
==== Front
Vet Med Sci
Vet Med Sci
10.1002/(ISSN)2053-1095
VMS3
Veterinary Medicine and Science
2053-1095
John Wiley and Sons Inc. Hoboken

39222286
10.1002/vms3.70022
VMS370022
Original Article
RUMINANTS
Original Article
Identification and prevalence of ixodid ticks of cattle in case of Aleltu district, Oromia regional state, northern Ethiopia
GOBE et al.
Gobe Abeti 1
Chalchisa Adugna https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9496-821X
1 aduchalchisa@gmail.com

Kumsa Bersissa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4737-3106
2
1 Veterinary Medicine Haramaya University College of Veterinary Medicine Dire Dawa Ethiopia
2 College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia
* Correspondence
Adugna Chalchisa, Haramaya University College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
Email: aduchalchisa@gmail.com

02 9 2024
9 2024
10 5 10.1002/vms3.v10.5 e7002202 8 2024
06 4 2024
23 8 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Abstract

Background

In Ethiopia, ticks are the major threat to cattle productivity and production, leading to considerable economic losses. The current study was designed to estimate the prevalence of ixodid tick infestation, identify species, assess major risk factors associated with tick infestation and assess public awareness.

Methods

A cross‐sectional and questionnaire‐based study was conducted from January 2022 to June 2022 in the Aleltu district. The study animals were selected using a simple random sampling method.

Results

Of the 400 cattle examined, 303 (75.8%) were found to be infested by one or more tick species. Six species of ticks were identified that belonged to three genera: Amblyomma, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus, and the subgenus Rhipicephalus (Boophilus). The most common tick species identified in terms of their prevalence and dominance were Rh. (Bo) decoloratus, Rh. evertsi, Am. variegatum, Hy. rufipes, Rh. bergeoni and Rh. praetextatus. In the present study, Rh. (Bo) decoloratus was the most prevalent (56.8%) in the study area. Among the risk factors considered, the prevalence of tick species had a statistically significant (p < 0.05) association with the age, production systems and body condition of animals. Out of 110 people interviewed, 107 (97.3%) believed there was a tick infestation in their village, and almost all farmers 103(93.6%) in the study area were unaware that ticks serve as vectors.

Conclusions

The present study provides preliminary information on the prevalence of tick infestation and the composition of ticks in the Aleltu district. Ticks are a major problem for the cattle in the study area. Therefore, the problem observed in the study area alarms the district and calls for a comprehensive control strategy.

Of 400 cattle examined, 303(75.8%) were infested with one or more tick species. Overall, six species of ticks belonging to three genere, Ambylomma, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, and subgenus Rhipicephalus (Boophilus), were identified. The major tick species identified in order of their prevalence and predominance were Rh.(Bo) decoloratus (56.8%), co‐infection (17.8%), Rh. evertsi (12.0%), Am. variegatum (10.2%), Hy. rufipes (1.7%), Rh. bergeoni (1.0%) and Rh. praetextatus (0.7%).

Aleltu district
cattle
ixodid tick
prevalence
questionnaire
species identification
source-schema-version-number2.0
cover-dateSeptember 2024
details-of-publishers-convertorConverter:WILEY_ML3GV2_TO_JATSPMC version:6.4.8 mode:remove_FC converted:02.09.2024
Gobe, A. , Chalchisa, A. , & Kumsa, B. (2024). Identification and prevalence of ixodid ticks of cattle in case of Aleltu district, Oromia regional state, northern Ethiopia. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 10 , e70022. 10.1002/vms3.70022 39222286
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pmc1 INTRODUCTION

Ethiopia owns the largest number of livestock in Africa with 59.5 million cattle, 30.7 million sheep, 30.02 million goats, 11.01 million equines, 1.21 million camels and 56.53 million chickens (CSA, 2019). This livestock sector has contributed significantly to the country's economy and continues to promise to rally around the country's economic development (Alemu, 2019). Livestock in Ethiopia is one of the largest components of the agricultural sector, which contributes to the national socio‐economic system. Cattle not only supply meat and milk, but also serve as the main source of power for the farming activities of many rural farmers. In the livestock industry, skins and hides play a significant role in producing revenue through exports globally (Tamiru & Abebaw, 2010).

However, due to a variety of factors, the contribution of this large livestock resource to the country's national income is excessively diminutive. One of the main causes preventing Ethiopia from fully utilising the potential of cattle is the prevalence of disease and parasites (Kumsa et al., 2012a). One of the most common problems is external and internal parasitism in extensive and intense production systems (Regasa et al., 2015).

Ectoparasites, in particular, can cause annoyance, weight loss, loss of condition, reduction in milk production, discomfort, skin irritation and infection in their hosts through puncture, burrowing or attachment to the surface (Yasine et al., 2015). In addition, they are the main carriers of veterinary diseases such as rickettsial, bacterial, viral and protozoan infections (Radostits et al., 2007). Ticks are widespread in all agro‐ecological zones, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions such as Ethiopia (Kumsa et al., 2012a). Ticks are a widespread issue that pose a significant threat to human health and animal products, resulting in considerable financial losses (CSA, 2013).

Around the world, ticks are obligatory ectoparasites of vertebrates that feed on blood, particularly mammals, birds and reptiles. Ticks, as external parasites, can cause anaemia, irritations, skin abrasions, tick toxicosis, tick fear, myiasis and loss of udders, which serve as portals of entry for secondary bacterial infections. They also act as reservoirs and vectors for a wide range of human and animal pathogens, transmitting viruses, bacteria and protozoa (Mideksa et al., 2017; Nicholson et al., 2019; Shichibi et al., 2017).

In Ethiopia, ticks are the most common external parasites among cattle and cause a substantial economic impact by decreasing hide and skin quality, reducing milk production and increasing vulnerability to vector‐borne diseases such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis in ruminants (Mideksa et al., 2017). They have a significant negative impact on the economics of Ethiopian farmers as well as global markets, both directly and indirectly (Kumsa et al., 2012b; Walker et al., 2014).

Several studies on ixodid ticks infesting cattle have been carried out in various regions of Ethiopia (Minwyelet et al., 2021). Identifying the types of ticks present in the area is essential in order to gather information that can be used to create more efficient programs for preventing and eradicating ticks and the diseases they transmit. Therefore, identifying the types of ticks commonly found at a particular site and their preferred hosts is essential for implementing an effective intervention strategy. However, there is no documented data on the prevalence, species of ticks, risk factors associated with ticks infesting cattle and public awareness in the current study area. Therefore, the objectives of the current study were to estimate the prevalence of ixodid tick infestation in cattle, identify species and associated risk factors and assess farmers’ awareness of tick infestation in the Aleltu district.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1 Description of study area

The study was conducted in Aleltu district, situated in the northern Oromia regional state and 55 km away from Addis Ababa. It is located at a latitude of 9°19′ north and a longitude of 39°15′ east at an elevation of 1957 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.) with an average rainfall of 1400 mm and an annual temperature ranging from 11°C to 26°C. The climate condition of Aleltu woreda consists of Dega (49%), Woina Dega (35%) and Kola (15%), respectively (Aleltu Woreda Agriculture Office, 2022).

According to information from the Aleltu Woreda Agriculture Office, the district has a livestock population of 210,968 cattle; 122,132 sheep; 11,394 goats; 19,241 donkeys; 7164 horses; 418 mules; 67,278 local poultry; 85,626 exotic poultry; and bee colonies kept in three categories of hives (Aleltu Woreda Agriculture Office, 2022).

2.2 Study population

The study population comprised cattle with different ages, sexes, groups, breeds and body condition categories from different kebeles in the Aleltu district.

2.3 Study design

From January 2022 to June 2022, a cross‐sectional study was carried out using a simple random sampling method to determine the prevalence and types of ixodid ticks in the study area.

2.4 Sample size determination

The total number of animals required for the present study was calculated using Thrusfield's (2018) formula for tick identification. Because there was no previous study report in the study area. The sample size was calculated based on Thrusfield's (2018) formula, with a 50% expected prevalence, a 95% confidence interval and an absolute precision of 5%. N=1.962P(1−P)d2

where N is the total sample size; P is the expected prevalence; and d is the absolute precision.

Therefore, depending on this calculation; the total sample size was 384. However, to increase precision, a total of 400 cattle from the district were included in this study. The sample size for the questionnaire survey was calculated by using Arsham (2007) formula, considering 5% at a 95% confidence interval, and applying the formula. To increase precision, 10% more respondents were added to the total questionnaire sample size. Accordingly, 110 respondents were selected by using the random sampling technique.

2.5 Tick collection and identification

Ticks were checked on all body parts of the animals. The required data were recorded before the animal was examined. Animals without ticks were recorded as negative, and from positive animals, ticks were collected from each site after the animals were physically restrained and placed in separate universal bottles pre‐filled with 70% alcohol. To reduce the possibility of repeat sampling, necessary information such as collection date, sex, age, body condition and kebele was recorded.

After collection, the preserved ticks were transported to the Addis Ababa University College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Parasitology Laboratory, for genus and species identification. The identification of tick genera and species was based on characteristics such as the shape and length of the mouthparts (capitulum), the colour of the body and legs, the placement of punctuations on the body, the shape of the eyes and the length of the mouthparts (Walker et al., 2014).

2.6 Questionnaire survey

The questionnaire survey included 110 cattle owners who were chosen at random. The questionnaire aimed to gather pertinent data to assess the respondents' awareness of livestock production, productivity and health in relation to tick infestation.

2.7 Data analysis

The collected data were entered and stored in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (Ms‐2013). Then the data stored in Excel were exported to the SPSS Version 20 software program. Descriptive statistics such as percentages and proportions were applied to compute some of the data. The chi‐square test was used to study the relationship between each risk factor and the outcome variable. A questionnaire survey's data were examined using descriptive statistics, such as percentages and frequencies, for various factors. For all statistical analyses, a statistical significance level of p < 0.05 was considered.

3 RESULTS

3.1 Tick infesting cattle

Of the 400 cattle examined, 303 (75.8%) were infested with one or more tick species. Overall, six species of ticks belonging to three genera, Amblyomma, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus, and subgenus Rhipicephalus (Boophilus), were identified. Morphological identification of the collected ticks showed that Rh. (Bo) decoloratus (56.8%) was the most abundant and predominant tick species on cattle in the Aleltu district, followed by co‐infection (17.8%), Rh. evertsi (12.0%), Am. variegatum (10.2%), Hy. rufipes (1.7%), Rh. bergeoni (1.0%) and Rh. praetextatus (0.7%; Table 1). The overall count of tick genera revealed that Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) was the most prevalent and widely distributed genus, followed by Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma and Hyalomma (Table 2).

TABLE 1 The number of cattle infested by different tick species in Aleltu district.

Tick species	Number of infested animal	Percent (%)	
Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus	172	56.8	
Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi	36	12.0	
Rhipicephalus preatexus	2	0.7	
Rhipicephalus bergeoni	3	1.0	
Amblyomma variegatum	31	10.2	
Hyalomma rufipes	5	1.7	
Co‐infection	54	17.8	
Total	303	100	
Co‐infection = more than one species.

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TABLE 2 Overall count of tick genera in the study area.

Genus	Number of counted tick	Proportion (%)	
Rhipicephalus (Boophilus)	1617	80.2	
Rhipicephalus	246	12.2	
Amblyomma	126	6.3	
Hyalomma	26	1.3	
Total	2015	100	
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3.2 Overall count and sex ratio of ticks species

A total of 2015 (1319 female and 696 male) ixodid ticks were collected from different body parts of the animals (neck, head, face, perianal, udder, scrotum, under tail and dewlap). Assessment of the abundance of species of the collected ticks revealed that Rh. (Bo) decoloratus had the greatest abundance and was the most predominant species, followed by Rh. evertsi, Am. variegatum, Hy. rufipes, Rh. bergeoni and Rh. praetextatus (Table 3).

TABLE 3 Overall ticks species count and sex ratio in the study area.

Tick species	Male	Female	Overall M/F ratio	Overall count (%)	
Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus	436	1181	0.37:1	1617 (80.2)	
Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi	133	94	1.4:1	227 (11.3)	
Rhipicephalus preatexus	12	4	3:1	16 (0.8)	
Rhipicephalus bergeoni	2	1	2:1	3 (0.1)	
Amblyomma variegatum	91	35	2.6:1	126 (6.3)	
Hyalomma rufipes	22	4	5.5:1	26 (1.3)	
Total	696	1319	0.5:1	2015 (100)	
Abbreviations: F, female; M, male.

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A higher male to female ratio of ticks was recorded in Hy. rufipes (5.5:1), Rh. praetextatus (3:1), Am. variegatum (2.6:1), Rh. bergeoni (2:1) and Rh. evertsi (1.4:1). However, in contrast, a higher female to male ratio was recorded in Rh. (Bo) decoloratus (0.37:1; Table 3).

3.3 Tick species prevalence in relation to various risk factors

The comparison was made among different kebeles of the study area. Accordingly, the highest prevalence of tick was observed in Goroo zamatu (85.0%), while the least prevalence of tick was observed in Genda maru (70.4%; Table 4).

TABLE 4 The prevalence of tick infestation in various kebele of Aleltu district.

Kebele	Number of examined	Positive (%)	Chi square	p value	
Genda maru	81	57 (70.4%)	3.819	0.701	
Ejersa	66	50 (75.8%)			
Sagede	53	42 (79.2%)			
Yefoo	59	44 (74.6 %)			
Goroo	57	44 (77.2%)			
Goroo zamatu	40	34 (85.0%)			
Gasha amba	44	32 (72.7%)			
Total	400	303 (75.8%)			
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Tick infestation rates were found to be influenced by the age of the cattle. As a result, adult cattle (81.1%) had a higher tick prevalence than old cattle (71.6%) and young cattle (68.9%). These findings indicate that age has a significant relationship (p < 0.05) with tick infestation and that adult animals are more affected by ticks than older and younger animals. The body condition related to tick infestation was assessed in the current study, and poor animals had a higher prevalence of 82.5%, followed by moderate animals at 73.4%. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) relationship between tick prevalence and animal body condition (Table 5).

TABLE 5 Prevalence of ixodid tick in relation with body condition, sex and age risk factors.

Risk factors	Number of cattle			
Variable	Categories	Examined	Positive (prevalence)	Chi square	p value	
Sex	Female	181	138 (76.2%	0.044	0.834	
Male	219	165 (75.3%)			
Age	Young	106	73 (68.9%)	6.733	0.035	
Adult	206	167 (81.1%)			
Old	88	63 (71.6%)			
BCs	Poor	194	162 (83.5%)	16.917	0.000 a	
Moderate	128	94 (73.4%)			
Good	78	47 (60.3%)			
Abbreviation: BCs, body condition score.

a Statistically significant.

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In terms of production system, this study found a high prevalence of ticks in extensive production (81.2%) compared to a lower prevalence (50.6%) in a semi‐intensive production system. There was statistically significant variation (p < 0.05) between the two production systems (Table 6).

TABLE 6 Prevalence of ixodid tick in relation with production system, breed, sex and month risk factors.

Risk factors	Number of animal			
Variables	Categories	Examined	Positive (prevalence)	Chi square	p value	
Breed	Local	286	211 (73.8%)	2.130	0.345	
Cross	109	88 (80.7%)			
Exotic	5	4 (80%)			
Production system	Semi‐intensive	81	41 (50.6%)	34.925	0.000 a	
Extensive	319	262 (82.1%)			
Month	January	51	37 (72.5%)	2.794	0.732	
February	56	40 (71.4%)			
March	107	107 (77.6%)			
April	56	43 (76.8%)			
May	56	40 (71.4%)			
June	74	60 (81.1%)			
a Statistically significant.

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3.4 Questionnaire survey results

All respondents were aware of ticks. A total of 97.3% of respondents stated that ticks pose a major problem in their village. The findings showed that 93.6% of the respondents were unaware of the tick's potential role in the transmission of many viral and bacterial diseases, as well as its direct influence on the growth and productivity of livestock. The detailed information in the questionnaire is illustrated below (Table 7).

TABLE 7 Summary of questionnaire survey result.

		Respondent	
Question	Alternative	Male	Female	Total (%)	
Did you know tick?	Yes	77	33	110 (100%)	
Does tick problem in your village?	Yes	77	30	107 (97.3%)	
No	‐	3	3 (2.7%)	
What was their major impact in livestock production?	Skin and hide damage	37	9	46 (41.8%)	
Weight gain reduces and loss of production	40	21	61 (55.5%)	
No effect	‐	3	3 (2.7%)	
Where do you think the cattle get ticks?	From grazing land	49	24	73 (66.4%)	
From bedding materials	7	‐	7 (6.4%)	
Others	5	‐	5 (4.5%)	
Don't know	16	9	25 (22.7%)	
Which season do you commonly see the ticks on the cattle?	End of dry period	15	3	18 (16.4%)	
End of rain season	52	27	79 (71.8%)	
No difference	10	3	13 (11.8%)	
Availability of nearby vet service contributes to minimise tick problem?	Available	60	33	93 (84.5%)	
Not available	17	‐	17 (15.5%)	
More susceptible animal?	Cattle	61	27	88 (80%)	
Sheep	13	4	17 (15.5%)	
Goat	3	2	5 (4.5%)	
Symptom of tick infestation?	Scratching and hair loss	14	8	22 (20%)	
Weight loss	18	6	24 (21.8%)	
Both	33	17	50 (45.5%)	
Don't know	12	2	14 (12.7%)	
Do you think cattle can get diseases from the ticks?	No	70	33	103 (93.6%)	
Yes	7	‐	7 (6.4%)	
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4 DISCUSSION

Ticks are still common and the most significant ectoparasite of cattle in Aleltu district, Oromia regional state, in northern Ethiopia, according to the current study. The current study's observation of an overall prevalence of (75.8%) tick infestation on cattle suggests that ticks continue to be a major problem for cattle in Ethiopia. This finding is in line with the finding of Nateneal et al. (2015), who reported a tick infestation of 75.8% in Arbegona district. This finding is in agreement with the former reports of Geremew et al. (2023) and Meaza et al. (2014), who reported 72% in Bedele district and 74% in Bahir Dar, respectively.

This finding is also in line with high prevalence reports from various parts of Ethiopia. Accordingly, 82% by Nateneal et al. (2015) in Bedele, 81.25% by Alemu et al. (2014) in northwest Ethiopia and 65.5% by Wolde and Mohamed (2014) in Soddo Zuria. The high overall prevalence (95%) was also reported by Minwyelet et al. (2021) in the southern part of Ethiopia. In contrast, the present finding was inconsistent with the report of Kassa and Yalew (2012), with a prevalence of 33.21% in Haramaya district, which was lower than the current finding.

The prevalence of tick infestation varies with age, body condition and production systems among the associated risk factors evaluated in the current study. Compared to the other groups, the animals with poor body conditions had significantly higher tick infestations (p < 0.05). The finding is in line with that of Wolde and Mohamed (2014), who reported that cattle with poor body conditions were significantly more infested than cattle with good body conditions. The present study also agrees with the report from Asella by Tamiru and Abebaw (2010).

In the current study, Rh. (Bo) decoloratus (80.2%) was one of the highly distributed ticks species in the study area. This is in accordance with the report of Bossen Fantahun and Mohamed (2012) in and around Asossa town, western Ethiopia, where Rh. (Bo) decoloratus was found to be the most abundant tick (70.3%). However, the current finding is in disagreement with the 1.6% reported by Regassa (2001) at Borena Ranch. Rh. (Bo) decoloratus is identified as the dominant tick in Tiyo district by Shane et al. (2017).

Rh. evertsi (11.3%) was the second most abundant tick species in the current study area, which is in agreement with reports of Alemu et al. (2014) in northwest Ethiopia, with a prevalence of 11.5%. The result was lower than that of Meaza et al. (2014; 14%) in Bedele district, Ethiopia, and Bossen Fantahun and Mohamed (2012; 30.5%) in and around Asossa. Am. variegatum is the third most abundant tick species with a prevalence of 6.3% in the study area. This finding is in agreement with the report of Onu and Shiferaw (2013), which found a prevalence of 4.7%. Moreover, research conducted in Arbegona district indicated that Amblyomma was found to be the most abundant tick genus (Kemal et al., 2016). In general, the inconsistencies among these studies may be due to different factors, according to Walker et al. (2014), including rainfall, altitude, atmospheric relative humidity, management strategy, agro‐climatic conditions and other epidemiological factors.

Male ticks usually remain on the host for a few months to feed and mate with female ticks before detaching, while female ticks that are completely engorged usually detach from the host to lay eggs on the ground (Geremew et al., 2023). Rh. (Bo) decoloratus females outnumbered males in this study, likely as a result of the males' small size, which may not have been visible during collection (Alemu, 2019).

The majority of respondents, 66.4%, identified grazing land as the source ticks, while only 6.4% identified bedding material as the source of ticks. However, 22.7% of participants were unaware of how cattle became infested with ticks. Ticks were reported to be common in the study area by 71.8% of respondents, with the highest populations observed at the end of the rainy season and by 16.4% at the end of the dry season. Ticks, on the other hand, are believed to occur throughout the year by 11.8% of respondents. These findings were consistent with the findings of Ramzan et al. (2018).

The majority of interviewees knew about the symptoms of tick infestations. The majority of respondents (97.3%) thought tick infestation was a major issue in their community and in animal production. This observation was consistent with the findings of Ramzan et al. (2018), who reported that 87.5% of respondents from the Jimma zone and 79.5% from the study area stated that ticks were the most prevalent problem. Skin and hide damage was identified as the major impact of tick infestation by 41.8% of respondents, while weight gain reduction and loss of production were identified as major impacts by 55.4% of respondents. Only 6% of respondents believed that ticks spread infectious diseases by feeding from one animal to another, while 93% did not believe that ticks are vectors. These findings were similar with research conducted in Kenya by Mugambi et al. (2012). This could be due to the farmers' lack of knowledge about tick vectors and diseases carried by ticks in the study area.

The results of this research deserve attention from local policymakers and veterinary service administrators, as ticks have been previously underestimated and ignored in their impact on livestock production. Therefore, the authors strongly advise preparedness in control, prevention and treatment options.

5 CONCLUSION

The present study revealed that Rh. (Bo) decoloratus was the most abundant and widely distributed tick species in the study area. The questionnaire survey analysis indicated that almost all farmers in the study area were unaware of ticks' role as vectors, their effect on animal health and tick‐borne diseases. Tick infestation is the major constraint on the health and productivity of cattle in the study area. Hence, serious attention is needed at all levels to minimise the negative impacts on the health, production and productivity of cattle in the district. To reduce the negative impact of ticks on cattle in the research area, it is imperative to develop management measures that are applicable in practical applications and raise public and animal owner awareness.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Abeti Gobe designed and coordinated the overall study. Abeti Gobe and Adugna Chalchisa conducted the study. Abeti Gobe, Adugna Chalchisa and Bersissa Kumsa participated in data collection, data analysis, interpretation of the results and writing up of the manuscript. All the authors approved the final manuscript for submission.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

ETHICS STATEMENT

None.

PEER REVIEW

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1002/vms3.70022.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank their families for their endless support and encouragement. Thanks also go to animal owners and the Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, and Parasitology Laboratory staff.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The authors can provide access to all the supporting datasets for this study upon request via correspondence.
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