ABSTRACT:Eight ixodid tick species, associated with 59 free-ranging mammals belonging to 10 species, were collected at five different localities in the Free State Province, South Africa. Four of the study areas were nature reserves (Willem Pretorius, Sandveld, Tussen-die-Riviere, and Soetdoring), and one site was a private farm located in Senekal district. The collection was performed from March 2006 until June 2006. Ticks (n5569) and tissues from animals (n552) were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction, reverse line blot, and sequencing for various tickborne pathogens belonging to the genera Babesia, Theileria, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia. Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, the known vector of Babesia bovis responsible for Asiatic redwater in South Africa, was found for the first time in the Free State Province. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus also was collected in areas in the Free State where it has not been previously described. Anaplasma marginale was detected for the first time in a gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella). Gene sequences recovered in this study were 98-100% homologous with GenBank sequences for Anaplasma bovis, Theileria separata, and Theileria sp. Malelane sable antelope.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.