First report ofTheileria annulatain Nigeria: findings from cattle ticks in Zamfara and Sokoto States

AbstractBackgroundTicks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) represent a significant economic burden to cattle farming in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. However, in the northern part of this country, where the largest livestock population reside, little is known about the contemporary diversity of ticks and TBPs. This area is particularly vulnerable to climate change, undergoing marked transformation of habitat and associated flora and fauna that is also likely to include ticks. This study aimed to document the occurrence of tick species and Apicomplexan TBPs in cattle from North-Western Nigeria.MethodsIn 2017, ticks were collected from cattle in Zamfara and Sokoto States and identified morphologically. Additionally, a subset of ticks were screened molecularly for the detection of Apicomplexan DNA.ResultsA total of 494 adult ticks were collected from 80 cattle in Zamfara and 65 cattle in Sokoto State. Nine tick species were encountered, including sevenHyalommaspp. (i.e.Hyalomma dromedarii, Hyalomma impeltatum, Hyalomma impressum, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma truncatumandHyalomma turanicum),Amblyomma variegatumandRhipicephalus(Boophilus)decoloratus. All species were present in Zamfara, whereas only five species were found in Sokoto.Hyalomma rufipeswas the most prevalent tick infesting cattle in Zamfara State (76.2%), whileH. dromedariiwas the most prevalent in Sokoto State (43.7%), confirming the widespread transfer of this species from camels onto livestock and its adaptation to cattle in the region.Of 159 ticks screened, 2 out of 54 (3.7%) from Zamfara State and 29 out of 105 (27.6%) from Sokoto State harboured DNA ofTheileria annulata, the agent of tropical theileriosis.ConclusionsThis study confirms the presence of a broad diversity of tick species in cattle from North-Western Nigeria, providing the first locality records for Zamfara State. The occurrence ofH. turanicum, recorded for the first time in Nigeria, indicates a distribution of this tick beyond Northern Africa.This study provides the first report forT. annulatain Nigeria. Given its enormous burden on livestock farming in North Africa and across Asia, further investigations are needed to better understand its epidemiology, vector transmission and potential clinical significance in cattle from Northern Nigeria and neighbouring Sahelian countries.