Introduction: 

Tick-borne diseases represent a major threat to both animal and human health globally. This study explores the prevalence of tick infestation and associated piroplasm infections specifically Theileria and Babesia species in cattle, in addition to evaluating the acaricidal effectiveness of Chrysanthemum extract (Dendranthema grandiflora) and neem oil emulsion (Azadirachta indica). 

Methods: 

Among 130 cattle examined, 61 were infested with ticks and subsequently screened for piroplasm infections. Molecular analysis identified infections caused by Theileria annulata and Babesia bigemina. 

Results: 

A strong association was found between tick infestation and Babesia species, while T. annulata infection showed a slight correlation. Hemolymph examination confirmed the critical role of ticks in the life cycle of piroplasm infection. Chrysanthemum extract and neem oil were tested for their acaricidal properties against adult ticks (Rhipicephalus annulatus). Chrysanthemum extract (0.5 mg/mL) caused tick mortality within 24 h. However, neem oil induced rapid and significant tick mortality at (20 mg/L) and (15 mg/L), achieving 100% mortality within the same time frame. Both treatments demonstrated high effectiveness, with results indicating strong dose-and time-dependent effects compared to controls. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed extensive morphological damage to treated ticks. This damage included destruction of the hypostome, loss of surface striations, wrinkling with pore formation, and cracking following exposure to neem oil and Chrysanthemum extract. 

Discussion: 

These findings highlight the potential of D. grandiflora extract and neem oil emulsion as effective natural acaricides for controlling tick infestations and reducing tick-borne diseases.

The Sustainable Development Strategy of Egypt Vision 2030 depends on the understanding of groundwater resources and thus requiring a more accurate quantification of groundwater reserves.
The horizontal expansion in the desert fringes around the Nile Valley is a key strategy for agricultural and urban development projects that necessitate, in some cases, a sole dependency on groundwater resources. The study area is located in the southern Western Desert and focuses on the areas proximal to the Nile Valley. The area is promising for future development projects and contains new reclaimed areas under the ongoing mega-projects. The Objective of this study is to better understand the recharge from the deep Nubian Aquifer System to the shallow aquifers via connectivity process. Shallow aquifers, economically, mean low cost well installations and low-cost extraction of groundwater. This study integrates remote sensing data, borehole data, geophysical techniques and stable isotopic analyses. Large-scale remote sensing data with aeromagnetic analyses enable the mapping of both shallow and deep faults and thus facilitating the structural connectivity between the deep and shallow aquifers and controlling the flow dynamics. Depth-to-basement map was constructed using aeromagnetic data and deep boreholes to deduce the thickness of the water-bearing formations which affects the connectivity process. Stable isotopic analyses for groundwater samples revealed the mixing between the aquifers and the contribution ratio from the Nubian aquifer to the shallow ones. These isotopic analyses were supported by the values of the total dissolved solids in the groundwater samples. The results of this study reveal that the southern and middle parts of the study area receive significant recharge from the deep Nubian Aquifer towards the shallow Aquifers. In contrast, these shallow aquifers in the northern part of the study area don’t receive significant recharge from the Nubian Aquifer and depend mainly on the Nile River. We constructed a tentative map for the feasible areas based on recharge from the deep Nubian Aquifer System to the shallow aquifers. These areas are represented on one hundred thousand feddans in west KomOmbo which is included in the 1.5 million feddans project, and this gives a positive indication for this area. This project also can be expanded by fifteen and twenty thousand feddans in West Qena and West Sohag respectively. This map can be presented to beneficiaries and Stakeholders to set up priorities for groundwater well exploitation needed for economic planning.

The economic development in Egypt and the rapid growth rate in various development sectors are dependent on the availability of water resources in the vast desert lands. Egypt has aquifer systems in desert lands that are exploited to reclaim these arid regions, three of the most important aquifers are the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS), Carbonate Aquifer System (CAS), and the Nile Bain Aquifer System (NBAS).
The interconnection between the mentioned aquifers has neither been broadly studied despite the extensive works that managed the study of these aquifers hydrogeologically nor mentioned obviously with evidence in the previous geologic works and kinds of literature. Hence This study attempts to find the interconnection among these aquifers which in turn will maintain more awareness and opens a new scope of understanding of charge, discharge, feeding and the interconnection process among them.
The study area is located in southern Egypt, extending from southern Egypt at latitude 24°15՛ to middle Egypt at latitude 26°30՛ N, and from the western borders of Kharga oasis at longitude 30° W to the eastern boarder of the Nile Valley at longitude 33° E.

The main methodological aspects here are Using of various geophysical methods consisting of the aero-gravitational and aeromagnetic data of the years 1984 and 1989 respectively owned by the Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC) with the possible hydrogeologic and hydrochemical data in addition to acquiring some analyses during the study to maintain the geophysical data. The overall integrated output data are modelled to imagine the subsurface situation of the three groundwater aquifers to deduce to what extent the groundwater systems in the study area are connected.
The preliminary data interpretation shows that the main major subsurface structure zones are extending in NW-SE, N-S and W-E directions. The NW-SE structure zones are constituting the main pathways along which the groundwater flows in the NSAS, The N-S structural zones are the main pathways along which groundwater in both the CAS and NBAS flows from south to north. However, the W-E structure zones are the main pathways along which the groundwater flows between the three aquifer systems based on the groundwater levels and the hydrostatic pressures in the three aquifers. The isotope analysis of representative groundwater samples from the three aquifer systems will show the oldest aquifer and which is the main recharge for the others.

Investigating groundwater resources in Egypt is crucial, particularly in light of the water scarcity issues in this hyper-arid region and the ongoing climatic challenges. The replenishment of shallow aquifers by deep mega aquifers is significant because it supports the heavily utilized and easily accessible shallow aquifers. This replenishment occurs via vertical and sub-vertical faults. In this study aeromagnetic
data were utilized to reveal subsurface deep-seated major faults and to infer their relation to major surface faults that were traced from the published geological maps of Egypt. The analysis and interpretation of the present data revealed that the main subsurface structural trend is extending NE-SW, while the main surface fault trend runs in an opposite position extending NW-SE. This discrepancy in the extension of surface and subsurface faults indicates lack of a vertical and/or subvertical continuity. Consequently, no interconnection exists between the deep Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) and the shallow Carbonate Aquifer System (CAS), implying no upward feeding from the NSAS towards the CAS in the study area. This anticipation is confirmed from the stable isotopic analyses for some representing groundwater samples which were carried out and published in a literature.

Aeromagnetic data was analyzed to reveal the subsurface deep-seated major faults whereas major surface faults were traced from the published geological maps of Egypt. The analysis and interpretation of these data, in combination with surface faults, revealed that the main prevailing structural trends run in an E-W, NW-SE and NE-SW directions for deep and surface faults, respectively. It was inferred that these faults are of regional aspect and extend from the deep subsurface to the shallow surface. The continuity between the deep-seated and the surface faults may forecast a possible vertical connection between the deep Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) and the Quaternary Aquifer System (QAS).
This suggestion is supported by previously published isotopic analyses in the region.

The ambitious agricultural development projects in Egypt and the associated horizontal expansion
into the core desert lands and desert fringe zones around the Nile Valley primarily depend on water
availability. This study investigates the vertical recharge from the deep Nubian Aquifer System (NAS)
toward the shallow aquifers, including the Carbonate and Quaternary aquifers in southern Egypt.
While this connectivity has been studied locally through case studies, the present study integrates
stable isotope data from all previous studies, together with analyses from vastly distributed new
groundwater samples, remote sensing, and geophysical methods to better understand groundwater
dynamics and aquifer connectivity over a regional domain. Findings show that: (1) the depths to the
basement surface range from 350 to 4700 m below the land surface, (2) the major structural trends
are E-W, NW–SE, NE-SW, ENE, NNW, and WNW trends, (3) the contribution ratios from the deep
NAS to the overlying aquifers range between 10 and 98% as estimated using isotope mass balance
calculations, and (4) the intersection of NW, ENE, and NE structural trends, which show similar trends
between surface faults and deep faults, indicating vertical continuity, plays a major role in aquifer
connectivity along the western desert fringes of the Nile River, particularly south of latitude 26°30′N.
These findings indicate that the relatively thin sedimentary cover overlying the NAS south of latitude
26°30′N facilitates the upwelling of the NAS groundwater along with the intersection of the NW,
ENE, and NE fault systems. Given the consensus of high hydraulic heads of the NAS compared to the
overlying aquifers, the study suggests that a large-scale vertical upwelling at the deduced intersecting
structural trends throughout the entire Limestone Plateau is worthy of further investigation. Such
vertical upwelling could bring significant groundwater resources to shallow levels, as long as the NAS
maintains its higher heads, and thus supports desert greening projects in Egypt. The findings also
highlight the necessity of examining similar mechanisms in other desert environments with multiple
aquifer systems.