Ixodid ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) of the Irtysh River floodplain

Abstract

Blood-sucking ticks are an integral part of the ecosystems and play a key role in the transfer of viruses, bacteria and protozoa from one organism to another. All over the world there is a problem of zoonotic infections, including vector-borne ones. In Kazakhstan, there are several foci of vector-borne infections transmitted by ixodid ticks. In the eastern region of the republic, these are natural foci of tularemia, tick-borne encephalitis, rickettsiosis, and borreliosis in humans, and blood-parasitic diseases of domestic animals, the main vectors of which are ixodid ticks. Despite the important epidemiological and epizootological significance of ixodid ticks, the acarofauna of the Irtysh region has remained poorly studied until now. Research conducted in 2023 in the floodplain of the Irtysh River, in the Pavlodar and East Kazakhstan regions, found 8 species of ixodid ticks belonging to 4 genera. Ticks were mainly collected from households and in the vicinity of populated areas. A comparative description of the faunas of the two regions was carried out and some differences were identified. The fauna of ticks in East Kazakhstan region was represented by four species: Hyalomma scupense, Dermacentor marginatus, D. nuttalli, Haemaphysalis punctata. H. scupense turned out to be dominant in numbers. While in Pavlodar region, 5 species were noted: Dermacentor marginatus, D. reticulatus, Haemaphysalis concinna, H. erinacei, Rhipicephalus pumillio. Remarkably that H. concinna was dominating in numbers, and 2 species have been found for the first time here: Hyalomma scupense - for East Kazakhstan region and H. erinacei - for Pavlodar region.