A massive infestation of the long-legged buzzard, Buteo rufinus (Cretzschmar), by Hyalomma marginatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks in Türkiye

Ticks are obligate blood-sucking ectoparasites of vertebrate animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and even amphibians. As a suitable host, birds may carry spread ticks serve as reservoirs for some tick-borne pathogens. The present study reports an impressive tick infestation on long-legged buzzard, Buteo rufinus (Cretzschmar), in Türkiye. One hundred fifty-nine engorged nymphal were removed with tweezers from B. the Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitation, Training, Practice, Research Center (AKUREM), Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar province, All morphologically identified Hyalomma marginatum group. For accurate species identification, molecular randomly selected two nymphs was performed through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification ~460 bp fragment mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. Comparing our sequences those NCBI Genbank database showed that have significant genetic similarity over 99% Koch. Further, extracted DNAs also screened presence Rickettsia, Borrelia Bartonella bacteria targeting rickettsial citrate synthase (gltA, ~750 bp), flagellin B (flaB, ~659 NADH dehydrogenase gamma subunit (nuoG, ~346) genes, respectively; but samples negative these bacteria. To knowledge, this is first report H. infesting Türkiye observation massive rufinus.