Seroprevalence of piroplasmosis with tick distribution in northern Iraq

The current study was carried out on blood samples of 299 local breed female cattle in Erbil, Duhok and Suleimania, Northern Iraq, for the period from beginning of January till end of December 2006 for detection of piroplasmosis. By direct blood smear examination, the rate of Theileria annulata alone was 45.1% while in mixed infections with Babesia was 11.7%. The total rate of Theileria infection was 56.9%. The haematological parameters of cattle infected with Theileria alone were PCV=27%, RBC= 5.6 million/ cm and Hb 9.5 g/liter did not vary from non infected ones. While in mixed infections (Theileria +Babesia) the blood picture values were decreased dramatically and were PCV=18%, RBC=4.08 million / cm and Hb 5.7 g/l. Using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique (ELISA), the seropositivity of Theileria was 77.9%, while Babesia was 12.4%. The overall rate of seropositivity by ELISA was 90.3% for piroplasms while by blood smears examination the rate of infected animals was 56.9%. From 5804 ticks collected from animal body, the constituencies of the ticks were 81.7% H. anatolicum anatolicum, 15.3% H. marginatum marginatum, 2.82% Rhipecephalus appendiculatus and 10 ticks (0.2%) were not identified. The highest rate of ticks was found attached to udder and under tail (77%), followed by ears (20%) and hind limbs and around eyes (3%). The distribution of ticks was highest in spring 96.0%, followed by summer 4.0%. No ticks were detected in winter and autumn. The greatest number of ticks was in March (37.9%) followed by May (32.23%), April (25.85%), June (2.17%), July (1.68%) and August (0.17%).