Seasonal and Spatial Dynamics of Tick Infestation in Domestic Animals of Wayanad Forest Region, Southern India: A Longitudinal Survey

Aim and background: Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites of veterinary and public health relevance. This study examines the seasonal distribution, host-specific burden, and species composition of ticks infesting domestic animals in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India. Methods: A longitudinal field survey was conducted from 2022 to 2024 across 40 locations in 3 ecological zones of Wayanad. Ticks were manually collected from domestic animals; cattle, goats, dogs, and cats during 3 seasons: monsoon, winter, and summer. Collected ticks were morphologically identified to the species level. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Kruskal–Wallis H tests (α = .05) were performed using Jamovi (v2.6.44). Additionally, a negative binomial regression model was fitted using R (v4.2.2) to identify predictors of tick burden. Results: A total of 2562 ticks were collected. Tick abundance was highest during the monsoon (1231; 48.06%), followed by winter (965; 37.66%) and summer (366; 14.28%). Cattle accounted for the highest tick load (n = 1529; 59.7%), followed by goats (592; 23.1%), dogs (313; 12.2%), and cats (128; 5.0%). Mean tick burden per animal was highest in Zone 1 (12.79 ± 6.01), and lowest in Zone 3 (10.20 ± 5.37). Seasonally, winter showed the highest mean burden (4.91 ± 3.63). Seven tick species from 3 genera were identified, with Haemaphysalis bispinosa being the most dominant. Regression analysis identified season and host as significant predictors. Compared to monsoon, summer burden was lower (IRR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.32-0.41; P < .001), while winter was moderately higher (IRR = 1.15; CI: 1.05-1.25; P = .0017). Cattle exhibited a 4.05-fold higher burden than cats (IRR = 4.05; CI: 3.39-4.87; P < .001). Conclusion: The presence of zoonotic tick vectors across hosts, seasons, and zones indicates high epidemiological risk the need for integrated ecological surveillance and region-specific tick control strategies.