Ticks and haemoparasites in cattle at the port bouet abattoir in Abidjan (South-East, Cote d'ivoire)

Abstract

Tick-borne infections occur worldwide and have been well known for over a century. Their incidence varies according to the time of year and geographical location, and depends on a variety of circumstances such as animal reservoirs, climate, ecological conditions and the lifestyle of infected individuals. Most of them are zoonotic (transmissible from animals to humans), but some only affect animals, with a very significant economic impact. A study was carried out in July 2022 at the Port-Bouet slaughterhouse in Abidjan, where an entomological survey was carried out to collect ticks and blood from cattle destined for slaughter. Samples were collected from 62 cattle aged between 2 and 5 years. A total of 372 tick specimens were collected, comprising 93.82% females, 5.91% males and 0.27% nymphs. Three tick species were identified, and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was the predominant species with 80.37% of cumulative numbers. After Giemsa staining, analysis of the 62 blood smears revealed blood parasites in 40 samples, representing a prevalence of 64.51%. The frequencies observed were 17.74% Trypanosoma sp, 30.64% Babesia bovis, 30.64% Anaplasma marginale and 29.03% Theileria sp. Polyparasitism has been marked by bi- and tri-infestations of these haemoparasites in blood samples. It is therefore necessary to make the Port Bouet slaughterhouse a sentinel site for entomological and microbiological surveillance.