Background: Parasites contribute significantly to the decline of livestock production and productivity and consequently hamper the availability of protein food resources. Aim: This study aims to report the prevalence of parasitic diseases in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP), South Africa. Method:...

African protected areas strive to conserve the continent's great biodiversity with a targeted focus on the flagship 'Big Five' megafauna. Though often not considered, this biodiversity protection also extends to the lesser-known microbes and parasites that are maintained in these diverse...

The informal poultry and pig sector in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) of South Africa is of significant socio-economic importance as it sustains livelihoods and ensures food security; yet little is known about the distribution and prevalence of infectious and zoonotic diseases in this region. This ...

To comprehend the effects of emerging infectious diseases on both human and animal health, it is necessary to understand the ecology of pathogens that have wildlife reservoirs. In this study, we determined the prevalence of the parasites Trypanosoma spp. and filarial nematodes in the bloodstream of ...

This special section presents papers from the International Congress on Parasites of Wildlife, held in Kruger National Park, South Africa held 15-18 September 2014. Some of the papers presented summarised the history and development of research on wildlife parasites in southern Africa, the...

This section is comprised of abstracts of papers (n=11) and posters (n=9) presented at the Back to Basics Congress of the South African Association of Veterinary Technologists (SAAVT). Focus is given on different aspects (diagnosis, detection, prevalence, control, prevention, taxonomy and genetics) ...

Classical scrapie is a contagious prion disease of sheep and goats. It is endemic in many countries in Europe, North America, and Asia. In Africa, imported scrapie cases have been described in South Africa and Kenia in the past. More recently, several cases have been reported from different regions ...

Ticks are amongst the important ectoparasites where livestock are concerned, as they adversely affect the animals through bloodsucking. In tropical and subtropical countries, they transmit pathogens such as babesiosis, theileriosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis in cattle, causing a reduction in...

Parasite and pathogen incidence and prevalence is driven by both periodic variation in environmental conditions and host characteristics. Given the increasing risk of zoonotic transmission to humans, and the close phylogenetic relationship between humans and non-human primates, understanding this...