Biomaterial Database

The Soft Tick Ornithodoros moubata and Its Role in the Epidemiology of African Swine Fever in Central Malawi. 2023

Heather Anholt, and Vicky Hillman, and Jonathon Vaughan, and Neil Smyth

University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.

African swine fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease of pigs (Sus scrofa) caused by a double-stranded DNA virus, African swine fever virus (ASFV). With up to 100% mortality in pigs and no vaccine, the socioeconomic impacts of this disease are immense. In sub-Saharan Africa, warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) are the original vertebrate host for the virus, which is transmitted among wild suids via the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata. In Malawi, O. moubata is thought to be widely distributed, with the potential to spread ASFV beyond its historical enzootic zone in the Central Region. We surveyed 76 domestic pig farms, 18 active warthog burrows, and three bushpigs (Potamochoerus larvatus) resting sites for O. moubata in the Central Region of Malawi, and tested the ticks for ASFV using PCR. We found a limited distribution for O. moubata: 75 ticks were discovered at a single farm in the Mchinji District. Eleven percent of these ticks were ASFV positive. This suggests that wildlife and O. moubata play a limited role in the epidemiology of ASF in Malawi; thus, other factors for disease spread, such as fomites and pig-to-pig infection, need to be considered.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008295	Malawi	A republic in southern Africa east of ZAMBIA and MOZAMBIQUE. Its capital is Lilongwe. It was formerly called Nyasaland.	Nyasaland,Republic of Malawi
D000357	African Swine Fever	A sometimes fatal ASFIVIRUS infection of pigs, characterized by fever, cough, diarrhea, hemorrhagic lymph nodes, and edema of the gallbladder. It is transmitted between domestic swine by direct contact, ingestion of infected meat, or fomites, or mechanically by biting flies or soft ticks (genus Ornithodoros).	Swine Fever, African,African Swine Fever Virus Infection,Asfivirus Infection,Wart-Hog Disease,Asfivirus Infections,Infection, Asfivirus,Infections, Asfivirus,Wart Hog Disease,Wart-Hog Diseases
D000358	African Swine Fever Virus	The lone species of the genus Asfivirus. It infects domestic and wild pigs, warthogs, and bushpigs. Disease is endemic in domestic swine in many African countries and Sardinia. Soft ticks of the genus Ornithodoros are also infected and act as vectors.	Wart-Hog Disease Virus,Virus, Wart-Hog Disease,Wart Hog Disease Virus
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013552	Swine	Any of various animals that constitute the family Suidae and comprise stout-bodied, short-legged omnivorous mammals with thick skin, usually covered with coarse bristles, a rather long mobile snout, and small tail. Included are the genera Babyrousa, Phacochoerus (wart hogs), and Sus, the latter containing the domestic pig (see SUS SCROFA).	Phacochoerus,Pigs,Suidae,Warthogs,Wart Hogs,Hog, Wart,Hogs, Wart,Wart Hog
D013553	Swine Diseases	Diseases of domestic swine and of the wild boar of the genus Sus.	Disease, Swine,Diseases, Swine,Swine Disease
D026861	Ornithodoros	A genus of softbacked TICKS, in the family ARGASIDAE, serving as the vector of BORRELIA, causing RELAPSING FEVER, and of the AFRICAN SWINE FEVER VIRUS.	Relapsing Fever Ticks,Ticks, Relapsing Fever,Fever Tick, Relapsing,Fever Ticks, Relapsing,Ornithodoro,Relapsing Fever Tick,Tick, Relapsing Fever
D026862	Argasidae	A family of softbacked TICKS, in the subclass ACARI. Genera include ARGAS and ORNITHODOROS among others.	Argasid Ticks,Ticks, Softbacked,Soft Ticks,Argasid Tick,Soft Tick,Softbacked Tick,Softbacked Ticks,Tick, Argasid,Tick, Soft,Tick, Softbacked
D034421	Sus scrofa	A species of SWINE, in the family Suidae, comprising a number of subspecies including the domestic pig Sus scrofa domestica.	Pig, Domestic,Sus scrofa domesticus,Wild Boar,Sus scrofa domestica,Boar, Wild,Boars, Wild,Domestic Pig,Domestic Pigs,Pigs, Domestic,Wild Boars