Bull 943 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2025) 18 (4): 943-953. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.4.0943 ORIGINAL ARTICLE DIVERSITY AND SPECIES DISTRIBUTION OF HYALOMMA C. L. KOCH, 1844 (IXODIDA, IXODIDAE) INFESTING LIVESTOCK IN DIYALA PROVINCE, CENTRAL OF IRAQ Noora D. Abed and Nagham Y. Albayati Dep. of Biology, College of Education for Pure Science, University of Diyala, Diyala, Iraq Corresponding author: nagham.alfadaam@uodiyala.edu.iq Received: 5 July 2025, Revised: 5 Dec. 2025, Accepted: 6 Dec. 2025, Published: 20 December 2025 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ABSTRACT Due to the increase in tick-borne diseases globally, this investigation was proposed to investigate the distribution and intensity of the species belonging to Hyalomma C. L. Koch, 1844 that have been infesting livestock in Diyala Province, central of Iraq. The total percentage of infestation was 14.955% distributed as 19.600% for cow, 12.254% for sheep, and 29.411% for goat. The infestation varies among the districts of Diyala Province, and the highest infestation was in females compared with males, and it was distributed in different sites of animal bodies. The study concludes that the genus Hyalomma is widespread in all districts of the province and that there are six species belonging to this genus, including: Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844, H. exacavatum Koch, 1844, H. impeltatum Schulze & Schlottke, 1930, H. marginatum C. L. Koch, 1844, H. rufipes C. L. Koch,1844, and H. scupense Schulze, 1919. Keywords: Cattle, Hyalomma, Ixodidae, Livestock, Ticks. INTRODUCTION The infestation with ticks is a relevant topic for interested farmers and researchers because it leads to the exposure of dairy livestock to pathogenic microorganisms, causing much damage to these animals and to human economics (Madison-Antenucci et al., 2020). Ticks are ectoparasites that are hematophagous, and as they attach themselves to the legs, neck, lower abdomen, udder areas, or places characterized by abundant blood vessels (Evans et al., 2024), they cause direct and indirect damage to both domestic and wild animals in addition to humans (Monoldorova et al., 2024). They lead to a loss of blood and cause harm to detrimental skin by puncturing and digging, irritation, as well as they cause weight loss, and reduced meat and dairy production (Hatem, 2020; Perveen et al., 2021), along with causing allergies of their hosts, so the infestation of ticks is associated with anemia, weakness BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Iraq Natural History Research Center & Museum, University of Baghdad https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home Copyright © Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum Online ISSN: 2311-9799, Print ISSN: 1017-8678 https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.4.0943 https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7075-1633 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5468-897X mailto:nagham.alfadaam@uodiyala.edu.iq https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home 944 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 943-953. Diversity and species distribution (since the adult female tick causes a loss of 0.5-2 ml of blood per day, resulting in a loss of 1 gram of body weight), and suppression of immunity (Barros et al., 2024). Age, gender, and breed are factors that also affect susceptibility to infection (Mandloi et al., 2024). Infection with cattle tick fever (CTF), a viral fever transmitted by ticks, leads to the death of many cattle (Barros et al., 2024). Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is one of the deadliest diseases that causes death in animals and humans, which is transmitted by ticks in more than 30 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The disease records more than 10,000 cases annually, and the fever causes approximately 500 deaths worldwide, according to World Health Organization reports (Frank et al., 2024). It has been reported that more than 950 species of ticks have been discovered, which belong to different genera and families, but it has been noted that the most common species of tick spreading Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is the Hyalomma species. The genus Hyalomma of the family Ixodidae is the most common in the majority of the world, including Iraq (Al- Bayati and Al-Bayati, 2024; Kaya et al., 2024). Hyalomma followed by Rhipicephalus species are the most common tick in Iraq, both genera species are common parasites of sheep, cattle, buffalo, goats, camels, horses, and donkeys (Makawi and Hadi, 2023; Hadi, 2024; Kokas and Al-Hasnawy, 2024). Tick infestation among these diseases is a major risk to livestock health and animal productivity in Diyala Province (Hasson, 2016); therefore, the present study was conducted to identify the species of Hyalomma ticks in this province, their infestation intensity, and what affects their distribution. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study area: The Diyala Province, located in northeast Iraq, is specialized in its agricultural sector. It is composed of six districts commonly referred to as Baqubah, Al-Miqdadiyah, Al- Khalis, Khanaqin, Balad Ruz, and Kifri. Specimens’ collection: During the study, 500 tick specimens were randomly collected from 896 livestock, distributed between 250 cows, 612 sheep, and 34 goats, during the period from October 2023 to June 2024. Specimens were collected from several parts of the animals’ bodies, including the head, tail, udder, legs, abdomen, and genitalia. The specimens were removed from the host manually using forceps and placed in test tubes with hermetically sealed caps containing 97% ethanol. Ticks were removed from the host with extreme care to avoid damage to the host's skin and to ensure that the tick's head did not break off inside the host's skin. Information about each animal including: age, sex, location of infestation, and name of localities were recorded. Ticks’ identification: During the study, 500 tick specimens were randomly collected from the above-mentioned study sites of Diyala Province. The ticks were diagnosed based on Walker (2003) and Hassan and Al-Zubaidi (2014), then the specimens' identification was assured by Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum- University of Baghdad. 945 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Abed and Albayati Statistical analysis: For statistical analysis a Chi-Square test was used to compare the infection status (infested versus non-infested) between groups of animals, determining if the observed differences in infestation rate between these groups were statistically significant or simply due to random chance. Statistically significant differences were considered when p value <0.05. RESULTS In this study, there were six species belonging to the genus Hyalomma were recorded, these species are listed below: Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844, H. exacavatum Koch, 1844, H. impeltatum Schulze & Schlottke, 1930, H. marginatum C. L. Koch, 1844, H. rufipes C. L. Koch,1844, and H. scupense Schulze, 1919 The total percentage of infestation among the 896 examined animals was 14.955%, it was distributed as follows: 19.600% for cow, 12.254% for sheep, and 29.411% for goat with significant differences among animals’ groups (Tab. 1). The total intensity of infestation was 3.269 ticks for the animal. In cows, the intensity of infection was 2.693 ticks per animal, while in sheep and goat it was 3 .693 and 2.900 ticks per animal, respectively. Diagram (1) shows the numbers of infested animals in comparison with non-infested animals. Table (1): Types of livestock, intensity of infestation, numbers of ticks, and infestation percentage during the present survey. Diagram (1): Comparison between numbers of infested and non-infested animals. Types of livestock The examined Animals Livestock infested Intensity of infestation Number of ticks The percentage % Cow 250 49 2.693 132 19.600 Sheep 612 75 3.693 277 12.254 Goat 34 10 2.900 29 29.411 Total 896 134 3.269 438 14.955 Chi Square Value :13.336a Asymptotic Significance (2-sided):0.001 946 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 943-953. Diversity and species distribution As for the distribution of infestation among animals in the different Districts of Diyala Province, the highest infestations were recorded in Baqubah District for cows (21.987%), and the lowest in Al-Khalis District. On the contrary, it was found in sheep. The highest infestations among sheep were in Al-Khalis District (23.809%) and the lowest in Baqubah (8.533%). As for goats, infestations were the highest in Balad Ruz (42.857%), while the lowest percentage of infestation was in Al-Miqdadiyah with 20%. It can be noted that no infestations were recorded in the Khanaqin District due to the lack of tested samples in this district, statistical analysis was significant for different areas as shown in Table (2). Table (2): Distribution of infestation in some districts of Diyala Province. Types of livestock Districts Examined livestock Livestock infested Percentage % Cow Baqubah 91 20 21.987 Al-Miqdadiyah 111 22 19.819 Al-Khalis 15 2 13.333 Khanaqin 5 1 20.000 Balad Ruz 28 4 14.285 Sheep Baqubah 375 32 8.533 Al-Miqdadiyah 52 6 11.538 Al-Khalis 63 15 23.809 Khanaqin 31 6 19.354 Balad Ruz 91 16 17.582 Goat Baqubah 19 5 26.315 Al-Miqdadiyah 5 1 20.000 Al-Khalis 3 1 33.333 Khanaqin 0 0 0 Balad Ruz 7 3 42.857 Chi Square Value: 154.606a Asymptotic Significance (2-sided):0.000 The numbers and percentages of infestation in female animals were higher than in males [102 (76.119%) for females vs. 32(23.881%) for males] as shown in Table (3). Cows were the most infested by ticks among the animals studied, with 87.795%, while goats had the lowest infestation rate, 60% among infested females. Male goats had the highest infestation rate (40%), while male cows (bulls) had the lowest infestation rate (10.204%). Statistical analysis shows that there was significant between males and females it was tend to females. Table (3): Tick infestation depends on livestock sex. Types of livestock Livestock infested Percentage and sex Females % Males % Cow 49 44 89.796 5 10.204 Sheep 75 52 69.333 23 30.667 Goat 10 6 60.000 4 40.000 Total 134 102 76.119 32 23.881 Chi-Square Value: 8.371a Asymptotic Significance (2-sided): 0.015 947 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Abed and Albayati The most preferred areas for ticks to infest were the tail (41.045%), as shown in Table (4), followed by the udder (23.880%), while the limbs were the least preferred areas (5.970%). For cows, the udder was the most infested area (40.816%), while for sheep, the tail was the most infested (58.666%), and for goats, the head was the most infested (40.000%). Statistical analysis shows that it was significant according to the location of infestation. Table (4): Location of infestation on livestock bodies and its percentage. DISCUSSION In the present study, six species belonging to the genus Hyalomma were identified among farm animals (cows, sheep, and goats). This agrees with previous studies, indicating that the central provinces of Iraq are more suitable for Ixodida ticks, including this genus (Mohammad, 2016; Shanan et al., 2017). In Diyala Province, Hyalomma ticks infest farm animals such as cows and sheep, and have been recorded to be the prevalent ticks. In their study, Al Bayati and Al Bayati (2024) recorded six species including H. anatolicum, H. exacavatum, H. marginatum, H. scupenes, H. trunicatum, and H. rufipes. This is consistent with the current study with respect to all recorded species except H. trunicatum which was replaced by H. impeltatum. The domestic hosts such as sheep, goats, and camels are present in the region, providing potential hosts for the ticks. Camels are greatly infested by Hyalomma species (Al-Salihi et al., 2018). As well as Hyalomma ticks are ecologically suited to central Iraqi conditions and sustain their broad dispersal. Added to that, climatic variation in the area shows a cyclical rise T y p es o f li v es to ck Location of infestation G en it al ia % T ai l % li v es to ck li m b s % U d d er % A b d o m en % H ea d % C o w s 4 1 8 .1 6 3 8 1 6 .3 2 6 5 1 0 .2 0 4 2 0 4 0 .8 1 6 6 1 2 .2 4 4 6 1 2 .2 4 4 S h ee p 0 0 4 4 5 8 .6 6 6 3 4 1 1 1 4 .6 6 6 1 0 1 3 .3 3 3 7 9 .3 3 3 G o at s 0 0 3 3 0 .0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .0 0 0 2 2 0 .0 0 0 4 4 0 .0 0 0 T o ta l 4 2 .9 8 5 5 5 4 1 .0 4 5 8 5 .9 7 0 3 2 2 3 .8 8 0 1 8 1 3 .4 3 2 1 7 1 2 .6 8 6 Chi-Square Value: 83.483a Asymptotic Significance (2-sided): 0.000 948 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 943-953. Diversity and species distribution in activity synchronized with high times of the period, such that they peak between spring and fall, being higher (Mohammad et al., 2020; Kodama et al., 2025). The total percentage of infestation in the present study was 14.599% (Table 1). When compared with previous studies in Iraq, this rate is lower than the infestation levels reported in Dhi Qar and Muthanna Provinces (59.65%), where Hyalomma ticks were predominant (Mohammed et al., 2020). Weather patterns in these regions create favorable conditions for hard ticks, and research indicates that several genera and species are particularly common in Africa and the Middle East. The richness and composition of these species are largely influenced by environmental variation and fluctuations in host abundance (Makwarela et al., 2024). Regarding infestation intensity, the overall intensity of ticks on goats reported in previous studies ranged from 6.8 ticks per goat (Estrada-Peña, 2008; Modammad, 2016) to 4.49 ticks per goat in Baghdad (Mohammad et al., 2020). Tick intensity varies by host species and tick genus. In Basrah Province, Hatem (2020) recorded a mean intensity of Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille, 1806 of 5.82 ticks per infested dog, 6.37 in sheep, 5.71 in goats, 6.29 in cattle, and 2.33 in horses. The current study agrees with Hatem (2020) in that sheep were the animals with the highest infestation density. As for the distribution of infestation among animals in the different districts of Diyala Province, the rates of tick infestation varied between the districts under study, and there was no specific pattern to which this variation could be attributed. This is what was noted in Table (2), as the number of animals examined did not play a role in this variation. These regions are characterized by their agricultural nature and similar climates. However, this difference may be due to overcrowding on the farms where the animals were examined, the lack of overcrowding, and the nature of the grass on which the animals graze. Adult ticks prefer many mammalian hosts, but they prefer large animals. Livestock such as cows, sheep, goats, and camels are among the preferred hosts of ticks, including the genus of Hyalomma (Valcárcel et al., 2023). The infection rates of these animals may vary from one to another. In the current study, it was found that the infestation among sheep was the highest. This may be since sheep may provide a more suitable environment for tick attachment and feeding as the wool covering the sheep provides protection for ticks from the effect of the animal’s attempt to remove the tick from its body cows and goats cover their bodies with hair, which is less dense than sheep’s wool (Marufu et al., 2011). Also, the nature of the skin may influence the rate of infestation. Hussain et al. (2023) indicated that the lower infestation rate among ruminants could be due to the extra care they take, as they are a major source of milk and meat in Pakistan. In addition, the tick infestation rate varies depending on the local climatic and environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and the presence of host animals. Tick infestations are higher in female cattle because hormonal changes in lactation and reproduction can suppress the immune response. The nutritional and physiological demand of 949 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Abed and Albayati a lactating cow is relatively higher, and so is the chance of getting infested with the tick compared to non-lactating female cattle or male cattle (Bilkis et al., 2011). There may be male-female variations in grazing or resting, and females may be more prone to certain host environments with heavier ticks (Hatem and AbdulKarim, 2023; Valcárcel et al., 2023). Cattle are larger, providing more substantial blood meals for ticks, which is crucial for their reproduction and survival. This makes them a more attractive host, and the ticks are distributed on different sites on the animal's body. In the current study, the infestation of ticks varied among different sites on animals’ bodies. It was recorded that the most preferred areas for ticks to infect were the tail, as shown in Table (4), followed by the udder, while the limbs were the least preferred areas. For cows, the udder was the most infected area, while for sheep, the tail was the most infected, and for goats, the head was the most infected. Generally, tick attachment preferences can vary based on host behavior, tick species, and environmental conditions. Some of the preferred sites for ticks are with thin skin and rich blood flow since these assure easy access to the needed substances for the tick's feeding. For example, the udder of the cow is one preferred site of Amblyomma variegatum, while the anal region is mostly infested by Hyalomma rufipes (Addo et al., 2024). The behavior of a certain type of animals also determines the distribution of its ticks; camels, being in the open for longer periods, stand a higher chance of being infected with ticks because of exposure. Evolutionary adaptations have geared ticks towards the selection of a few enabling sheltered areas from both grooming and environmental stressors in animals, such as the tail in sheep and the head in goats (Addo et al., 2024). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that livestock in Diyala province are severely affected by a widespread and diverse infestation of the Hyalomma ticks. Infestation intensity was especially elevated in sheep and in female animals, emphasizing a disproportionate vulnerability within these groups. Such heavy tick loads show a serious threat to animal health and productivity. These results underscore the urgent need to develop and implement targeted, species-specific tick control programs across the province to minimize economic losses and to reduce the potential transmission of zoonotic pathogens to humans, given that this species is known to transmit diseases such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank the members of Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum-University of Baghdad for their help in identifying the specimens. ETHICAL APROVAL Ticks’ specimens were collected in full accordance with the guidelines approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Baghdad, under protocol CEPEC/029, dated September 1, 2023. CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT "The author declares no conflict of interest". 950 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 943-953. Diversity and species distribution LITERATURE CITED Addo, S. O., Bentil, R. E., Mosore, M. 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Koch, 1844تنوع وتوزيع انواع جنس (Ixodida, Ixodidae) التي تصيب املاشية في محافظة ديالى، وسط العراق البياتي نغم ياسين ونورا ضياء الدين عبد جامعة ديالى، ديالى، العراق -كلية التربية للعلوم الصرفةقسم علوم الحياة، 20/12/2025، النشر: 6/12/2025 القبول ،2025/ 5/12املراجعة: ،5/7/2025االستالم: الخالصة أنواع البحث لدراسة توزيع وشدة رح هذا ُ ، ط ً املنقولة بالقراد عامليا لتزايد األمراض ً نظرا جنس من ديالى، Hyalomma C. L. Koch, 1844القراد محافظة في املاشية صيب ُ ت التي 19.600%التالي: موزعة على النحو %14,955وسط العراق. بلغت النسبة الكلية لإلصابة ولألبقار و 12.254، لألغنام، محافظة %29.411% مناطق بين اإلصابة وتختلف للماعز. مواقع في وتوزعت بالذكور، ً ُمقارنة اإلناث لدى إصابة نسبة أعلى ُسجلت حيث ديالى، ُمختلفة من أجسام الحيوانات. وتوصلت الدراسة إلى أن انواع هذا الجنس منتشر في جميع :وهي الجنسأقضية املحافظة، وأن هناك ستة أنواع تنتمي إلى هذا Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844, H. exacavatum Koch, 1844, H. impeltatum Schulze & Schlottke, 1930, H. marginatum C. L. Koch, 1844, H. rufipes C. L. Koch,1844, and H. scupense Schulze, 1919.