Every year, untold numbers of wildlife and livestock succumb to Tick-Borne Diseases (TBD) in Laikipia. The disease also affects animals worldwide, resulting to economic losses amounting to millions of dollars. Ticks, small but deadly, cause diseases such as East Coast Fever, Q. Fever, Babesiosi and Heartwater and recently, Laikipia registered approximately 30 tick– borne diseases that is a major cause for concern.
In December 2015, Mpala Research Centre hosted a Tick Day, inviting key stakeholders to listen to findings from a group of Kenyan scientists and researchers on the biology of ticks in Laikipia. There were practical demonstrations, opportunities for participants to ask questions and discussions on future research direction. Also present were researchers from the University of Illinois Tick Survey Project who focused on the impact of ticks on local communities and livestock. There were also presentations on some of the work done on preventing rabies.
Addressing participants during the open day was Dr. Brian Allen who emphasized on the diseases spread by ticks, saying; “ticks transmit numerous protozoa, viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens to all livestock, wildlife and they actually make people sick”. Dr. Steven Huckett, researcher from the University of Illinois, also added that there was a need to create public awareness and educate the community on how ticks affect socio- economic life.
Laikipia Wildlife Forum facilitated a group of livestock producers/farmers from Timau, Doldol, Jua kali drawn from two units namely; Eastern and Central who visited. “Out of the 45 properties in Laikipia, we sampled 25 comprising of conservancies, private and community ranches, ticks distribution was found highest in conservancies and lowest in ranches”, says Dr. Sharon Okanga who also gave a presentation during the event.
The high numbers of ticks are partly attributed to their reproduction biology. Female hard ticks often take one large blood meal after mating in which they swell up and drop from their host, laying hundreds to thousands of eggs. Males on the other hand feed repeatedly on their hosts throughout their lifetime before death. Ticks long lifespan is due to the fact that they are able to survive for one or more years even without feeding. They are also injurious and in large numbers they cause serious blood loss and secondary infections at the feeding sites that diminish the value of hides from livestock.
Increased awareness is required on tick borne infections as they show only minor or no symptoms. Doctors also have very little or no information on the diseases resulting in delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Range Management and Grazing Plans were highlighted as successful ways of controlling tick population.
Mpala Research Centre facilitates and exemplifies sustainable human-wildlife co-existence, advancement of human livelihoods and quality of life. The research centre continues to successfully execute this through education, outreach, development of science-based solutions to guide conservation actions for the benefit of nature and human welfare. The Laikipia Tick Project, sponsored by U.S. National Science Foundation, was seeking to understand consequences and potential benefits of wildlife – livestock integration as a control mechanism for ticks and its associated pathogens. So far, it is clear that proper cattle management can be used to improve overall health of livestock, wildlife and land. Additionally, studies from the UHURU experiment by Georgia Titcomb, a student from University of California Santa Barbara, aims to show how common water points affected transmission whereas the SCRAPS project by Dr. Adam Ferguson, shows how small animals, weighing less than 15 Kg, acted as ‘vehicles’ for carrying and spreading ticks in their movement patterns and contact with other animals. SCRAPS (Small Carnivore Research and Parasite Study) project answers the question of what small animals? Transmit which parasites? And how does transmission occur in communities with different land use systems.
An understanding of disease transmission by common pets like dogs is also being studied. Herding dogs are believed to be a medium transmitting more parasites from interaction with wildlife than home dogs. The progress made in this project is significant. Already 821 animals have been vaccinated in a free Rabies Vaccination Campaign in Koija, Il Motiok, Endana, Mara moja, Naibo and Jua Kali areas. Dedan Ngatia, a Msc. student from Karatina University currently doing the dog research says in future they plan to expand research on how other animals transmit different diseases too.
Control of ticks and tick-borne diseases requires significant development in order to better understand tick population biology and how to control these dangerous vectors. In future, Mpala Research Centre promises to give the public more fun, interesting and educative side of research.
Laikipia Forum
The Forum
