Identification of Rhipicephalus linnaei and Rhipicephalus microplus from dogs in Vientiane, Laos

Ticks play a pivotal role in transmitting various pathogens and rank second only to mosquitoes in epidemiological significance. The Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex is often categorized into different species or lineages based on habitat, morphology, and molecular characteristics. In this study, 265 ticks from 36 dogs in Vientiane, Laos, were preliminary morphologically identified as Rhipicephalus spp. One tick per host was randomly selected for molecular characterization. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences was performed to determine species identity. Genetic analysis revealed that 35 ticks belonged to Rhipicephalus linnaei (The tropical lineage of Rh. sanguineus), while one tick was identified as Rhipicephalus microplus (Rh. microplus). These findings suggest that Rh. linnaei may be a common dog tick species in the Vientiane region of Laos, based on molecular identification of a representative subset of specimens. Furthermore, in conjunction with previous studies, our results suggest that earlier reports of Rh. sanguineus (s.l.) in Laos most likely correspond to Rh. linnaei.