A survey of tick species on cattle and African buffaloes in the Tsavo Conservation Area, Kenya

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the tick species that infest African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) with those that infest domestic cattle in the Tsavo Conservation Area in Kenya. To this end ticks were collected from cattle and African buffaloes within the study locality. Fourteen tick species belonging to the genera Amblyomma, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus were collected. Eight species, namely Amblyomma gemma, Amblyomma lepidum, Hyalomma albiparmatum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus pravus and Rhipicephalus pulchellus, were collected from cattle and from buffaloes sampled during the study period. Three species, namely Hyalomma impeltatum, Rhipicephalus humeralis and Rhipicephalus praetextatus, were present only on buffaloes, and three, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) sp., Rhipicephalus kochi, and Rhipicephalus muehlensi, were collected only from cattle. Of all the ticks collected, those of the genus Amblyomma are associated with the highest risk of disease and possibly with severe losses in cattle in the area. New locality records for H. impeltatum and H. truncatum were determined and the first locality records for R. praetextatus sensu stricto in Kenya are reported.