Tick burden in Bos taurus cattle and its relationship with heat stress in three agroecological zones in the tropics of Colombia.

Cattle breed, sex, age and live weight affect the tick burden in Bos taurus Colombian cattle breeds. The tick burden is higher in cattle with lower adaptability to heat stress. Moreover, it decreases as heat stress levels increase in a tropical environment. The interaction between tick burden and environmental heat stress can be affected by characteristics of the agroecological region itself, the breed and the genetic resistance of the individual tick, as well as the thermal adaptability of cattle.