The objective of this study was to compare the presence on goats and cattle of adult ticks that usually infest cattle. To this end ticks collected from sets of five goats were compared with those collected from sets of five cattle at 72 communal dip-tanks in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province. Amblyomma hebraeum was present on goats at 25 and on cattle at 39 dip-tanks, and a total of 61 goats and 138 cattle were infested. Adult Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was present on goats at 48 and on cattle at 69 dip-tanks, and a total of 113 goats and 242 cattle were infested. The lengths of 84 of 148 female R. (Boophilus) microplus collected from the goats exceeded 5 mm or more, indicating that they could successfully engorge on these animals. The differences between the proportions of dip-tanks at which A. hebraeum or R. (Boophilus) microplus was present on goats and cattle and also between the proportions of goats and cattle that were infested were significant (Chi square test, P < 0.01). Adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was present on goats at 70 and on cattle at 67 dip-tanks, and a total of 296 goats and 271 cattle were infested. The proportion of dip-tanks at which cattle were infested did not differ significantly from the proportion of tanks at which goats were infested (Fischer's exact probability test, P = 0.44), but the proportion of infested cattle was significantly lower than the proportion of infested goats (Chi-square test, P < 0.05). Adult Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi was present on goats and cattle at all 72 sampling localities, and a total of 334 goats and 316 cattle were infested. The proportion of infested cattle was significantly lower than the proportion of infested goats (Chi-square test, P < 0.05). These results underscore the necessity of including goats in any tick control programme designed for cattle at the same locality.

The objective of this study was to compare the presence on goats and cattle of adult ticks that usually infest cattle. To this end ticks collected from sets of five goats were compared with those collected from sets of five cattle at 72 communal dip-tanks in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province. Amblyomma hebraeum was present on goats at 25 and on cattle at 39 dip-tanks, and a total of 61 goats and 138 cattle were infested. Adult Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was present on goats at 48 and on cattle at 69 dip-tanks, and a total of 113 goats and 242 cattle were infested. The lengths of 84 of 148 female R. (Boophilus) microplus collected from the goats exceeded 5 mm or more, indicating that they could successfully engorge on these animals. The differences between the proportions of dip-tanks at which A. hebraeum or R. (Boophilus) microplus was present on goats and cattle and also between the proportions of goats and cattle that were infested were significant (Chi square test, P 0.01). Adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was present on goats at 70 and on cattle at 67 dip-tanks, and a total of 296 goats and 271 cattle were infested. The proportion of dip-tanks at which cattle were infested did not differ significantly from the proportion of tanks at which goats were infested (Fischer's exact probability test, P = 0.44), but the proportion of infested cattle was significantly lower than the proportion of infested goats (Chi-square test, P 0.05). Adult Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi was present on goats and cattle at all 72 sampling localities, and a total of 334 goats and 316 cattle were infested. The proportion of infested cattle was significantly lower than the proportion of infested goats (Chi-square test, P 0.05). These results underscore the necessity of including goats in any tick control programme designed for cattle at the same locality.

Trypanosomal infections in female Glossina morsitans morsitans were investigated in an area in the Eastern Province of Zambia between 1992 and 1994. A total of 4 416 flies were captured, aged using the ovarian ageing method and screened for trypanosomal infections in both the mouthparts, salivary glands and the midgut. Congolense-type infections were identified in 4.8 % of the flies. Vivax-type and immature infections were identified in 1.8 % and 6.8 % of the flies, respectively. The prevalence of con golense-type, vivax-type and immature infections increased with age. For vivax-type infections the age-prevalence relationship could be described by a model assuming a constant per capita rate of infection. For congolense-type and midgut infections, a polynomial term was added to the model significantly improving the fit. The per capita at which flies become infected was significantly higher for immature compared to mature infections. Observations strongly suggest that tsetse acquire new midgut infections at any age and that maturation of these infections is not limited to those obtained during the first blood meal.

Trypanosomal infections in female Glossina morsitans morsitans were investigated in an area in the Eastern Province of Zambia between 1992 and 1994. A total of 4 416 flies were captured, aged using the ovarian ageing method and screened for trypanosomal infections in both the mouthparts, salivary glands and the midgut. Congolense-type infections were identified in 4.8 % of the flies. Vivax-type and immature infections were identified in 1.8 % and 6.8 % of the flies, respectively. The prevalence of con golense-type, vivax-type and immature infections increased with age. For vivax-type infections the age-prevalence relationship could be described by a model assuming a constant per capita rate of infection. For congolense-type and midgut infections, a polynomial term was added to the model significantly improving the fit. The per capita at which flies become infected was significantly higher for immature compared to mature infections. Observations strongly suggest that tsetse acquire new midgut infections at any age and that maturation of these infections is not limited to those obtained during the first blood meal.

The objective of this study was to assess the host status of the three largest southern African wild ruminants, namely giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis, African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, and eland, Taurotragus oryx for ixodid ticks. To this end recently acquired unpublished data are added here to already published findings on the tick burdens of these animals, and the total numbers and species of ticks recorded on 12 giraffes, 18 buffaloes and 36 eland are summarized and discussed. Twenty-eight ixodid tick species were recovered. All stages of development of ten species, namely Amblyomma hebraeum, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Haemaphysalis silacea, Ixodes pilosus group, Margaropus winthemi, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum, Rhipicephalus maculates and Rhipicephalus muehlensi were collected. The adults of 13 species, of which the immature stages use small mammals as hosts, namely Haemaphysalis aciculifer, Hyalomma glabrum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Ixodes rubicundus, Rhipicephalus capensis, Rhipicephalus exophthalmos, Rhipicephalus follis, Rhipicephalus gertrudae, Rhipicephalus lounsburyi, Rhipicephalus lunulatus, Rhipicephalus pravus group and Rhipicephalus simus, were also collected.

The objective of this study was to assess the host status of the three largest southern African wild ruminants, namely giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis, African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, and eland, Taurotragus oryx for ixodid ticks. To this end recently acquired unpublished data are added here to already published findings on the tick burdens of these animals, and the total numbers and species of ticks recorded on 12 giraffes, 18 buffaloes and 36 eland are summarized and discussed. Twenty-eight ixodid tick species were recovered. All stages of development of ten species, namely Amblyomma hebraeum, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Haemaphysalis silacea, Ixodes pilosus group, Margaropus winthemi, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum, Rhipicephalus maculates and Rhipicephalus muehlensi were collected. The adults of 13 species, of which the immature stages use small mammals as hosts, namely Haemaphysalis aciculifer, Hyalomma glabrum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Ixodes rubicundus, Rhipicephalus capensis, Rhipicephalus exophthalmos, Rhipicephalus follis, Rhipicephalus gertrudae, Rhipicephalus lounsburyi, Rhipicephalus lunulatus, Rhipicephalus pravus group and Rhipicephalus simus, were also collected.

The objective of this study was to make an inventory of the ixodid tick species infesting wild animals in three western, semi-arid nature reserves in South Africa. To this end 22 animals in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, 10 in the West Coast National Park and 16 in the Karoo National Park were examined. Fourteen tick species were recovered, of which Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus exoph thalmos and Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum were each present in two reserves and the remainder only in one. The distributions of two of the 14 tick species recovered, namely Rhipicephalus capensis and Rhipicephalus neumanni, are virtually confined to the western semi-arid regions of southern Africa. Hyalomma truncatum, R. capensis and R. glabroscutatum were the most numerous of the ticks recovered, and eland, Taurotragus oryx, were the most heavily infested with the former two species and gemsbok, Oryx gazella, and mountain reedbuck, Redunca fulvorufula, with R. glabroscutatum.

The objective of this study was to make an inventory of the ixodid tick species infesting wild animals in three western, semi-arid nature reserves in South Africa. To this end 22 animals in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, 10 in the West Coast National Park and 16 in the Karoo National Park were examined. Fourteen tick species were recovered, of which Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus exoph thalmos and Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum were each present in two reserves and the remainder only in one. The distributions of two of the 14 tick species recovered, namely Rhipicephalus capensis and Rhipicephalus neumanni, are virtually confined to the western semi-arid regions of southern Africa. Hyalomma truncatum, R. capensis and R. glabroscutatum were the most numerous of the ticks recovered, and eland, Taurotragus oryx, were the most heavily infested with the former two species and gemsbok, Oryx gazella, and mountain reedbuck, Redunca fulvorufula, with R. glabroscutatum.