الفهرس 
Introduction and Literature reviewOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Ticks are obligate, blood-sucking parasites attacking vertebrates worldwide. They are recognized for their medical and veterinary importance that transmit pathogens to humans and domestic animals globally. This study aimed to update the hard tick species list of Egypt; identify species composition of ticks infesting domestic animals; anticipate the potential geographic distribution of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and associated tick vectors (Amblyomma variegatum, Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma marginatum, H. rufipes, H. truncatum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, and R. evertsi evertsi) in the Old World; assess the niche similarity between (CCHFV) and seven candidate tick vectors, and study the effect of climate change influences on the potential distribution of Hyalomma rufipes and H. truncatum based on diverse emission scenarios of CO2.
1- The updated list of hard ticks in Egypt with notes on species infesting domestic animals and their pathogens
The objective of this review is to update the checklist of hard tick species in Egypt and obtain a local geographic distribution, host associations, and pathogenic agent relationships of hard ticks collected from different domestic animals based on previous literature records. The updated list of Egyptian hard ticks includes 44 species belonging to five genera. The genera Hyalomma (15 spp.) and Rhipicephalus (15 spp.) are the most representative.
2-Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting domestic animals in Egypt: diagnostic characters and a taxonomic key to the collected species.
We conducted field surveillances to investigate the fauna of hard ticks on domestic animals (dogs, camels, cattle, buffaloes, and horses) in seven governorates: Alexandria, Aswan, Beni-Suef, Cairo, Giza, Dakahlia, and Sharkia of Egypt during 2018-2019. A total of 3265 tick specimens were collected, sorted, and identified to the species level; the specimens belong to eleven species within three genera (Amblyomma, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus). Tick infestation was highest in camels (70%), followed by dogs (52.5%), cattle (50%), buffaloes (38%), and horses (12%). Ten species were collected from camels, two from cattle, and one species from dogs, buffaloes, and horses. Diagnostic characters with photographic images for the eleven tick’s species were provided. New measurements of the body regions such as spiracles and body grooves were also added. This study provided for the first time a detailed description with images for the genital aperture of five Hyalomma species. Morphological variations for male H. impeltatum, genital aperture for female H. dromedarii, and H. excavatum were obtained in this study.
3- Mapping the environmental suitability of etiological agent and tick vectors of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the most important public health threats in many regions across Africa, Europe, and Asia. This study used ecological niche modeling analyses to map the environmental suitability of both CCHF virus (CCHFV), and its tick vectors (Amblyomma variegatum, Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma marginatum, H. rufipes, H. truncatum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, and R. evertsi evertsi) in the old-world countries. The CCHFV was anticipated to occur with high environmental suitability across Southern and Central Europe, Northwestern Africa, Central Asia, and Western Mediterranean region. Ecological niche models of tick vectors anticipated diverse patterns based on the tick species in question; D. marginatus and H. marginatum showed high environmental suitability in Southern and Central Europe and North Africa. The remaining vector species were anticipated to occur in Africa. All models were statistically robust and performed better than random (P < 0.001). Finally, we tested the niche similarities between CCHFV and diverse tick vectors and could not reject the null hypotheses of niche similarity in all vector-virus combinations (P > 0.05) except the combinations of CCHFV with A. variegatum, R. evertsi evertsi and R. appendiculatus (P > 0.05).
4- Mapping the potential distribution of two tick vectors Hyalomma rufipes and H. truncatum
Hyalomma rufipes and H. truncatum are vectors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in Africa. We estimated the current potential distributions of both vectors and assessed their distributional changes under future climate conditions. The predicted potential distribution of H. rufipes and H. truncatum coincided considerably in Africa; however, H. truncatum showed a marked increase in suitable habitats across the Mediterranean Sea coast from Morocco to Egypt than H. rufipes. Interestingly, H. rufipes showed markedly broader environmentally suitable habitats across South and Central Europe, Turkey, and Balkan region than H. truncatum. In Western Asia, H. truncatum showed a marked increase in distributional potential across Syria, Jordan, and Iran. Ecological niche models (ENMs) for both vectors were performed better than random and statistically robust (P < 0.001). ENMs based on future conditions showed a reduced suitability in some areas for both species and an increased suitability in other areas than current condition. Future models anticipated further contraction of H. rufipes and H. truncatum in suitable habitats in Mediterranean Sea coast of North Africa and Red Sea coast in Egypt in both 2050 and 2070. Also, Sinai Peninsula showed a marked decrease in suitable habitats in 2050 and 2070 for H. rufipes.