A survey of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting donkeys in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran

Donkeys (Equus asinus Linnaeus, 1758) are economical for use in small-scale farming and are handy in third world countries with a poor infrastructure. Ticks are one of the most important ectoparasites which affect the equine industry with high economic impact. The main objective of this study was to determine the tick species of donkeys that occur in the Northwest of Iran as possible risk for tick-borne diseases. The study was conducted during the four seasons in 2013 in 15 villages of West Azerbaijan province. During four seasons a total of 455 Ixodid ticks, 222 male and 233 female ticks were collected comprising 3 genera and four species. The species were Hyalomma anatolicum, H. marginatum, Rhipicephalus bursa and Dermacentor marginatus. Although the parasite did occur throughout the year, there was a seasonal variation in the prevalence of ticks. Some of the collected ticks may play an important role for transmission of vector borne disease to donkeys; therefore, there is a need to investigate the potential tick vectors involved in the transmission of heamoparasites in donkeys in this region.