Species profileAfrica

What is Ornithodoros moubata?

Ornithodoros moubata is an African soft tick associated with animal shelters and human dwellings in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and with transmission of African swine fever virus and relapsing-fever Borrelia.

Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For Travellers and professionals

Short answer

At a glance

Unlike vegetation-questing hard ticks, it typically hides in cracks and feeds briefly when a host is available.

Key takeaways

• It is a soft tick.

• Shelter ecology shapes exposure.

• It has major veterinary and regional public-health importance.

A hidden, fast-feeding tick

Soft ticks lack the hard dorsal shield of Ixodidae and can take repeated blood meals. Ornithodoros moubata shelters in dry protected crevices near hosts.

Control targets the refuge

Personal checks alone cannot address a population living in building fabric or animal housing. Regional veterinary and public-health programmes guide surveillance and control.