Tick infestations on livestock in the Yemen Arab Republic and their potential as vectors of livestock diseases.

A survey of ticks on cattle, camels, sheep, goats and donkeys in four different geographical locations of the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) was carried out to provide more information on the possible risk of tick-borne diseases to imported exotic cattle included in the YAR's plans for livestock development. The most abundant ticks were Hyalomma spp. particularly on camels. Ticks found on cattle included Hyalomma spp., Amblyomma variegatum, Boophilus annulatus and Rhipicephalus spp. In general with the exception of camels tick burdens on all species of domestic livestock were very low. Two hundred and ninety eight serum samples from miscellaneous adult cattle throughout the country were negative to a test for Anaplasma marginale antibodies. It is speculated that tick burdens in the YAR are too low for significant disease transmission and the implications of the findings are discussed.