The effect of the bont tick (Amblyomma hebraeum) on the weight gain of Africander steers.

Abstract

The effects of the bont tick Amblyomma hebraeum on the productivity of cattle need to be quantified in order to design economically optimal control programs. Liveweight gains (LWGs) of three groups of Africander steers, maintained in the same pasture and exposed to zero, medium or high numbers of larvae, nymphs and adults of the tick, were measured. Larvae and nymphs had no significant effect on LWG but adults had a large, statistically significant effect (P less than 0.05). The tick-free group had an average LWG of 20 kg more than the heavily infested group after 3.5 months. No mortality was recorded from ticks or tick-borne diseases during the experiment. There was no relationship between the number of engorging adult female ticks counted and loss of LWG of individual animals. The latter suggests that exposure to ticks as well as engorgement by female ticks causes losses. The loss per adult female that completed engorgement was estimated, by relating the LWGs of individual animals to their tick infestations, to be 4 +/- 2 g per adult female tick. An alternative estimate, made by comparing the average LWG and tick infestations of each treatment group, was equal to 10 +/- 4 g. This latter estimate includes the effect of challenge (and rejection) as well as tick feeding and so was accepted as giving the best estimate. Screw-worm fly (Chrysomya bezziana) struck an average of 7.5% of the cattle infested with ticks in any week but the effects on the productivity of the cattle were minimized by immediate treatment. There was a significant, positive correlation between the incidence of screw-worm fly strike and the numbers of adult ticks counted on the experimental animals. The results provide data for calculating losses caused by A. hebraeum in different parts of its geographical range.