Makwarela Tsireledzo Goodwill, Seoraj-Pillai Nimmi, Nangammbi Tshifhiwa Constance
Department of Nature Conservation, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Staatsartillerie Rd, Pretoria West, Pretoria 0183, South Africa.
Vet Sci. 2025 Apr 13;12(4):364. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12040364.
Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) significantly impact African animal health and agricultural productivity, especially at the wildlife-livestock interface. This systematic review analyzed 20 eligible studies from East, Southern, and limited parts of Central Africa to determine the distribution and prevalence of key tick species and associated pathogens. and were the most commonly reported tick species, with exhibiting up to 50.5% prevalence in cattle and buffalo in Uganda. The most frequently detected pathogens included , , and , with showing high prevalence in cattle populations coexisting with wildlife. Notably, geographic disparities were observed, with Central and West Africa being underrepresented. Most pathogen detections occurred in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Botswana, and South Africa, indicating regional hotspots for tick-borne disease transmission. This review highlights the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, region-specific vector control programs, and integrated One Health approaches to address the ecological, agricultural, and zoonotic challenges of tick-borne pathogens across Africa.
蜱虫及蜱传疾病（TBDs）对非洲动物健康和农业生产力有重大影响，尤其是在野生动物与家畜的交界处。本系统综述分析了来自东非、南非和中非部分地区的20项符合条件的研究，以确定主要蜱虫种类及相关病原体的分布和流行情况。 和 是最常报告的蜱虫种类，在乌干达的牛和水牛中， 的流行率高达50.5%。最常检测到的病原体包括 、 和 ， 在与野生动物共存的牛群中流行率很高。值得注意的是，观察到地理差异，中非和西非的研究较少。大多数病原体检测发生在肯尼亚、乌干达、坦桑尼亚、博茨瓦纳和南非，表明这些地区是蜱传疾病传播的热点地区。本综述强调迫切需要加强监测、制定针对特定区域的病媒控制计划，并采用综合的“同一健康”方法，以应对非洲蜱传病原体在生态、农业和人畜共患病方面的挑战。
