Belgian Congo (Roubaud 19l6, Roubaud and Van Saceghem 1916, Schwetz 

 1927A), Southern Rhodesia (Jack 1921, 1931, 19/i-2), and Angola (Wellman 

 190to,1907A,B), it appears that this animal often is an important 

 host. In Southern Rhodesia, 0. inoubata sometimes increases prodi— 

 giously in pigsties (Jack 1921,1931,19^2). In the Sambi area of 

 Belgian Congo, 0. moubata was abundant in pigsties and in huts of 

 pig keepers, but relapsing fever was absent, and the tick was un- 

 known in local huts where no pigs were kept (Roubaud and Van Saceghem 

 1916). In Angola, Wellraan (1906D,1907A) found ""as many in pigsties 

 as in any other situation". In Nyasaland, Wilson (19/+3) stated, 

 0. j>3ubata is suspected of causing mortality in pigs. Jadin (1951A) 

 7ound specimens from pigsties in Ruanda-Urundi infected with the 

 causative organisms of food poisoning. Salmonella enteritidis ; 

 these ticks were able to transmit the bacteria to experimental 

 animals, by biting, over a year later. 



0. iroubata has been said to cause much trouble in Southwest 

 Africa by feeding on sheep in resting places and pastures (l-lBnnig 

 19^9), but Theiler states (correspondence) that the ticks actually 

 involved in this sitviation are quite likely 0, savignyi . 



Domestic animal corrals are frequently cited in review papers 

 as important habitats of the eyeless tampan. I can find little con- 

 clusive substajitiation for this assertion, except for domestic pigs. 

 Wellman (190^,1907A) was possibly the first person from the field 

 to state that 0. moubata bites all domestic animals, but he did not 

 mention that he had made personal observations. Careful search of 

 corrals and comparison of incidence in these and in human habita- 

 tions should make an interesting and simple research project in 

 infested areas. One would expect that if domestic animals are 

 attacked, it is chiefly in circu-^stances in which they are housed 

 more or less like human beings in the same area. 



(See also Ecology below). 



Domestic Fowl Hosts 



Domestic fowls in himan habitations usually are considered to 

 be important in maintaining the nymphal stage, but there is some 

 controversy on this point (Knowles and Terry 1950, Phipps 1950). 

 Rodhain (191 9A) found avian blood in specimens from a vacant house 

 in the Congo inhabited by chickens. Geigy and 1-boser (1955) failed 



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