Original Research

Distribution of endemic and introduced tick species in Free State Province, South Africa

Ivan G. Horak, Adri J. Jordaan, Pierre J. Nel, Joseph van Heerden, Heloise Heyne, Ellie M. van Dalen
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association | Vol 86, No 1 | a1255 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v86i1.1255 | © 2015 Ivan G. Horak, Adri J. Jordaan, Pierre J. Nel, Joseph van Heerden, Heloise Heyne, Ellie M. van Dalen | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 24 November 2014 | Published: 09 June 2015

About the author(s)

Ivan G. Horak, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Adri J. Jordaan, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, South Africa; Clinvet International, Universitas, South Africa
Pierre J. Nel, Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Free State Province, South Africa
Joseph van Heerden, Kimberley Veterinary Clinic, Kimberley, South Africa
Heloise Heyne, Parasites, Vectors and Vector-borne Diseases Programme, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, South Africa
Ellie M. van Dalen, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, South Africa

Abstract

The distributions of endemic tick vector species as well as the presence of species not endemic to Free State Province, South Africa, were determined during surveys or opportunistic collections from livestock, wildlife and vegetation. Amongst endemic ticks, the presence of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was confirmed in the north of the province, whilst Rhipicephalus decoloratus was collected at 31 localities mostly in the centre and east, and Ixodes rubicundus at 11 localities in the south, south-west and centre of the province. Amongst the non-endemic species adult Amblyomma hebraeum were collected from white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) on four privately owned farms, whilst the adults of Rhipicephalus microplus were collected from cattle and a larva from vegetation at four localities in the east of the province. The collection of Rhipicephalus evertsi mimeticus from a sheep in the west of the province is the second record of its presence in the Free State, whereas the presence of Haemaphysalis silacea on helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) and vegetation in the centre of the province represents a first record for this species in the Free State. The first collection of the argasid tick, Ornithodoros savignyi, in the Free State was made from a domestic cow and from soil in the west of the province. The localities at which the ticks were collected have been plotted and the ticks’ role in the transmission or cause of disease in domestic livestock and wildlife is discussed.

Keywords

disease implications; domestic livestock; Free State Province; introduced ticks; wildlife

Metrics

Total abstract views: 4867
Total article views: 9206

 

Crossref Citations

1. An analysis of the gaps in the South African DNA barcoding library of ticks of veterinary and public health importance
Nozipho Khumalo, Mamohale Chaisi, Rebecca Magoro, Monica Mwale
Genome  vol: 67  issue: 11  first page: 392  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1139/gen-2024-0052

2. Development of a practical framework for sustainable surveillance and control of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Africa
Felix Nchu, Nkululeko Nyangiwe, Dennis Muhanguzi, Jahashi Nzalawahe, Yakob Petro Nagagi, George Msalya, Natala Audu Joseph, Esther Gwae Kimaro, Margaret Mollel, Violet Temba, Difo Voukang Harouna
Veterinary World  vol: 13  issue: 9  first page: 1910  year: 2020  
doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.1910-1921

3. Distribution of Rhipicephalus microplus and Hyalomma lusitanicum, and the pathogens they are carrying: A systematic review
Afito Luciano, Binta J.J. Jallow, Mandie Liu, Yuting Ma, Regina Daniel Miambo, Fanming Meng
Parasite Epidemiology and Control  vol: 30  first page: e00437  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2025.e00437

4. Tick Diversity and Distribution of Hard (Ixodidae) Cattle Ticks in South Africa
Tsireledzo G. Makwarela, Nkululeko Nyangiwe, Tracy Masebe, Sikhumbuzo Mbizeni, Lucky T. Nesengani, Appolinaire Djikeng, Ntanganedzeni O. Mapholi
Microbiology Research  vol: 14  issue: 1  first page: 42  year: 2023  
doi: 10.3390/microbiolres14010004

5. Haemaphysalis wellingtoni (Acari: Ixodidae) from the helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (Galliformes: Numididae): A new tick-host record in Peninsular Malaysia
Abdul Rahman Kazim, Vellayan Subramaniam, Jamal Houssaini, Dennis Tappe, Chong Chin Heo
Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports  vol: 47  first page: 100965  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100965

6. Ticks of domestic animals in Lesotho: Morphological and molecular characterization
Sibonginhlanhla I.C. Mahlobo-Shwabede, Oliver T. Zishiri, Oriel M.M. Thekisoe, Deon Bakkes, Lineo Bohloa, Marosi Molomo, Mabusetsa J.R. Makalo, Gerard R. Mahloane, Moses S. Mtshali
Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports  vol: 29  first page: 100691  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100691

7. Efficacy and safety of ethanolic Curcuma longa extract as a treatment for sand tampan ticks in a rabbit model
Sobhy Abdel-Shafy, Abdullah D. Alanazi, Hanan S. M. Gabr, Ahmad M. Allam, Hala A. A. Abou-Zeina, Ragab A. Masoud, Doaa E. Soliman, Mohammad Yahya Alshahrani
Veterinary World  vol: 13  issue: 4  first page: 812  year: 2020  
doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.812-820

8. Competitive displacement and acaricide resistance of two Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) species collected on commercial farms in South Africa
Ellie M. S. P. van Dalen, Candice Jansen van Rensburg
Experimental and Applied Acarology  vol: 92  issue: 1  first page: 135  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1007/s10493-023-00871-7

9. Investigating the diversity of the 18S SSU rRNA hyper-variable region of Theileria in cattle and Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) from southern Africa using a next generation sequencing approach
Ben J. Mans, Ronel Pienaar, John Ratabane, Boitumelo Pule, Abdalla A. Latif
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases  vol: 7  issue: 5  first page: 869  year: 2016  
doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.04.005

10. Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XLIX. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting white and black rhinoceroses in southern Africa
Ivan G. Horak, Christiaan R. Boshoff, David V. Cooper, Christoper M. Foggin, Danny Govender, Alan Harrison, Guy Hausler, Markus Hofmeyr, J. Werner Kilian, Duncan N. MacFadyen, Pierre J. Nel, Dean Peinke, David Squarre, David Zimmermann
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research  vol: 84  issue: 1  year: 2017  
doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v84i1.1301

11. Systematic review and meta-analysis of acaricidal properties of plant derived products against Ixodid ticks population
Nisha Bisht, Ashutosh Fular, Srikanta Ghosh, Sarah Nanyiti
Discover Applied Sciences  vol: 7  issue: 3  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1007/s42452-025-06629-7

12. A descriptive study of parasites detected in ticks of domestic animals in Lesotho
Sibonginhlanhla Innocentia Mahlobo, Oliver Tendayi Zishiri
Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports  vol: 25  first page: 100611  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100611

13. Unravelling the diversity of Anaplasma species circulating in selected African wildlife hosts by targeted 16S microbiome analysis
S. Marcus Makgabo, Kelly A. Brayton, Marinda C. Oosthuizen, Nicola E. Collins
Current Research in Microbial Sciences  vol: 5  first page: 100198  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2023.100198

14. Review of Molecular Tools Used in Diagnosis of Babesia spp. and Anaplasma spp. Infection in Wild Boar and Their Ticks—20 Years Retrospective Review
Ioan Cristian Dreghiciu, Diana Hoffman, Mirela Imre, Ion Oprescu, Simona Dumitru, Tiana Florea, Sorin Morariu, Vlad Iorgoni, Anamaria Plesko, Gabriel Orghici, Marius Stelian Ilie
Animals  vol: 15  issue: 15  first page: 2211  year: 2025  
doi: 10.3390/ani15152211

15. Geographic distribution of boophilid ticks in communal grazing cattle in the north-eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Mandla Yawa, Nkululeko Nyangiwe, Ishmael Festus Jaja, Charles T. Kadzere, Munyaradzi Christopher Marufu
Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports  vol: 23  first page: 100538  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100538

16. Molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from wild animals in six provinces of South Africa
Eva Bártová, Ali Halajian, Marie Budíková, Alena Žákovská, Heloise Heyne
Acta Tropica  vol: 274  first page: 107976  year: 2026  
doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107976

17. Harm or protection? The adaptive function of tick toxins
Péter Apari, Gábor Földvári
Evolutionary Applications  vol: 14  issue: 2  first page: 271  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1111/eva.13123

18. Range expansion of the economically important Asiatic blue tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, in South Africa
Nkululeko Nyangiwe, Ivan G. Horak, Luther Van der Mescht, Sonja Matthee
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association  vol: 88  year: 2017  
doi: 10.4102/jsava.v88i0.1482

19. Molecular Detection of Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia africae and Anaplasma Species in Ticks from Domestic Animals in Lesotho
Sibonginhlanhla I. C. Mahlobo-Shwabede, Oliver T. Zishiri, Oriel M. M. Thekisoe, Mabusetsa J. R. Makalo
Pathogens  vol: 10  issue: 9  first page: 1186  year: 2021  
doi: 10.3390/pathogens10091186

20. Molecular genotyping and epidemiology of equine piroplasmids in South Africa
Raksha Vasantrai Bhoora, Nicola Elaine Collins, Leonhard Schnittger, Christo Troskie, Ratselane Marumo, Karien Labuschagne, Rae Marvin Smith, Desire Lee Dalton, Sikhumbuzo Mbizeni
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases  vol: 11  issue: 2  first page: 101358  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101358

21. Vector abundance and associated abiotic factors that influence the distribution of ticks in six provinces of South Africa
Tsireledzo G. Makwarela, Appolinaire Djikeng, Tracy M. Masebe, Nyangiwe Nkululeko, Lucky T. Nesengani, Ntanganedzeni O. Mapholi
Veterinary World  first page: 1765  year: 2024  
doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1765-1777

22. Tick distribution and comparative analysis of bovine blood microbiome in two provinces of South Africa using 16S rRNA PacBio sequencing approach
Bongekile L. Khoza, Charles Byaruhanga, S. Marcus Makgabo, Nkululeko Nyangiwe, Themba Mnisi, Samukelo Nxumalo, Marinda C. Oosthuizen, Zamantungwa T. H. Mnisi
Frontiers in Tropical Diseases  vol: 5  year: 2024  
doi: 10.3389/fitd.2024.1399364

23. Identifying and Mapping Ticks on Wild Boars from Romania
Ioan Cristian Dreghiciu, Mirela Imre, Diana Hoffman, Ion Oprescu, Vlad Iorgoni, Simona Giubega, Sorin Morariu, Marius Stelian Ilie
Animals  vol: 15  issue: 8  first page: 1092  year: 2025  
doi: 10.3390/ani15081092

24. Tick‐Borne Viruses in Finland: Public Health Risks, Interventions and Research Insights
Theophilus Yaw Alale, Tero Klemola, Jani J. Sormunen, Heli Harvala, Laura Kakkola, Jessica Tikkala, Eero J. Vesterinen
Veterinary Medicine and Science  vol: 11  issue: 6  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1002/vms3.70638

25. Morphological and molecular description of immature stages of Ornithodoros savignyi (Acari: Argasidae)
Sobhy Abdel-Shafy, Hanan S. M. Gabr, Hend H. A. M. Abdullah, Mona S. Mahmoud
Parasitology Research  vol: 115  issue: 8  first page: 3033  year: 2016  
doi: 10.1007/s00436-016-5058-6

26. Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes of Communal Farmers Toward Tick-Borne Diseases: Review of South African Case Studies
Ditebogo Sharon Molapo, Tsireledzo Goodwill Makwarela, Nimmi Seoraj-Pillai, Mogaletloa Eugene Madiseng, Tshifhiwa Constance Nangammbi
Parasitologia  vol: 6  issue: 1  first page: 2  year: 2025  
doi: 10.3390/parasitologia6010002

27. First survey of ticks, tick-borne pathogens (Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia) and Trypanosoma evansi in protected areas for threatened wild ruminants in Tunisia
Yousra Said, Samia Lahmar, Mokhtar Dhibi, Mohamed Ridha Rjeibi, Mohamed Jdidi, Mohamed Gharbi
Parasitology International  vol: 81  first page: 102275  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102275