Survey of ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae) for Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus activity in Jammu & Kashmir state, India.

A survey of ixodid ticks was carried on in 1977 to determine the crimean haemorrhagic fever (CHF) virus activity in Jammu & Kashmir state, India. In all, 412 immatures and 3258 adults belonging to 7 genera and 16 species of ticks were collected as ectoparasites of small and large mammals. These included one species each of the genera Boophilus, Dermacentor and Nosomma, 2 species of Rhipicephalus, 3 species of Ixodes and 4 species each of Haemaphysalis and Hyalomma. Haem. bispinosa was the predominant species followed by B. microplus, Haem. montgomeryi, R. haemaphysaloides and Hyal. m. isaaci. The four Hyalomma species viz., Hyal. a. anatolicum (incriminated as the vector of CHF virus), Hyal. detritum, Hyal. dromedarii and Hyal. m. isaaci were found parasitizing goat, sheep, camel and cattle and were collected in the districts of Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur. Four species viz., Haem. intermedia, Hyal. detritum, Hyal. dromedarii and Hyal. m. isaaci are new records for the state. A total of 138 pools comprising eight species under six genera of ticks were processed for isolating the virus. CHF virus was not isolated. The role of ixodid ticks, particularly those of the genus Hyalomma in the dissemination of CHF virus is highlighted.