Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Abound in the Cattle Population of the Rabat-Sale Kenitra Region, Morocco.

Tick-borne pathogens cause the majority of diseases in the cattle population in Morocco. In this study, ticks were collected from cattle in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region of Morocco and identified morphologically, while tick-borne pathogens were detected in cattle blood samples via polymerase chain reaction assay and sequencing. A total of 3394 adult ixodid ticks were collected from cattle and identified as eight different tick species representing two genera, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus . The collected ticks consisted of Hyalomma marginatum , Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum , Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato , Rhipicephalus bursa , Hyalomma detritum , Hyalomma lusitanicum , Hyalomma dromedarii , and Hyalomma impeltatum . The overall prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in blood samples was 63.8%, with 29.3% positive for Babesia / Theileria spp., 51.2% for Anaplasma / Ehrlichia spp., and none of the samples positive for Rickettsia spp. Sequencing results revealed the presence of Theileria annulata , Babesia bovis , Anaplasma marginale , Theileria buffeli , Theileria orientalis , Babesia occultans , Anaplasma phagocytophilum , Anaplasma capra , Anaplasma platys , Anaplasma bovis , Ehrlichia minasensis , and one isolate of an unknown bovine Anaplasma sp. Crossbreeds, females, older age, and high tick infestation were the most important risk factors for the abundance of tick-borne pathogens, which occurred most frequently in Jorf El Melha, Sidi Yahya Zaer, Ait Ichou, and Arbaoua locations.