Faunal diversity of ticks in animals and environment in eastern Bangladesh

Tick and tick-borne diseases cause significant impediments to livestock health and production; however, information on the tick fauna is significantly limited in Bangladesh. This study was aimed to investigate tick fauna in Sylhet sub-district of Bangladesh targeting animal hosts and environment. A total 1427 ticks were collected by using blunt forceps, hand picking and dragging techniques from host body and environment during October 2018 to March 2019. Identification was made using morpho-taxonomical keys. Eight species from three separate genera of tick, namely Rhipicephalus(≈Boophilus) microplus, Rhipicephalus decoloratus, R. annulatus, R. sanguineus, Haemaphysalis intermedia, H. bispinosa, H. leachi, and Amblyomma variegatum were identified. Rhipicephalus spp. was dominant in the hosts whereas, Haemaphysalis spp. was the most prevalent in the environment. This study for the first-time enlisted ticks in two different ecological settings in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Further investigations should be made to evaluate the burden and control the associated socio-economic risk.