Assessment of Tick Infestation and its Effects on Growth of Extensively Managed Cattle in Ogun State, Nigeria

One hundred and twenty cattle of ages of <1 year and < 3 years old were used to study the effects of tick infestation on linear body measurements, haemoparasites, and rectal temperature. Twenty cattle herds, each from 6 Local Government Areas (LGA) of Ogun State, namely Yewa South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ipokia, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon and Odeda LGAs were used. Estimation of total tick infestation per animal was done by collecting ticks manually from half of the body of the cattle and multiplying by two. Height at withers, heart girth and body length of the sampled animals were measured in centimetres (using measuring tape) to determine the growth performance of the animals. The data generated were subjected to One-Way Analysis of Variance. Also, correlation and regression analyses were carried out to determine relationships among variables. The results indicated that the mean occurrence of tick infested cattle was 45.42%. The least occurrence (35.00%) was observed in Odeda LGA in the derived savannah vegetation, while the highest occurrence (58.83%) was recorded in Yewa South LGA. Tick infestation rate was more pronounced in July and decreased progressively towards December. Older animals (2-3 years) were more susceptible to tick infestation than the younger ones. Prevalence of tick species identified in order of frequency was Rhipicephalus spp (34.02%), Boophilus spp (31.58%), Ambylomma spp (31.285), and Hyalomma spp (3.12%). Linear body measurements of cattle in this study showed that heart girth, height at withers and body length increased (P>0.05) with tick infestation. Also, rectal temperature and level of haemoparasites decreased (P<0.05) with tick infestation. Babesia and Anaplasma were the tick-borne parasites found in blood of infested cattle. It was concluded that, cattle reared in Ogun State are prone to tick infestation due to the enabling prevailing vegetation and climatic conditions.Keywords: Ticks, Haemoparasites, Cattle, Growth, Ogun State