Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Tick Species Infesting Cattle in South Africa.

Ticks are a significant threat to livestock globally, with certain species displaying distinct host preferences at various developmental stages. Accurate species-level identification is essential for studying tick populations, implementing control strategies, and understanding disease dynamics. This study evaluated ticks infesting cattle across six provinces in South Africa using morphological and molecular methods.

Prevalence and tick loads in Nguni cattle reared in different environmental conditions across four provinces of South Africa.

Background And Aim: In tropical and subtropical countries, ixodid ticks are among livestock's most economically important ectoparasites. Although Nguni cattle from South Africa have adapted to harsh environments, it is unknown whether they will be resistant to ticks, and the diseases carried by ticks under various climatic conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to compare tick load and estimate the prevalence of different tick species among Nguni cattle under different environmental conditions.

Pathogenic and Endosymbiotic Bacteria and Their Associated Antibiotic Resistance Biomarkers in and Ticks Infesting Nguni Cattle ( spp.).

Deciphering the interactions between ticks and their microbiome is key to revealing new insights on tick biology and pathogen transmission. However, knowledge on tick-borne microbiome diversity and their contribution to drug resistance is scarce in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), despite endemism of ticks. In this study, high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and PICRUSt predictive function profiling were used to characterize the bacterial community structure and associated antibiotic resistance markers in , and ticks infesting Nguni cattle ( spp.

Genetic diversity and relationships among three Southern African Nguni cattle populations.

The Nguni cattle breed has distinct populations that are adapted to the different ecological zones of Southern Africa. This study was carried out to assess genetic diversity and establish the relationships among South African (SA), Mozambican (Landim), and Swazi Nguni cattle populations, using 25 microsatellite markers. Genotypic data were generated from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples of 90 unrelated individuals of the three cattle populations, collected from government conservations and stud herds.

Towards a genomics approach to tick (Acari: Ixodidae) control in cattle: a review.

Ticks and tick-borne disease (TBD) are major challenges to cattle production in the tropics and subtropics. Economic losses associated with ticks amount to billions of dollars annually. Although efforts to eradicate ticks and TBD using chemical control strategies have been implemented in many developing countries for decades, these acaricides are costly, and cattle susceptibility to ticks remains unchanged.