Transmission of Theileria parva in the traditional farming sector in the Southern Province of Zambia during 1997-1998

The incidence of first contact with the protozoan Theileria parva was determined in two traditional cattle herds in the Southern Province of Zambia during a period of average rainfall in 1997 and 1998, following a drought in the previous two years. Compared to that period, there was a marked increase in the number of rainy season first contacts attributable to transmission by Rhipicephalus appendiculatus adults. However, there were still more dry season contacts that resulted from nymphal transmission. These results highlight the important role that climate plays in the transmission of theileriosis in the Southern Province of Zambia.