Species Associations and Infestation Patterns of Hard Ticks (Ixodidae) on Cattle in Northeastern Algeria

Abstract

Objective: Ticks continue to pose a major issue in the livestock industry due to their role as disease vectors. In Algeria, species associations among major hard tick species—particularly those of the genera Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma are poorly studied. This study investigated sex-specific (male/female) associations of seven hard tick species on cattle in the Jijel region of Algeria, and examined how association degree relates to infestation levels. Methods: The clustering method was used as an analytical tool. Seven tick species were identified among the 32 hosts sampled: Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Say, 1821), Rhipicephalus bursa (Canstrini and Fanzago, 1987), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806), Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844, Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch, 1844, Hyalomma scupense Schulze, 1919 and Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844. Results: The findings indicated that (1) R. annulatus was the most prevalent species in the Jijel region, (2) hard tick species aggregate into three groups with different compositions, (3) H. marginatum and H. lusitanicum were found feeding concurrently on the same hosts, and (4) there is a link between the number of species on a host and the level of infestation. Conclusion: The dominance of R. annulatus and the frequent mixed infestations observed in Jijel provide a useful baseline for local tick-control planning. These findings suggest that control efforts should primarily target the dominant cattle tick, while also accounting for common co-infestations involving Hyalomma spp. Moreover, tracking the association degree (the number of tick species detected per host) may help flag animals or herds at higher risk and guide more focused surveillance and control measures.