Invasive cattle ticks in East Africa : morphological and molecular confirmation of the presence of Rhipicephalus microplus in south‑eastern Uganda

dc.contributor.authorMuhanguzi, Dennis
dc.contributor.authorByaruhanga, Joseph
dc.contributor.authorAmanyire, Wilson
dc.contributor.authorNdekezi, Christian
dc.contributor.authorOchwo, Sylvester
dc.contributor.authorNkamwesiga, Joseph
dc.contributor.authorMwiine, Frank Norbert
dc.contributor.authorTweyongyere, Robert
dc.contributor.authorJosephus Fourie
dc.contributor.authorMadder, Maxime
dc.contributor.authorSchetters, Theo
dc.contributor.authorHorak, Ivan Gerard
dc.contributor.authorJuleff, Nick
dc.contributor.authorJongejan, Frans
dc.date.accessioned2021-04-20T09:26:35Z
dc.date.available2021-04-20T09:26:35Z
dc.date.issued2020-04-03
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND : Rhipicephalus microplus, an invasive tick species of Asian origin and the main vector of Babesia species, is considered one of the most widespread ectoparasites of livestock. The tick has spread from its native habitats on translocated livestock to large parts of the tropical world, where it has replaced some of the local populations of Rhipicephalus decoloratus ticks. Although the tick was reported in Uganda 70 years ago, it has not been found in any subsequent surveys. This study was carried out to update the national tick species distribution on livestock in Uganda as a basis for tick and tick-borne disease control, with particular reference to R. microplus. METHODS : The study was carried out in Kadungulu, Serere district, south-eastern Uganda, which is dominated by small scale livestock producers. All the ticks collected from 240 cattle from six villages were identified microscopically. Five R. microplus specimens were further processed for phylogenetic analysis and species confirmation. RESULTS : The predominant tick species found on cattle was Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (86.9 %; n = 16,509). Other species found were Amblyomma variegatum (7.2 %; n = 1377), Rhipicephalus evertsi (2.3 %; n = 434) and R. microplus (3.6 %; n = 687). Phylogenetic analysis of the 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and ITS2 gene sequences of R. microplus confirmed the morphological identification. CONCLUSIONS : It is concluded that R. microplus has replaced R. decoloratus in the sampled villages in Kadungulu subcounty, since the latter was not any longer found in this area. There is currently no livestock movement policy in force in Uganda, which could possibly limit the further spread of R. microplus ticks. Future surveys, but also retrospective surveys of museum specimens, will reveal the extent of distribution of R. microplus in Uganda and also for how long this tick has been present on livestock without being noticed.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentVeterinary Tropical Diseasesen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2021en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipThe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) through ClinVet International (Pty), the Makerere University-Uganda Virus Research Institute Centre of Excellence for Infection and Immunity Research and Training (MUII), the DELTAS Africa Initiative, the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency, the Wellcome Trust and the UK government.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.parasitesandvectors.comen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMuhanguzi, D., Byaruhanga, J., Amanyire, W. et al. 2020, 'Invasive cattle ticks in East Africa : morphological and molecular confirmation of the presence of Rhipicephalus microplus in south‑eastern Uganda', Parasites and Vectors, vol. 13, art. 165, pp. 1-9.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1756-3305 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1186/s13071-020-04043-z
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/79517
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherBioMed Centralen_ZA
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2020. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.en_ZA
dc.subjectRhipicephalus microplusen_ZA
dc.subjectTicksen_ZA
dc.subjectSerere districten_ZA
dc.subjectUgandaen_ZA
dc.subjectTick-borne diseasesen_ZA
dc.titleInvasive cattle ticks in East Africa : morphological and molecular confirmation of the presence of Rhipicephalus microplus in south‑eastern Ugandaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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