Present status of tick-borne diseases in Sudan.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are widespread in the Sudan, cause substantial economic losses and constitute major obstacles to the development of animal wealth. Most important among these diseases are tropical theileriosis, malignant ovine theileriosis, cowdriosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and avian spirochaetosis. However, knowledge about ticks and tick-borne diseases is still fragmentary and far from complete. The large number of tick species, the multplicity of transmitted agents and the diverse ecoclimatic zones of the Sudan provide a unique opportunity to host diverse research activities that could benefit other regions in Africa.