Regional tick guide

Ticks in Africa

Explore reviewed tick occurrence records for Africa, with links to identification profiles, evidence and practical guidance.

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Reviewed sources

Explore Africa

Choose a state or region in Africa

Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Comoros Côte d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda
3

linked tick species

Continent

geographic level

AFRICA

location code

3 reviewed species records are currently linked to Africa.

Introduced, occasional and other records

Adult male Amblyomma hebraeum South African bont tick, dorsal view

African bont tick

Amblyomma hebraeum

Present Amblyomma hard_tick Africa

South African government animal-health guidance identifies African Amblyomma ticks in the regional heartwater cycle.

Quick view

An ornate African hard tick of medical and veterinary importance. Authoritative regional guidance associates it with African tick-bite fever.

Identification:

A hard tick in the genus Amblyomma. Species confirmation requires examination of diagnostic morphology; photographs, host and location alone may be insufficient.

Hosts: Humans, Cattle

Habitats: Grassland and shrubland

Photographs and visible features may be insufficient for definitive identification.

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Unfed adult female and male Amblyomma variegatum tropical bont ticks

Tropical bont tick

Amblyomma variegatum

Present Amblyomma hard_tick Africa

Government animal-health guidance identifies Amblyomma ticks in sub-Saharan Africa and related islands.

Quick view

An ornate tropical Amblyomma species. Detailed distribution and veterinary associations remain review-gated in this batch.

Identification:

A hard tick in the genus Amblyomma. Species confirmation requires examination of diagnostic morphology; photographs, host and location alone may be insufficient.

Photographs and visible features may be insufficient for definitive identification.

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Adult female and male Rhipicephalus appendiculatus brown ear ticks, dorsal view

Brown ear tick

Rhipicephalus appendiculatus

Present Rhipicephalus hard_tick Africa

South African government animal-health guidance identifies Rhipicephalus appendiculatus as the brown ear tick.

Quick view

An African Rhipicephalus species of major veterinary interest. Disease associations remain withheld until linked to accepted authoritative evidence.

Identification:

A hard tick in the genus Rhipicephalus. Species confirmation requires examination of diagnostic morphology; photographs, host and location alone may be insufficient.

Hosts: Cattle

Photographs and visible features may be insufficient for definitive identification.

View species

Practical tick guidance

Related guidance

Use these VuxLore® resources alongside the location records and species profiles above.

Identify ticksSpecies, life stages and identification guidance Prevent and checkReduce exposure and perform thorough tick checks Remove ticksRemoval methods, tools and common problems Bites, symptoms and healthSourced guidance about bites, symptoms and disease

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