Toxicosis in human and domestic hosts caused by ixodid ticks detected with Anaplasma platys and Hepatozoon ayorgbor.

Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites that pose substantial threats by vectoring several pathogens and by directly inducing tick toxicosis both in animals and humans. No studies have reported tick toxicosis in humans or animals in Pakistan. This study aimed to investigate tick toxicosis in human and animals, and screen these ticks for tick-borne pathogens. A human toxicosis case was observed in District Lakki Marwat, where 51-years-old male farmer was bitten by Hyalomma scupense. A total of 239 hosts were examined for tick toxicosis in the five districts of northern Pakistan, in which 54 hosts including 33 goats, 13 sheep and 8 donkeys were observed having clinical signs of toxicosis. A total of 912 ticks were collected from affected hosts; the morphological identification of ticks revealed the presence of five hard tick species including Hyalomma anatolicum (181/912, 19.8%), Hyalomma isaaci (148/912, 16.2%), Hyalomma montgomeryi (137/912, 15.0%), Haemaphysalis bispinosa (159/912, 17.4%), Rhipicephalus microplus (130/912, 14.3%) and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides (157/912, 17.2%). Molecular analysis of 90 subjected ticks confirmed 22 positive ticks with an infection rate of 24.4%, in which 15 ticks were positive for Anaplasma platys and seven for Hepatozoon ayorgbor. The results of the current study highlighted the threat by ticks through toxicosis and possible transmission of pathogens like A. platys and He. ayorgbor. These results emphasized conducting comprehensive studies regarding the observation of early tick toxicosis and molecular screening of other pathogens.