Wildlife held in the Kruger National Park.
Nkululeko says it all started with small-scale studies
that he conducted along with colleagues on the
ecology and distribution of tick species in the Eastern
Cape Province.
“This led to the development of a much larger study
that included localities with different agro-ecological
zones, including aspects of animal management
practices as well as veld management,” he
remembers.
Major research findings: climate change, animal
movement is allowing ticks to change their
distribution/to re-distribute
He has since published ten research papers in peer-
reviewed journals about his work – not bad for a
newly graduated PhD.
One of his first significant findings was that the alien
pantropical blue tick (Rhipicephalus microplus),
a parasite that originated in Asia has spread to
Namibia. It probably piggybacked on livestock
imported from South Africa. The tick is linked to tick
fever (babesiosis), and gall sickness (anaplasmosis) in
cattle.
In his latest paper, published in the Journal of the
South African Veterinary Association, he sets out how
this tick has slowly but surely expanded its range
across South Africa. It was previously thought to
occur only in the northern and eastern parts of the
country. Worryingly, Nyangiwe’s studies have shown
that the pantropical blue tick is now also present
throughout the coastal region of the Eastern Cape,
as well as the north-eastern region of the Northern
Cape province. One record was made for the Free
State. In the Western Cape, it was found on animals
from farms near Wellington, Stellenbosch and
Kuilsriver. Many of these animals are part of breeding
stocks that are regularly transported to and from the
northern grassland and savanna regions of South
Africa.
Nkululeko Nyangiwe Photo credit Sonja Matthee
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
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