in the livelihoods and economies of people and the country, the outcomes of this study will be useful in planning integrated control strategies for ticks and tick-borne diseases in Tanzania.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
Volume 21Issue Number 3March 2021
Pages: 191 - 199
PubMed: 33450167

History

Published in print: March 2021
Published online: 24 February 2021
Published ahead of print: 15 January 2021

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Availability of Data and Materials

The data supporting the conclusions of this article are included within the article. The sequences generated in this study were submitted to GenBank under the accession numbers MT079863–MT079880.

Authors

Affiliations

Donath Damian [email protected]
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
Modester Damas
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
Jonas Johansson Wensman
Section of Ruminant Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Mikael Berg
Section of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

Notes

This is also a preprint in Research Square posted May 28, 2020.
Address correspondence to: Donath Damian, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, BOX 35091, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania [email protected]

Authors' Contributions

D.D. designed the investigation, performed the experiments, conducted the investigation, and drafted the article. M.D. designed the investigation, conceived the study, and revised the article. J.J.W. and M.B. conceived the study, designed the investigation, and revised the article. All authors read and approved the final article.

Author Disclosure Statement

No competing financial interests exist.

Funding Information

No funding was received for this article.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

No specific permits were required for this study. The study did not involve endangered or protected species. Therefore, the local ethics committee deemed that approval was unnecessary.

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