Table 2.
Molecular prevalences of Rickettsia spp. according to tick species, tick gender, infested host, bioclimatic zone, governorate, and locality.
| Factors | Number of collected ticks (%)a | Number of analyzed ticks (%)b | Positivec (% ± C.I.d) | P-value (Khi2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tick species | 0.000* (20.02) | |||
| Rh. turanicus | 434 (62.5) | 423 (63.5) | 99 (23.4 ± 0.04) | |
| Rh. sanguineus s.l. | 260 (37.5) | 243 (36.5) | 23 (9.5 ± 0.04) | |
| Tick gender | 0.519 (0.42) | |||
| Male | 370 (53.3) | 356 (53.4) | 62 (17.4 ± 0.04) | |
| Female | 324 (46.7) | 310 (46.6) | 60 (19.4 ± 0.04) | |
| Infested host | 0.000* (22.65) | |||
| Goats | 460 (66.3) | 452 (67.9) | 105 (23.2 ± 0.04) | |
| Sheep | 234 (33.7) | 214 (32.1) | 17 (7.9 ± 0.03) | |
| Bioclimatic zone | 0.185 (1.76) | |||
| Higher semi-arid | 374 (53.9) | 357 (53.6) | 72 (20.2 ± 0.04) | |
| Lower humid | 320 (46.1) | 309 (46.4) | 50 (16.2 ± 0.04) | |
| Governorate | 0.000* (40.87) | |||
| Bizerte | 569 (82.0) | 548 (82.3) | 76 (13.9 ± 0.03) | |
| Beja | 125 (18.0) | 118 (17.7) | 46 (39.0 ± 0.09) | |
| Locality | 0.000* (87.96) | |||
| El Alia | 302 (43.5) | 289 (43.4) | 71 (24.6 ± 0.05) | |
| Khetmine | 72 (10.4) | 68 (10.2) | 1 (1.5 ± 0.03) | |
| Sejnane | 137 (19.7) | 133 (20.0) | 4 (3.0 ± 0.03) | |
| Amdoun | 125 (18.0) | 118 (17.7) | 46 (39.0 ± 0.09) | |
| Joumine | 58 (8.4) | 58 (8.7) | 0 (0) | |
| Total | 694 (100) | 666 (100) | 122 (18.3 ± 0.03) |
Rh. Turanicus, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Rh. sanguineus s.l., Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato.
a
Number of collected ticks submitted to PCR performed for the confirmation of the DNA extraction efficiency.
b
Number of included ticks for Rickettsia spp. survey selected after the confirmation of the DNA extraction efficiency.
c
Ticks positive to Rickettsia spp. according to the total number of analyzed ticks.
d
C.I.: 95% confidence interval.
*
Statistically significant test.