Blowflies as vectors of Bacillus anthracis in the Kruger National Park

dc.contributor.authorBasson, Lizanne
dc.contributor.authorHassim, Ayesha
dc.contributor.authorDekker, At
dc.contributor.authorGilbert, Allison
dc.contributor.authorBeyer, Wolfgang
dc.contributor.authorRossouw, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorVan Heerden, Henriette
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-27T09:21:03Z
dc.date.available2018-09-27T09:21:03Z
dc.date.issued2018-06-26
dc.description.abstractAnthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, is endemic in the Kruger National Park (KNP). The epidemiology of B. anthracis is dependent on various factors including vectors. The aims of this study were to examine non-biting blowflies for the presence of B. anthracis externally and internally after feeding on an anthrax-infected carcass and to determine the role of flies in disseminating B. anthracis onto the surrounding vegetation. During an anthrax outbreak in 2014 in the endemic Pafuri region, blowflies associated with two 2–3-day-old anthrax-positive carcasses (kudu and impala) as well as surrounding vegetation were collected and investigated for the presence of B. anthracis spores. The non-biting blowflies (n = 57) caught included Chrysomya albiceps, Ch. marginalis and Lucilia spp. Bacillus anthracis spores were isolated from 65.5% and 25.0% of blowflies collected from the kudu and impala carcasses, respectively. Chrysomya albiceps and Ch. marginalis have the potential to disseminate B. anthracis to vegetation from infected carcasses and may play a role in the epidemiology of anthrax in the KNP. No B. anthracis spores were initially isolated from leaves of the surrounding vegetation using selective media. However, 170 and 500 spores were subsequently isolated from Abutilon angulatum and Acacia sp. leaves, respectively, when using sheep blood agar. CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS : The results obtained in this study have no direct conservation implications and only assist in the understanding of the spread of the disease.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentVeterinary Tropical Diseasesen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2018en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipThe National Research Foundation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Agricultural Sector Education and Training Authority (AgriSETA).en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.koedoe.co.zaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBasson, L., Hassim, A., Dekker, A., Gilbert, A., Beyer, W., Rossouw, J. & Van Heerden, H., 2018, ‘Blowflies as vectors of Bacillus anthracis in the Kruger National Park’, Koedoe 60(1), a1468. https://DOI.org/10.4102/koedoe.v60i1.1468.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0075-6458 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2071-0771 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/koedoe.v60i1.1468
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/66652
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAOSIS Open Journalsen_ZA
dc.rights© 2018. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectAnthraxen_ZA
dc.subjectConservationen_ZA
dc.subjectBacillus anthracisen_ZA
dc.subjectKruger National Park (KNP)en_ZA
dc.subjectKruger National Park (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africa (SA)en_ZA
dc.subjectTransmissionen_ZA
dc.subjectEpizooticsen_ZA
dc.subjectBacteriaen_ZA
dc.subjectWildlifeen_ZA
dc.subjectDipteraen_ZA
dc.subjectBlowfliesen_ZA
dc.titleBlowflies as vectors of Bacillus anthracis in the Kruger National Parken_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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