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Ticks and tick-borne infections pose major economic threats to the livestock industry throughout the world. The present study reports the point prevalence of ticks in the free range livestock population of the plain and hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Mansehra, Haripur, Shangala, Kohistan), and Gilgit Baltistan (Diamer, Gilgit, Astor) along the Karakoram highway. Through convenient and snowball sampling techniques, a total of 813 animals, consisting of 232 sheep, 163 cattle, 365 goats and 53 buffaloes were screened for their tick burden. During the study, the two tick species identified were Hyalomma anatolicum and Rhipicephalus microplus. The overall prevalence of tick infestation among the screened livestock was 75.03%, with the highest distribution in sheep (81.47%) followed, in order, by cattle (77.91%), goats (72.05%) and buffalo (58.49%). The district-wise prevalence of ticks was the highest in Haripur (85.58), followed, in order, by Gilgit (83.10%), Mansehra (81.14%), Batagram (81.05%), Shangala (77.78%), Kohistan (75.38%), Diamer (72.28%) and Astor (32.22%). The prevalence of ticks was found to be higher (85.67%) in younger livestock than adults (66.44%), and in females (80.33%) than males (66.44%). The present study provides the first report of the tick distribution in higher altitudes of northern Pakistan and confirms the presence of Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus ticks in the plains, as well as the hilly geoclimates of Pakistan. Furthermore, the data on risk factors allows us to make recommendations to restructure the existing husbandry system of northern areas of Pakistan with the aim of reducing the tick burden on livestock.

BackgroundThe present study was intended to determine the prevalence and identification of species involved causing coccidiosis in broilers rearing under traditional farming system in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. For the current study, a convenient sampling technique was carried out. A total of 7814 broilers (aged 1 to 6 weeks) were submitted to the Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of Livestock and Animal husbandry Department Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.ResultsFrom the total screened, 750 were found positive for coccidiosis representing an overall prevalence of 9.59 %. Age-wise highest prevalence (10.88 %) recorded in the middle age birds (0 to 3 week old) were found more susceptible to infection than those aged above 3 weeks. Higher prevalence (12.49 %) of coccidiosis in broilers was observed in spring as compared with 6.60 % in summer season. In this study two main coccidiosis causing species, Emeria tenella and Emeria maxima were identified on the basis of their morphological feature and habitat (caeca and intestine), However, E. tenella was dominant compared to E. maxima.ConclusionThe study provides an insight to the occurrence of Emeria species which must be taken into consideration when rearing the broilers.

Ticks (Acari; Ixodidae) are the second most important vector for transmission of pathogens to humans, livestock, and wildlife. Ticks as vectors for viruses have been reported many times over the last 100 years. Tick-borne viruses (TBVs) belong to two orders (Bunyavirales and Mononegavirales) containing nine families (Bunyaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Asfarviridae, Orthomyxovirida, Reoviridae, Flaviviridae, Phenuviridae, Nyamiviridae, and Nairoviridae). Among these TBVs, some are very pathogenic, causing huge mortality, and hence, deserve to be covered under the umbrella of one health. About 38 viral species are being transmitted by <10% of the tick species of the families Ixodidae and Argasidae. All TBVs are RNA viruses except for the African swine fever virus from the family Asfarviridae. Tick-borne viral diseases have also been classified as an emerging threat to public health and animals, especially in resource-poor communities of the developing world. Tick-host interaction plays an important role in the successful transmission of pathogens. The ticks' salivary glands are the main cellular machinery involved in the uptake, settlement, and multiplication of viruses, which are required for successful transmission into the final host. Furthermore, tick saliva also participates as an augmenting tool during the physiological process of transmission. Tick saliva is an important key element in the successful transmission of pathogens and contains different antimicrobial proteins, e.g., defensin, serine, proteases, and cement protein, which are key players in tick-virus interaction. While tick-virus interaction is a crucial factor in the propagation of tick-borne viral diseases, other factors (physiological, immunological, and gut flora) are also involved. Some immunological factors, e.g., toll-like receptors, scavenger receptors, Janus-kinase (JAK-STAT) pathway, and immunodeficiency (IMD) pathway are involved in tick-virus interaction by helping in virus assembly and acting to increase transmission. Ticks also harbor some endogenous viruses as internal microbial faunas, which also play a significant role in tick-virus interaction. Studies focusing on tick saliva and its role in pathogen transmission, tick feeding, and control of ticks using functional genomics all point toward solutions to this emerging threat. Information regarding tick-virus interaction is somewhat lacking; however, this information is necessary for a complete understanding of transmission TBVs and their persistence in nature. This review encompasses insight into the ecology and vectorial capacity of tick vectors, as well as our current understanding of the predisposing, enabling, precipitating, and reinforcing factors that influence TBV epidemics. The review explores the cellular, biochemical, and immunological tools which ensure and augment successful evading of the ticks' defense systems and transmission of the viruses to the final hosts at the virus-vector interface. The role of functional genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics in profiling tick-virus interaction is also discussed. This review is an initial attempt to comprehensively elaborate on the epidemiological determinants of TBVs with a focus on intra-vector physiological processes involved in the successful execution of the docking, uptake, settlement, replication, and transmission processes of arboviruses. This adds valuable data to the existing bank of knowledge for global stakeholders, policymakers, and the scientific community working to devise appropriate strategies to control ticks and TBVs.

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