A survey of the ixodid ticks parasitising cattle in the Eastern Province of Zambia

Abstract

The results of tick surveys carried out in the Eastern province of Zambia between December 1982 and February 1996 were principally in agreement with the findings of earlier surveys conducted during the period 1965-72. Boophilus decoloratus has almost been replaced by Boophilus microplus. Hyalomma truncatum was found in small numbers throughout the province and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes was only rarely encountered in collections made from cattle. Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi was largely confined to the southern part of the plateau and the valleys of the Zambezi tributaries. The main difference between the present survey and the previous one concerns the status of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. This species is currently expanding its range in a westward direction, whereas it was virtually absent from the southern part of the province during the period 1965-72. The majority of specimens collected are morphologically intermediate between R. appendiculatus and the closely allied Rhipicephalus zambeziensis. The available evidence indicates that R. zambeziensis (sensu stricto) is absent from the province. The phenology of R. appendiculatus is aberrant in the province: at lower altitudes a second generation of adult ticks is recorded on the hosts at the start of the dry season.

Communal farmers’ perceptions of tick-borne diseases affecting cattle and investigation of tick control methods practiced in Zimbabwe

“…The presence of R. microplus in dry regions has been reported elsewhere in West Africa (Madder et al, 2007), South Africa (Nyangiwe et al, 2013a;Tonnesen et al, 2004), Zambia (Berkvens et al, 1998), East Africa (Lynen et al, 2008) and more recently in Namibia (Nyangiwe et al, 2013b). However, what is noteworthy is the spread of this tick into the interior of the country.…”

The Known Distribution and Ecological Preferences of the Tick Subgenus Boophilus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Africa and Latin America

“…Anyway, there are large geographic areas at risk of colonization by B. microplus in Africa, if the tick should continue to spread from its present sites. The tick is common in parts of South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, where it was probably introduced from Mozambique in the mid-1970s (Norval et al 1992) or Zambia, and already reported for other parts in Africa (Theiler 1962;McLeod and Mwanaumo 1978;Berkvens et al 1998). The spread has been recently observed in Tanzania (Lynen, personal communication).…”

First record of the pantropical blue tick Rhipicephalus microplus in Namibia

“…It is currently unclear as to how and why R. microplus displaces R. decoloratus at some localities, as reported in Zambia (Berkvens et al 1998), Swaziland (Wedderburn et al 1999), southern Mozambique (Horak et al 2009) as well as at certain localities in South Africa (T¢nnesen et al 2004;Nyangiwe and Horak 2007), while this is not the case at other localities, even within the same country. For instance, although R. microplus was the dominant species, both ticks remained present on cattle and the vegetation during a 5 year study on an experimental farm in the Stutterheim district in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa (Nyangiwe et al 2011).…”

“…It is also present in Zambia and Madagascar (Berkvens et al 1998;Estrada-Pen˜a et al 2006). However, its presence has as yet not been reported in Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.…”

“…On the African continent R. microplus is common along the eastern coastal belt and also in the summer rainfall northern regions of South Africa (Howell et al 1978;T¢nnesen et al 2004;Horak et al 2009;Spickett et al 2011). It is also present in Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia (Mason and Norval 1980;Berkvens et al 1998;Wedderburn et al 1999;Horak et al 2009). Furthermore, it has recently been reported in the Ivory Coast and Benin in West Africa (Madder et al 2007(Madder et al , 2012.…”