Blue ticks are found in most parts of South Africa, although they are particularly common along the coastline and the north-eastern parts of the country.

Over the last few years, the occurrence of blue ticks and the impact they have on farming has increased tremendously, most probably due to factors such as, amongst others:
• The higher temperatures in certain areas before winter times
• The change in rainfall patterns
• Resistance against some dips, which might be the most important factor

General information
A one-host tick, such as the blue tick, completes its entire lifecycle on a single host.

When the adult female is engorged (filled) with blood, she will detach from the host animal, such as a
dairy cow, and lay approximately
2 500 eggs. The eggs and the unfed nymphs (baby ticks) are very small and not easily seen.

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Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted diseases of cattle that can cause significant financial losses in cattle herds. The organism that causes the disease is Tritrichomonas foetus, which lives as a parasite the animal’s reproductive canal.

The primary mode of transmission is from sexual contact during the act of a bull breeding a cow. No one knows if a herd is free from the infection until it is tested.

The four most important risk factors are:
1. Bull exposure from neighbouring pastures/herds
2. Cows co-mingling with neighbouring pastures/herds
3. New bull additions without testing (non-tested bulls)
4. Retaining open cows into the next breeding season

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