title: Tick fauna of Malaysian red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) in Bangi, Malaysia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The red jungle fowl is generally considered as one of the endangered Asian wild Galleopheasants due to man-made encroachment of their habitats, coupled with the effect of disease and disease causing organisms like ticks and tick-borne infections. This study aimed to determine the tick fauna of the red jungle fowl and their predilection sites based on developmental stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 33 jungle fowls were sampled for this study from Bangi area of Selangor State, Peninsular Malaysian. The birds were captured using a locally made trap made-up of loops and bites. Ticks present on their bodies were detached using fine forceps and identified morphologically under a dissecting microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  91% of the jungle fowls were infested with ticks, all of which belongs to the species Haemaphysalis wellingtoni. The ear region appeared to be the most common predilection site (63%) for all the developmental stages in which the larval stages are solely restricted to that region. Nymphal and adult stages were distributed on the comb, wattle, and facial region in addition to the ear region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was the first in its kind and showed a high prevalence of tick infestation among jungle fowls. H. wellingtoni was known to be a vector in transmission of many tick-borne pathogens. Therefore, there is the need for further investigation to identify the various pathogens associated with this tick.
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia; Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konto
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Fufa
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia; Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tukur
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ola-Fadunsin
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia; Department of Bio Sciences, Gomal College of Veterinary Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Shettima
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Babjee
keywords: Bangi; Malaysia; red jungle fowl; tick fauna