Influence of Season, Age, and Sex on Prevalence of Tick-Borne Diseases in Goats

Abstract

The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of tick-borne diseases among different goat breeds in relation to season, sex, and age at the Livestock Production Research Institute, Bahadurnagar, Okara, Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 960 blood smears from apparently healthy animals were screened for haemoprotozoan infestations using Giemsa's staining technique and observed under an oil immersion lens (100X). The overall prevalence was 7.81%, with 4.68%, 2.18%, and 0.93% of theileriosis, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis, respectively, recorded on examination of blood smears. The prevalence of theileriosis was significantly higher in summer (7.08%), followed by autumn, spring, and winter at 4.58%, 4.16%, and 2.91%, respectively. However, no significant seasonal influence was observed on the prevalence of anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Analysis of age groups revealed a significantly higher prevalence of tick-borne diseases in young stock (11.56%) compared to adults (7.81%) and sucklers (4.06%). There was no significant influence observed regarding the occurrence of these diseases based on sex and breed. The study suggests that these diseases were more prevalent during summer, and young stock goats were more susceptible to haemoprotozoan diseases than adults and sucklers.