ARTICLE ARTIKEL

Ixodid ticks infesting domestic goats in communal land areas of Zimbabwe

T Hove^I; R Mukandi^I; M Bere^I; I G Horak^II; A A Latif^III

^IDepartment of Paraclinical Veterinary Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
^IIDepartment of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa
^IIIDivision of Parasitology, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine the species spectrum of ticks infesting goats owned by resource-limited farmers in the state-owned communal land areas of Zimbabwe. Ticks were collected from goats at a single locality within each of 5 communal land areas, and a total of 14 ixodid tick species was recovered. The most numerous tick was Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, which was present in all areas at each sampling, and a Rhipicephalus sp. (near R. punctatus), which was most abundant on goats in the central regions of Zimbabwe during the March rainy season. Amblyomma hebraeum was present on goats in all areas sampled. In the eastern central region its distribution overlapped that of Amblyomma variegatum, while in the northwest it overlapped those of both Amblyomma marmoreum and A. variegatum. Hyalomma truncatum was present at all localities, whereas only a single Hyalomma rufipes was recovered. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was collected from goats in the moist, slightly cooler regions, while the few Rhipicephalus zambeziensis recovered were present in the hotter, drier regions. Species recorded in lower numbers were Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Rhipicephalus lunulatus, Rhipicephalus simus, Rhipicephalus tricuspis and Rhipicephalus turanicus. Attachment in the inter-digital space of adult A. hebreaum and H. truncatum was sometimes associated with lameness.

Key words: communal lands, domestic goats, ixodid ticks, Zimbabwe

“Full text available only in PDF format”

REFERENCES

1. Anon. 2007 Encyclopaedia of the nations. Africa. Zimbabwe. Online at: http://www.nationsencyclopaedia.com/Africa/Zimbabwe-TOPOGRAPHY.html (accessed July 2008)        [ Links ]

2. Baker M K, Ducasse F B W 1968 Tick infestation of livestock in Natal. The role played by goats as reservoirs of the economically important cattle ticks. Journal of the South African Veterinary Medical Association 39: 55-59        [ Links ]

3. Bezuidenhout J D 1987 Natural transmission of heartwater. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 54: 349-351        [ Links ]

4. Bryson N R, Tice G A, Horak I G, Stewart C G, du Plessis B J A 2002 Ixodid ticks on indigenous goats owned by small-scale farmers in 4 communal grazing areas in South Africa. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 73: 26-30        [ Links ]

5. Chatikobo P, Kusina N T, Hamudikuwanda H, Nyoni O 2004 A monitoring study on the prevalence of dermatophilosis and para-filariosis in cattle in a smallholder semi-arid farming area of Zimbabwe. Tropical Animal Health and Production 36: 207-215        [ Links ]

6. Chifamba I K, Khombe C J, Sithole L 1993 Comparative performance of indigenous and Boer goats under Brachystegia/Julbernadia woodland. Proceedings of a Workshop on Small Ruminant Production in Zimbabwe: Prospects and Constraints, Matopos Research Station, Zimbabwe, 19-20 August 1993: 28-33        [ Links ]

7. Gothe R 1981 The toxic phase of paralysis inducing female Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi Neuman, 1897, during repletion and aspects on the patho-mechanism of this toxicosis. Proceedings of an International Conference on Tick Biology and Control, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, 27-29 January 1981: 13        [ Links ]

8. Hamel H D, Gothe R 1987 Influence of infestation rate on tick-paralysis in sheep in induced by Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi Neumann, 1897. Veterinary Parasitology 4: 183-191        [ Links ]

9. Horak I G, Fourie L J 1991 Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXIX. Ixodid ticks on hares in the Cape Province and on hares and red rockrabbits in the Orange Free State. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 58: 261-270        [ Links ]

10. Horak I G, McKay I J, Heyne E, Spickett A M 2006 Hosts, seasonality and geographic distribution of the South African tortoise tick, Amblyomma marmoreum. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 74: 13-25        [ Links ]

11. Kok D J, Fourie L J 1995 The role of Hyalomma ticks in foot infestations and temporary lameness of sheep in a semi-arid region of South Africa. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 62: 201- 206        [ Links ]

12. Lawrence J A, Norval R A I 1979 A history of ticks and tick borne diseases of cattle in Rhodesia. Rhodesian Veterinary Journal 10: 28-40        [ Links ]

13. MacIvor K M De F, Horak I G 1987 Foot abscess in goats in relation to the seasonal abundance of adult Amblyomma hebraeum and adult Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal ofthe South African Veterinary Association 58: 113-118        [ Links ]

14. Mason C A, Norval R A I 1980 The ticks of Zimbabwe. I. The genus Boophilus. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 11: 36-43        [ Links ]

15. Norval R A I, Mason C A 1981 The ticks of Zimbabwe II. The life cycle, distribution and hosts of Rhipicephalus simus Koch 1844. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 12: 2-9        [ Links ]

16. Norval R A I 1981 The ticks of Zimbabwe III. Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 12: 31-35        [ Links ]

17. Norval R A I 1981 Heartwater in the Tribal Trust Lands in southern Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 12: 56-57        [ Links ]

18. Norval R A I 1982 The ticks of Zimbabwe. IV The genus Hyalomma. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 13: 2-10        [ Links ]

19. Norval R A I, Walker J B, Colborne J 1982 The ecology of Rhipicephalus zambeziensis and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (Acarina, Ixodidae) with particular reference to Zimbabwe. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 49: 181-190        [ Links ]

20.Norval R A I, Tebele N 1983 The ticks of Zimbabwe. V. Rhipicephalus lunulatus and Rhipicephalus tricuspis. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 13: 34-37        [ Links ]

21. Norval R A I, Daillecourt T, Pegram R G 1983 The ticks of Zimbabwe. VI. The Rhipicephalus sanguineus group. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 13: 38-46        [ Links ]

22.Norval R A I 1983 The ticks of Zimbabwe VII: The genus Amblyomma. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 14: 3-18        [ Links ]

23. Norval R A I 1985 The ticks of Zimbabwe. XII. The lesser known Rhipicephalus species. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 16: 37-43        [ Links ]

24. Pegram R G 1976 Ticks (Acarina, Ixodoidea) of the northern regions of the Somali Democratic Republic. Bulletin of Entomological Research 66: 345-363        [ Links ]

25. Peter T F, Perry B D, O'Callaghan C J, Medley G F, Shumba W, Madzima W, Burridge M J, Mahan S M 1998 The distribution of heartwater in the highveld of Zimbabwe, 1980-1997. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 65: 177-187        [ Links ]

26. Peter T F, Perry B D, O'Callaghan C J, Medley G F, Shumba W, Madzima W, Burridge M J, Mahan S M 1998 Distributions of the vectors of heartwater, Amblyomma hebraeum and Amblyomma variegatum (Acari: Ixodidae), in Zimbabwe. Experimental and Applied Acarology 22: 725-740        [ Links ]

27. Rukuni M 1994 The evolution of the agricultural policy: 1890-1990. In RukuniM, Eicher C K (eds) Zimbabwe's agricultural revolution. University of Zimbabwe Press, Harare: 15-39        [ Links ]

28. Walker J B, Keirans J E, Horak I G 2000 The genus Rhipicephalus (Acari, Ixodidae): a guide to the brown ticks of the World. Cambridge Academic Press, Cambridge        [ Links ]

Received: March 2008
Accepted July 2008

* Author for correspondence. E-mail: thove@vet.uz.ac.zw