Prevalence of tick infestation and molecular characterization of spotted fever Rickettsia massiliae in Rhipicephalus species parasitizing domestic small ruminants in north-central Nigeria.

ABSTRACT: Ticks are of great menace to animal and human health. They serve as vectors to both animals and human pathogens including Rickettsia species. Tick-borne rickettsiosis in West Africa remains incompletely understood. We determined the prevalence of tick infestation among small ruminants and molecularly described a clinically significant spotted fever Rickettsia massiliae from Rhipicephalus ticks collected from North-Central, Nigeria. A total of 352 small ruminants comprising of 152 sheep and 200 goats that were brought for slaughter at the major small ruminant slaughterhouse in Ilorin were examined for the presence of ticks. The collected Rhipicephalus species were subjected to molecular studies to detect and characterize Rickettsia massiliae. Of the small ruminants examined, 21 sheep and 46

SUBMITTER: Elelu N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8843212 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature