Article — Artikel

Ectoparasites of dogs belonging to people in resource-poor communities in North West Province,

N R Brysona, I G Horaka, E W Höhnb and J P Louwc

for more than 2 years, and appears to be ABSTRACT present in the blood of chronically in- A total of 344 dogs belonging to people in resource-poor communities in North West Prov- fected dogs5, which then act as reservoirs ince, South Africa, was examined for ectoparasites, and all visible were collected for the infection. from the left side of each dog. By doubling these numbers it was estimated that the dogs An outreach programme has been con- harboured 14 724 ixodid , belonging to 6 species, 1028 fleas, belonging to 2 species, and ducted by the Veterinary Faculty of the 26 lice. leachi accounted for 420 and Rhipicephalus sanguineus for 14 226 of the Medical University of South Africa ticks. Pure infestations of H. leachi were present on 14 dogs and of R. sanguineus on 172 dogs. (MEDUNSA) at the Maboloka Outreach Small numbers of Amblyomma hebraeum, R. appendiculatus, R. evertsi evertsi and R. simus were Clinic, North WestProvince, South Africa, also collected. The predominance of R. sanguineus accounts for the high prevalence of for the past decade. The present surveys canine ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis) within the survey region, compared to canine babesiosis were conducted as components of 3 (Babesia canis), which is transmitted by H. leachi, and is a much rarer disease. projects evaluating the health status of a Key words: dogs, ectoparasites, Haemaphysalis leachi, resource-poor communities, population of dogs belonging to resource- Rhipicephalus sanguineus. poor communities in this region, and the Bryson N R, Horak I G, Höhn E W,Louw J P Ectoparasites of dogs belonging to people in dog owners were clients of this clinic or of resource-poor communities in North West Province, South Africa. Journal of the South the Veterinary Faculty itself. These pro- African Veterinary Association (2000) 71(3): 175–179 (En.). Department of Veterinary Tropical jects also sought ways to elicit community Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderste- participation in control7. poort, 0110 South Africa. Results emanating from this programme indicated that the dog population had an unusually high mortality rate, with a high INTRODUCTION H. leachi is the major vector of this disease, prevalence of malnutrition, external and Surveys carried out in various countries and appears to transmit a particularly vir- internal parasites, canine ehrlichiosis, dis- around the world have shown that Rhipi- ulent strain14,32. Although R. sanguineus temper and genital tumours24–27. Various cephalus sanguineus is an extremely wide- transmits B. canis in other parts of the parameters pertaining to the dog popula- spread and common tick species on world29,32, recent research in South Africa tion in the Maboloka area were compared domestic dogs in southern Africa1,8,11–13,18, suggests that it may be unable to do so in with those of a healthy population of 22,24,27,28,32. Tick surveys indicated that this country14. Thus, although R. sangui- dogs in South Africa25,26. The Maboloka Haemaphysalis leachi, R. sanguineus and R. neus is frequently collected from dogs suf- dogs were found to be markedly anaemic, simus are the most prevalent species on fering from canine babesiosis9,14, it seems and had very high serum gammaglobulin domestic dogs3,9,19,20,24,30. This prevalence that it is not an important vector of this levels26. It was postulated that these ab- differs markedly between studies3,8,9,24,27. disease in South Africa. Serological and normalities were due to large burdens of Dogs belonging to more affluent commu- cross-immunity studies have revealed external and internal parasites coupled nities where sophisticated veterinary ser- differences between the various strains of with malnutrition26. vices are available to clients, tend to have B. canis in South Africa, North Africa and One of the objectives of this work was a higher prevalence of H. leachi3,9,10.Onthe in Europe14,32, which possibly accounts for to compare the species composition of other hand, dogs from rural townships the different transmission profiles. the tick population parasitising dogs in appear to have a higher prevalence of R. Rhipicephalus sanguineus is the only effi- resource-poor communities in the North sanguineus2,24,26. cient tick vector of Ehrlichia canis, the West Province of South Africa with those It is almost a century since it was first aetiological agent of canine ehrlichiosis, a found in other surveys. Another was to demonstrated that the yellow dog tick, H. common tick-borne disease of dogs ascertain whether the tick species present leachi, could transmit Babesia canis to world-wide4, and transmission takes could be associated with specific tick- dogs15. It can transmit the disease, known place transstadially but not transovarially5. borne diseases. as canine babesiosis, both transstadially In southern Africa, canine ehrlichiosis is and transovarially15,29. In South Africa, usually diagnosed on typical clinical signs MATERIALS AND METHODS and the identification of the specific Three hundred and forty-four ran- aDepartment of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of morulae in the monocytes of stained domly selected dogs, all owned by clients Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag blood smears16,17. Serological surveys car- of the Hospital at the Faculty of X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa. bDepartment of Companion Animal Medicine and Sur- ried out in have indicated that Veterinary Science at MEDUNSA (25° gery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Medical University of E. canis is widespread in domestic dogs in 40’S, 27°56’E), or of the Outreach Clinic at Southern Africa, MEDUNSA, 0204 South Africa. 17 (E-mail: [email protected]). that country . It is also prevalent in dogs Maboloka (25°26’S, 27°51’E), North West cOnderstepoort Veterinary Academic Research Unit, Fac- in Bloemfontein and its surrounding dis- Province, were sampled for ectoparasites. ulty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private 23 Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa. tricts, Free State, South Africa . E. canis The collections formed part of 3 separate Received: March 2000. Accepted: August 2000. may persist in the blood of infected dogs projects. The 1st group of dogs formed

0038-2809 Jl S.Afr.vet.Ass. (2000) 71(3): 175–179 175 part of a project conducted during March/ and 3 were similar. In all, 6 ixodid tick April 1989 evaluating the health status of species were recovered from the dogs. dogs belonging to clients of the Animal Pure infestations of 4 species were Hospital. The owners of these dogs be- present on 188 dogs and mixed infesta- longed mainly to the urban community of tions on 60 dogs, while 96 har- Garankuwa (25°40’S, 27°56’E) that virtu- boured no ticks (Tables 2, 3). ally surrounds the University. The dogs The other ectoparasites collected from were selected using tables of random the dogs in Groups 1 and 2 are summa- numbers in a statistical package (IBM PC rised in Table 4. Two flea species, a louse Version 3.0 1984). Only dogs older than 3 species and the larvae of a calliphorid fly months or heavier than 2.5 kg were con- were recovered from the dogs. The num- sidered. Only 1 dog was sampled if there ber of fleas collected and the number of was more than 1 in a household. dogs infested at Maboloka (Group 2) con- Fig. 1: Anatomical areas of dog sampled for The 2nd group formed part of a project ectoparasites, only left side sampled. siderably exceeded the number collected conducted during March/April 1990 to and the number of dogs infested at the evaluate changes in the health status of tral belly/groin (20 × 100 mm) (area 6). Animal Hospital (Group 1). Most fleas on dogs at the Maboloka Outreach Clinic. Collections were only made from the left the dogs at the Animal Hospital belonged The selection of dogs was random, with side of the dog and the numbers of para- to a subspecies of the cat flea Cteno- the Maboloka area divided into 4 quad- sites collected doubled to approximate cephalides felis strongylus, while most at rants with 25 dogs sampled in each quad- the total burden. All visible ectoparasites Maboloka were poultry fleas, Echidno- rant. The 3rd group was also examined were removed by forceps, and the sub- phaga gallinacea. The prevalence of C. felis during 1990 at Maboloka, and consisted of samples from each dog were pooled and strongylus was higher than that of E. dogs from 3 localities designated A, B and stored in 70 % ethanol for later identifica- gallinacea at both localities. C. Fifty dogs from each of these localities tion. were sampled only for ticks. The objective DISCUSSION of this was to evaluate various methods of RESULTS Many surveys of ixodid ticks have been community participation in tick control, The ticks collected from the dogs are conducted in southern Africa, but only a and to compare dogs at the 3 localities by listed in Tables 1, 2, 3. The dominant tick few have involved dogs. A veterinary cluster sampling. species collected in the 3 surveys were H. practitioner found the most common tick Ectoparasites were collected from the leachi and R. sanguineus, with the latter on dogs in Harare, Zimbabwe, to be H. dogs using a modification of a previously tick outnumbering the former in all in- leachi (51 %), followed by R. sanguineus published method8,24,27. The anatomical stances (Table 1). The total numbers of R. (31 %) and R. simus (9.5 %). Boophilus areas of the dog sampled for parasites are sanguineus collected from dogs examined decoloratus, R. appendiculatus, R. evertsi illustrated in Fig. 1. at the Animal Hospital (Group 1) and the evertsi and R. pravus were also present, The sites sampled were the left eyelid percentage of dogs infested with this tick indicating that the dogs must have had and a 10-mm area around the eye (area 1); were markedly lower than for the dogs at contact with domestic ruminants3. the left ear base, external and internal the Maboloka Outreach Clinic (Groups 2 In Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, pinna and ear canal (area 2); left neck and and 3). With the exception of the larger H. leachi comprised 71.4 % and R. simus shoulder (area 3); left front and back feet, burdens and greater number of dogs in- 15.7 % of the total number of ticks col- carpus/tarsus distally (area 4); left dorsal fested with H. leachi at locality C, Group 3, lected once or more each week from 4 do- tail root (50 × 50 mm) (area 5) and left ven- the tick burdens of the dogs in Groups 2 mestic dogs over 3 years10. R. sanguineus

Table 1: Major ixodid tick species collected from dogs during 3 surveys conducted in North West Province, South Africa.

Group No. of dogs Haemaphysalis leachi Rhipicephalus sanguineus Nymphs Males Females No. infested Larvae Nymphs Males Females No. infested

1 (Medunsa) 94 0 20 16 7 4 94 194 118 32 2 (Maboloka) 100 4 2 4 4 206 1444 1366 602 75 3 (Maboloka) A 50 0 58 4 8 364 1478 1090 646 45 B 50 0 24 14 7 96 1468 1622 800 37 C 50 0 116 158 29 112 456 2138 1250 39

Table 2: Ixodid ticks collected from 344 dogs during 3 surveys in North West Province, South Africa.

Species Total number collected No. infested Larvae Nymphs Males Females Total Relative % abundance

A. hebraeum 20 6 2 0 28 0.19 11 H. leachi 0 4 220 196 420 2.85 55 R. appendiculatus 10 0 0 2 12 0.08 4 R. evertsi evertsi 2 0 0 0 2 0.01 1 R. sanguineus 782 3618 6410 3416 14226 96.62 228 R. simus 0 0 20 16 36 0.25 11

176 0038-2809 Tydskr.S.Afr.vet.Ver. (2000) 71(3): 175–179 Table3: The prevalence of tick infestation on 344 dogs in North West Province, South Africa.

Tick species Number of dogs harbouring: pure infestations mixed infestations no ticks

Amblyomma hebraeum 1 Haemaphysalis leachi 14 60 96 Rhipicephalus sanguineus 172 Rhipicephalus simus 1

Table 4: Arthropods collected from dogs during 2 surveys conducted in North West Province, South Africa.

Group No. of dogs Number of arthropods collected and number of dogs infested (n) Ctenocephalides Echidnophaga Heterodoxus Cordylobia felis strongylus gallinacea spiniger anthropophaga Adult Adult Adults/nymphs Larvae

1 (Medunsa) 94 64 (21) 12 (3) 10 (2) 2 (1) 2 (Maboloka) 100 230 (41) 714 (30) 16 (4) 0 was not found on these dogs. In a study at species on dogs belonging to members of neus is common on dogs there18. The large the Veterinary Faculty, University of rural communities in northeastern number of R. sanguineus collected in the Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 77.0 % of 395 KwaZulu-Natal, as well as on farm dogs present survey is in agreement with the dogs diagnosed with B. canis infection in southeastern North West Province, findings of previous workers in this were infested with H. leachi, and 37.0 % South Africa. R. sanguineus has not been region, who also found it to be the and 18.7 % with R. sanguineus and R. collected from any of the dogs in these predominant tick species24,27. simus respectively9. The dogs in both surveys. Many of the earlier records of R. these surveys, like those in the Zimbabwe Various surveys conducted world-wide sanguineus, from hosts other than domes- survey, belonged to owners from more indicate that R. sanguineus is a common tic dogs, probably refer to R. turanicus, a affluent communities than those in the parasite of dogs and that its distribution tick with which it is easily confused34. current survey.In contrast to the results of may be expanding. In 1946 it was listed Because all stages of development of R. earlier surveys conducted in the same from 26 states in the United States of sanguineus make virtually exclusive use of region as the current survey and in which America; it has now been recorded from dogs as hosts34, animals that are confined no H. leachi was recovered24,27, small all 50 states34. It has also spread to regions in kennels, houses or small gardens, or are numbers were collected during this of Argentina where it was not previously chained, are more likely to be infected study. Canine babesiosis is not common at present6. In Queensland, Australia, it was with this tick9. Forty-two percent of the Maboloka24,27, and this is probably directly the most prevalent tick on 112 sheep dogs dogs at Maboloka were either chained or related to the low prevalence H. leachi on examined1, and in a survey of stray dogs kept in cages24,27, providing ideal condi- dogs in this region. in the Rabat region of Morocco, it was tions for the tick to flourish12. The smaller H. leachi is present in the eastern half found on 68 % of the dogs22. Of 105 stray proportion of dogs infested and the lower and southern regions of South Africa and dogs examined at the Central Veterinary burdens of R. sanguineus on the dogs sur- throughout Zimbabwe, even in those Laboratory in Kabul, Afghanistan, nearly veyed at the Animal Hospital of lowveld and other arid areas where the 30 % had ticks, and 10 of these were in- MEDUNSA compared with those at the average annual rainfall might seem too fested with R. sanguineus13. In Oklahoma Maboloka clinic, probably reflect the low for the tick’s survival19. In South and Arkansas, USA, 870 domestic dogs more affluent urban environment from Africa and Zimbabwe the preferred hosts were examined and a total of 74 865 which the owners of the former dogs of adult H. leachi are all members of the ticks collected, of which 62 % were R. come as opposed to that of the latter. The family Canidae (including jackals), sanguineus12. The last survey also indi- large population of R. sanguineus on the hyaenas, the large cats, and viverrids, cated that R. sanguineus was more fre- dogs at the Outreach Clinic is clearly one while the larvae and nymphs prefer quently present on the head, neck and of the most important reasons for the murid rodents10,19. It has been suggested back of the dogs, as well as being present high prevalence of canine ehrlichiosis in that the distribution of H. leachi is affected between the toes12. Thirty percent of 820 animals served by this facility24,27. more by the abundance of rodent hosts dogs examined by Nigerian veterinarians Another characteristic of our survey for the immature stages than by climate19. at various clinics had ticks, and 160 were was the almost total absence of R. simus. Dogs belonging to wealthy owners with infested with R. sanguineus31. As mentioned earlier, this species ac- large suburban gardens and probably A survey conducted in Porto Alegre counted for 9.5 %, of the ticks collected getting regular exercise outside the gar- City, Brazil, indicated that 93.2 % of the from dogs in Harare, Zimbabwe, and den confines, and dogs in semi-rural or 450 dogs examined were infested with R. 15.7 % and 18.7 % from dogs in the East- rural environments are both likely to sanguineus and that it was by far the most ern Cape Province and at the Veterinary come into contact with ticks nurtured on abundant species28. In addition, a total of Faculty, Onderstepoort, South Africa, rodents and thus tend to have a high 31 out of 32 farm dogs examined in respectively3,9,10. It is also one of the domi- prevalence of H. leachi infestations. In 2 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro were nant species on dogs currently being sur- surveys currently being conducted by infested with this tick33. Recent work in veyed by I.G.H. in northeastern I.G.H., H. leachi is one of the dominant Israel has demonstrated that R. sangui- KwaZulu-Natal and on farm dogs in

0038-2809 Jl S.Afr.vet.Ass. (2000) 71(3): 175–179 177 southeastern North West Province, South lower prevalence than that of C. felis 7. Höhn E W, Williams J H, Kirkpatrick R D Africa. R. simus is widespread in the strongylus, reflects its tendency to stick 1992 A qualitative study of the attitudes of members of a developing community to- moister regions of southern Africa and fast in clumps, thus making it easier to see wards their dogs and veterinary services. the adults prefer domestic dogs, large and collect. The smaller number of fleas Journal of the South African Veterinary Associa- wild carnivores, suids, equids and domes- and lower prevalence of infestation at the tion 63: 121–124 tic cattle as hosts34. The immature stages Animal Hospital compared to the Out- 8. Horak I G 1982 Parasites of domestic and prefer murid rodents20,34. In Zimbabwe it reach Clinic, is probably related to the wild animals in South Africa. XIV. The sea- sonal prevalence of Rhipicephalus sangui- has been noted that R. simus rarely occurs more affluent urban environment of their neus and Ctenocephalides spp. on kennelled in communal grazing areas because of owners. Only 1 louse species (Heterodoxus dogs in Pretoria-North. Onderstepoort Jour- overgrazing20. Similar conditions existed spiniger) was recovered in the present nal of Veterinary Research 49: 63–68 at Maboloka, where many of the dogs survey, and then only in small numbers, 9. Horak I G 1995 Ixodid ticks collected at the were restrained in a very arid environ- and from only 6 of 194 dogs. Faculty of Veterinary Science Onderste- poort, from dogs diagnosed with Babesia ment, especially during winter. This was Myiasis, caused by the larvae of Cordy- canis infection. Journal of the South African probably not conducive to vegetation lobia anthropophaga, is common in the Veterinary Association 66: 170–171 cover, or the survival of rodent hosts. survey region24,27, and some dogs exam- 10. Horak I G, Jacot-Guillarmod A, Moolman The presence of Amblyomma hebraeum, ined at the Clinic have had more than 50 L C, De VosV 1987 Parasites of domestic and R. appendiculatus and R. evertsi evertsi on larvae embedded in their skins. The very wild animals in South Africa. XXII. Ixodid ticks on domestic dogs and on wild carni- the dogs probably reflects contact with low prevalence of C. anthrophaga in this vores. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary other domestic livestock kept by the survey was possibly due to the difficulty Research 54: 573–580 owners and confined close to the dogs at in detecting larvae in the skin of dogs that 11. Jagger T, Banks I, Walker A 1996 Travelling night. are not visibly affected, particularly if ticks. The Veterinary Record 139: 476 Surveys for arthropods on dogs have these larvae are in the 1st instar. Another 12. Koch H G 1982 Seasonal incidence and been conducted world-wide. Moroccan factor that may have played a role is that attachment sites of ticks ( ) on domestic dogs in South Eastern Oklahoma researchers recorded 18 species of para- C. anthropophaga is seasonal in its occur- and North Western Arkansas, USA. Journal sites on stray dogs, but considered only rence and is especially prevalent in mid- of Medical Entomology 19: 293–298 the fleas and ticks to be of economic im- summer, whereas these surveys were 13. Le Riche P D, Soe A K, Alemzada Q, Sharifi portance22. Ninety-five percent of the conducted in late summer. L 1988 Parasites of dogs in Kabul, Afghani- dogs harboured ctenocephalid fleas, with stan. British Veterinary Journal 144: 370–373 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 14. Lewis B D 1994 Isolation of a vector specific C. canis constituting 75 % of the flea popu- strain of Babesia canis and a preliminary 22 The cooperation of the dog owners at lation and C. felis the remaining 25 % .No investigation of its use in developing a vac- lice were found on the dogs. A survey per- the MEDUNSA Animal Hospital and the cine. MSc thesis, University of Pretoria formed on 112 sheep dogs in Queensland, Maboloka Outreach Clinic is greatly ap- 15. Lounsbury C P 1901 Transmission of malig- Australia, found that 13 % of dogs had preciated. Dr Jane Walker of the nant jaundice of the dog by a species of Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute is ticks. Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good fleas, of which 78 % were C. felis and 21 % Hope 19: 714–724 1 thanked for advice with some of the tick E. gallinacea . In Afghanistan, 105 stray 16. Matthewman L A, Kelly P J, Mahan S M, dogs were examined for parasites. More identifications, and Mrs Ann van den Semu D, Tagwira M, Bobade P A, Brouqui P, 1 Berg for secretarial assistance. The project Mason P R, Majok A, Raoult D 1993 Infec- than 3 were infested with fleas, and 3 species, namely C. canis, Pulex irritans and was funded by the Faculty of Veterinary tions with Babesia canis and Ehrlichia canis in dogs in Zimbabwe. The Veterinary Record Ceratophyllus fasciatus, were recovered13. Science of the Medical University of Southern Africa. 133: 344–346 No lice were collected. 17. Matthewman L A, Kelly P J, Bobade P A, A number of surveys on the prevalence REFERENCES Tagwira M, Mason P R, Majok A, Brouqui P, of insect species on dogs have been de- 1. Cornack K M, O’Rourke P K 1991 Parasites Raoult D 1993 Western blot and indirect scribed in sub-Saharan Africa. In of sheep dogs in the Charleville district, fluorescent antibody testing for antibodies reactive with Ehrlichia canis in sera from 820 dogs were examined at 4 veterinary Queensland. Australian Veterinary Journal 68: 149 apparently healthy dogs in Zimbabwe. clinics; 26 % of these animals were in- 2. Eckersley G N, Höhn E W,Reyers F, Turner Journal of the South African Veterinary Associa- fested with C. canis and 28 % with the G V, Wolmarans L 1992 A comparison tion 64: 111–115 louse Trichodectes canis31. Both C. canis and between the disease status of hospitalized 18. Mumucuoglu K Y, Burgan I, Ioffe- C. felis were present on kennelled dogs dogs from developed and developing Uspensky I, Manor O 1993 Rhipicephalus communities. Journal of the South African sanguineus: observations on the parasitic near Onderstepoort, South Africa, with stage on dogs in the Negev Desert of Israel. 8 Veterinary Association 63: 2–6 the latter species predominating . 3. Goldsmid J M 1963 Ticks infesting dogs in Experimental and Applied Acarology 17: An extensive cross-sectional study of the Salisbury area of Southern Rhodesia. 793–798 dogs at Maboloka, conducted by staff of Journal of the South African Veterinary Associa- 19. Norval R A I 1984 The ticks of Zimbabwe. the Veterinary Faculty at MEDUNSA, re- tion 34: 609–610 IX. Haemaphysalis leachi and Haemaphysalis spinulosa. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 15: vealed that E. gallinacea (70 %) was the 4. Green C E, Harvey J W 1984 Canine ehrlichiosis. In Green C E (ed.) Clinical mi- 9–17 predominant flea, with C. canis (2 %) crobiology and infectious diseases of the dog and 20.NorvalRAI,Mason C A 1981 The ticks of and C. felis (28 %) also present in a repre- the cat. W B Saunders, Philadelphia: Zimbabwe. II. The life cycle and distribu- sentative sample of 299 fleas24,27. Four dogs 545–561 tion of hosts of Rhipicephalus simus, Koch were infested with Heterodoxus spini- 5. Groves M G, Dennis G L, Amyx H L, 1844. Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 12: 2–9 21. Norval R A I, Daillecourt T,Pegram R G 1983 ger and 1 with Trichodectes canis. The lar- Huxsoll D L 1975 Transmission of Ehrlichia canis to dogs by ticks (Rhipicephalus The ticks of Zimbabwe. VI. The Rhipi- vae of Cordylobia anthropophaga were also sanguineus). American Journal of Veterinary cephalus sanguineus group. Zimbabwe Veteri- present24,27. Research 36: 937–940 nary Journal 13: 38–46 The close association between the dogs 6. Guglielmone A A, Vinabal A E, Mangold A J, 22. Pandey V S, Dakkak A, Elmamoune M 1987 and the free-ranging chickens of their Aguirre D H, Galdo A B 1989 An Parasites of stray dogs in the Rabat region, epizootiological study on ticks of the Morocco. Annals of Tropical Medicine and owners probably accounts for their heavy Rhipicephalus sanguineus group in the Parasitology 81: 53–55 burdens of E. gallinacea. The large num- Lerma Valley, Salta, Argentina. Revista de 23. Pretorius A M, Kelly P J 1998 Serological sur- bers of E. gallinacea recovered, despite its Medina Veterinaria Buenos Aires 70: 230–237 vey for antibodies reactive with Ehrlichia

178 0038-2809 Tydskr.S.Afr.vet.Ver. (2000) 71(3): 175–179 canis and E. chaffeensis in dogs from the Veterinary Association 59: 135–138 to the Director of Veterinary Services, Bloemfontein area, South Africa. Journal of 27. Rautenbach G H, Boomker J, De Villiers I L Onderstepoort the South African Veterinary Association 69: 1991 A descriptive study of the canine pop- 31. Ugochukwu E I, Nnadozie C C 1985 126–128 ulation in a rural town in southern Africa. Ectoparasite infestations of dogs in Bendel 24. Rautenbach G H 1986 A cross-sectional, Journal of the South African Veterinary Associa- State, Nigeria. International Journal of descriptive study of the health status of a tion 62: 158–162 Zoonoses 12: 308–312 canine population at Maboloka. M Med Vet 28. Ribeiro V L S, Weber M A, Fetzer L O, De 32. Uilenberg G, Franssen F F J, Perié N N, thesis, University of Pretoria VargasCRB1997 Species and prevalence of SpanjerAAM1989 Three groups of Babesia 25. Rautenbach G H, Booth C A, Höhn E W tick infestation of stray dogs in Porto Alegre canis distinguished and a proposed nomen- 1987 A comparison of health parameters in City, R S, Brazil. Ciencia Rural 27: 285–289 clature. The Veterinary Quarterly 11: 33–40 two different canine populations. Part I: 29. Shortt H E 1936 Life history and morphol- 33. ViannaLFCG,Bittencourt A J 1995 Tick haematological data. Journal of the South ogy of Babesia canis in the dog tick Rhipi- prevalence on farm dogs in municipalities African Veterinary Association 58: 179–182 cephalus sanguineus. Indian Journal of Medical of Rio de Janeiro. Ecossistema 20: 202–208 26. Rautenbach G H, Joubert H F 1988 A com- Research 23: 885–920 34. Walker J B, Keirans J E, Horak I G 2000 The parison of health parameters in two differ- 30. Theiler G 1962 The Ixodidae parasites of genus Rhipicephalus (Acari, Ixodidae): a ent canine populations. Part II: clinical vertebrates in Africa south of the Sahara guide to the brown ticks of the world. pathology data. Journal of the South African (Ethiopian Region), Project S 9958. Report Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

0038-2809 Jl S.Afr.vet.Ass. (2000) 71(3): 175–179 179