Identification and Distribution of Tick Species in Cattle in Eastern Bhutan

Namgyal, Jamyang

Identification and Distribution of Tick Species in Cattle in Eastern Bhutan

dc.contributor.advisor	Cork, Susan Catherine
dc.contributor.author	Namgyal, Jamyang
dc.contributor.committeemember	Checkley, Sylvia L.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Lysyk, Timothy J.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Ribble, Carl S.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Russell, Margaret L.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Cork, Susan Catherine
dc.date	2021-02-12
dc.date.accessioned	2020-11-06T21:46:36Z
dc.date.available	2020-11-06T21:46:36Z
dc.date.issued	2020-11-04
dc.description.abstract	Tick infestation is the most reported parasitological problem in cattle in Bhutan. Its negative impacts on the health and production of cattle affect the livelihoods of resource-poor subsistence farmers. However, the current knowledge of tick species diversity, infestation prevalence, geographic distribution, and farmers’ perception on tick prevention and control practices is limited. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to 1) determine the presence, diversity and infestation prevalence of tick species in cattle in two districts of eastern Bhutan using a targeted field survey; 2) model the habitat suitability of selected tick species identified in these two districts using the MaxEnt modeling approach; and 3) assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) among cattle farmers in a selected area of eastern Bhutan. In May and June 2019, 3600 live adult ticks were collected from 240 cattle and morphologically identified to the species level. In June 2019, 246 cattle owners were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Four genera and six species of ticks were found. These were Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini) (70.2%), Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides Supino (18.8%), Haemaphysalis bispinosa Neumann (8.2%), Haemaphysalis spinigera Neumann (2.5%), Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (n=7), and an unidentified species of Ixodes (n=1). For all tick species except A. testudinarium and Ixodes sp., the high altitude northeastern part and the low altitude southernmost part of the study area were predicted as areas with a very low probability of tick(s) presence. The KAP study identified only 52% of the farmers with adequate knowledge about ticks as vectors of diseases and 36% with a favorable attitude toward tick control programs. The findings from this research are expected to guide the planning and implementation of effective tick prevention and control measures in Bhutan.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Namgyal, J. (2020). Identification and Distribution of Tick Species in Cattle in Eastern Bhutan (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38361
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112725
dc.language.iso	eng	en_US
dc.publisher.faculty	Veterinary Medicine	en_US
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.	en_US
dc.subject	ticks	en_US
dc.subject	cattle	en_US
dc.subject	habitat suitability modeling	en_US
dc.subject	MaxEnt	en_US
dc.subject	knowledge, attitude, and practices	en_US
dc.subject	Bhutan	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Veterinary Science	en_US
dc.title	Identification and Distribution of Tick Species in Cattle in Eastern Bhutan	en_US
dc.type	master thesis	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Veterinary Medical Sciences	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)	en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true	en_US