Checklist and diversity of tick fauna associated with domestic animals in Cambodia

The tick fauna in Cambodia is poorly documented, with limited information on the diversity and distribution of tick species. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by investigating tick species collected from various hosts, and across different habitats and regions of the country. Tick sampling was conducted in urban areas, rural villages, farms, and forest fringes, with additional samples obtained from a wildlife rescue center, caves, and swiftlet nests. Ticks were collected directly from hosts, as well as on vegetation through flagging methods. Tick species were identified morphologically, and selected specimens were subjected to molecular identification using the cox1 gene. A total of 853 vertebrate hosts representing 13 different animals, including five wildlife, were inspected: buffalo, cats, cattle, chickens, dogs, ducks, goats, goose, pigs, pigeons, pangolins, pythons, and wild pigs. From this first nationwide tick collection, a total of 7,461 ticks were collected, comprising six genera and 14 species of ticks, including seven newly identified species such as Carios batuensis, Dermacentor steini, Dermacentor filippovae, Haemaphysalis canestrinii, Haemaphysalis formosensis, Haemaphysalis hystricis, and Haemaphysalis wellingtoni. Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus linnaei were the most predominant tick species collected from cattle and dogs, respectively, whereas no ticks were found on buffaloes, chickens, ducks, goose, pigs or pigeons. Results showed that ticks are widely distributed throughout Cambodia, with particularly rich diversity observed in forest fringes habitats. This study also allowed the number of tick species identified in the country with seven additional species, bringing the total to 26.