IXODID TICKS COLLECTED AT THE FACULTY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE, ONDERSTEPOORT, FROM DOGS DIAGNOSED WITH BABESIA-CANIS INFECTION

In an attempt to identify the vectors of Babesia canis, ticks were col lected over a period of 3 years from a total of 395 dogs diagnosed as infected with this protozoan parasite at the Veterinary Faculty, Onder stepoort. Haemaphysalis leachi was the only tick species recovered fro m 164 of these dogs, and it occurred in mixed infestation on a further 140 of the dogs. Rhipicephalus sanguineus was collected in pure infes tation from 59 dogs with a further 87 harbouring mixed infestations. S ixteen dogs harboured only Rhipicephalus simus and 58 others carried t his tick in mixed infestations. Because the incubation period of B. ca nis is thought to be longer than the time most ixodid ticks spend on t heir hosts, no conclusion can be made on the vector status of any of t he tick species. However, the majority of dogs diagnosed with clinical canine babesiosis at Onderstepoort were concurrently infested with H. leachi.