Tick fauna of the autochthonous Zackel sheep in south Serbia region

• Published in: Biotechnology in animal husbandry Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 515 - 522
• Main Authors: Becskei, Zs, Pavlovic, I., Savic, M., Ivanovic, S., Dimitrijevic, Bl, Cojkic, A., Radisavljevic, K., Kiskároly, F., Dimitric, A., Özvegy, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade 2015
• Subjects: autochthonous Zackel sheep; South Serbia; tick
• ISSN: 1450-9156; 2217-7140
• DOI: 10.2298/BAH1504515B

Sheep production is an example of a sustainable production fully integrated
within the local rural development. One of the main threats on the outdoor
breeding of sheep is parasitism. Ticks are nuisances and vectors of several
diseases agents. The distribution of ticks appears to be changing, with
spread to previously unaffected areas. Tick and tick-borne disease control
is one of the major components of animal health program protecting livestock
in the developing countries, which reflects impact on the livelihood of
resource-poor farming communities. Taking into consideration the negative
impact on the health status of the livestock, also the direct and indirect
economic losses, it is necessary to examine the tolerance and resistance of
certain species against diseases. It is one of the most important elements
of the strategy of selection and screening for resistant animals. The aim of
this study was to determine the tick species persisting in 45 tested
autochthonous Zackel sheep flocks, and examine their seasonal occurrence
from March 2010 to January 2011, in the region of South Serbia. The result
showed that Ixodes, Dermacentor, Ripicephalus and Haemaphysalis were the
most abundant ticks found, affecting 50.40% tested sheep. The result of this
study is a survey of tick species from autochthonous Zackel sheep in Serbia
and implication of possible preventions measures for diseases caused and
transmitted by ticks.