Abstract:
Ixodid ticks are important arthropods in medicine and veterinary science, posing a considerable threat to livestock
in East Africa. A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2022 to June 2023 to explore
the spatial distribution, prevalence, species diversity and burden of cattle ticks, and to investigate risk factors
associated with tick infestation prevalence and burden in northwest Ethiopia. A total of 2528 cattle were
randomly selected through multistage cluster sampling for tick inspection across 18 districts during both dry and
wet seasons. Ticks samples were identified morphologically at the genus and species levels. Data were analysed
using descriptive statistics and mixed-effect logistic regression models. In total, 22,698 adult ticks were found
from 1604 cattle; of which 10,246 were collected for identification, and revealed ten tick species across three
genera: Amblyomma, Rhipicephalus, and Hyalomma. The predominant species included A. variegatum (35.5 %),
R. decoloratus (32.73 %), A. lepidum (10.64 %), and H. rufipes (6.85 %), while R. sanguineus and H. analoticum
were below 1 %. Tick diversity was highest in Kafta-Humera, followed by Wolkait and Tsegede. The overall tick
infestation prevalence was 63.45 %, with a mean tick burden of 8.98 ± 0.31 ticks per animal, both significantly
impacted by agroecology, season, vegetation cover, management, and coexistence with other livestock species (p
< 0.05). Infestation rates varied notably among districts, with Wolkait having the highest at 94.49 % and Wogera
the lowest at 9.17 %. This study underscores the high prevalence of tick infestations and the diverse ixodid tick
species of veterinary importance in the region, highlighting the need for effective tick management strategies.
Studies are recommended to explore the epidemiological features of relevant tick-borne pathogens
