[Microscopic diagnosis of tick-borne diseases in Maghreb]

Direct microscopic examination of smears, carried out in the farm, in combination with the clinical symptoms, is in general the quickest and cheapest way to diagnose tick-borne diseases. It is however not always sufficiently specific, as different species of a parasite genus may ressemble each other morphologically. Also, it is not suitable for epidemiological studies. On the other hand, serological and molecular methods may be more sensitive and/or specific, but are not suitable for diagnosing the cause of disease in an individual animal and in any case are not sufficiently rapid. The focus of the paper is on practical details and pitfalls to be avoided in sample taking, smear preparation, fixing and staining, microscopic examination and interpretation of the results