Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa.
Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 2009 Jun;76(2):235-48. doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v76i2.48.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine tick infestation, and udder and teat damage in 286 lactating cows and heifers at six properties in the smallholder and commercial sectors in Gwanda district of Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe. Eight tick species were identified: Amblyomma hebraeum, Hyalomma truncatum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus zambeziensis and Rhipicephalus simus. Overall, 81.5% of the cattle were tick infested; prevalence of tick-infested cattle was significantly higher on communal land (93.8%) and recently claimed land (85.1%) than on commercial farms. The mean tick load on infested cattle on communal land was significantly higher than in the other two sectors. Although 53% of the sampled cattle had some degree of udder and teat damage, very few farmers (2.6%) treated their cattle for these conditions. Udder damage was ca. two times and three times, respectively, more likely to occur in cattle on communal land compared to cattle on recently claimed land and commercial farms. The occurrence of R. appendiculatus and R. zambeziensis indicate that the cattle population in the study area is at high risk of a theileriosis outbreak, a tick-borne disease that has not been reported from this area.
在津巴布韦南马塔贝莱兰省格万达地区的 6 个小型农户和商业农场中，对 286 头泌乳奶牛和小母牛进行了横断面调查，以确定蜱虫感染和乳房及乳头损伤情况。共鉴定出 8 种蜱虫：血红扇头蜱、钝缘蜱、边缘革蜱、角马无纹牛蜱、四角无纹牛蜱、边缘革蜱、斑马硬蜱和钝缘革蜱。总体而言，81.5%的牛受到了蜱虫感染；在公共土地（93.8%）和新开垦土地（85.1%）上，有蜱虫感染的牛的流行率显著高于商业农场。在公共土地上感染蜱虫的牛的平均蜱虫负荷显著高于其他两个地区。尽管 53%的采样牛存在不同程度的乳房和乳头损伤，但很少有农民（2.6%）对这些情况进行了治疗。与最近开垦土地和商业农场的牛相比，公共土地上的牛发生乳房损伤的可能性分别高出约两倍和三倍。角马无纹牛蜱和斑马硬蜱的出现表明，研究区域的牛群面临着泰勒虫病爆发的高风险，而该地区尚未报告过这种由蜱虫传播的疾病。
