This Special Edition of Medical History is the first in this journal’s fifty-seven years’ history solely dedicated to histories of medicine, health and healing in South Africa, or indeed any African region. With one exception, the six articles featured here were presented at a workshop held in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in August 2012, under the broad (and often shifting) umbrella theme of ‘Ne...

KEIRANS, J.E., WALKER, JANE B. , HORAK, I. G. & HEYNE, HELOISE 1993. Rhipicephalus exophthalmos sp . nov., a new tick species from southern Africa, and redescription of Rhipicephalus oculatus Neumann , 1901 , with which it has hitherto been confused (Acari: lxodida: Ixodidae) . Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research , 60: 229246 Rhipicephalus exophthalmos sp . nov ., a species which has i...

The known distribution of African swine fever (ASF) virus in Africa is reviewed in relation to the distributions of its free-living hosts as are the infection rates of these species in different localities in southern Africa. Mechanisms by which ASF virus is maintained in its sylvatic state and ways in which the infection may enter domestic pig populations are discussed.

J. RODENBURG*, H. MEINKE† AND D. E. JOHNSON Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), East and Southern Africa Rice Program (ESARP), P.O. Box 33581, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Department of Plant Sciences, Centre for Crop Systems Analysis (CSA),Wageningen University,Wageningen, The Netherlands Crop and Environmental Sciences Division, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manil...

Historical outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) since the early 1950s have been associated with cyclical patterns of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, which results in elevated and widespread rainfall over the RVF endemic areas of Africa. Using satellite measurements of global and regional elevated sea surface temperatures, elevated rainfall, and satellite derived-normalized d...

In southern Africa, isolates of rabies-related viruses (i.e. Duvenhage virus and Lagos bat virus) have been made from insectivorous and frugivorous bats. As no recent formal bat virus survey has been reported in southern Africa, a survey of bats in rabies-endemic areas was undertaken. Five hundred and forty-seven bats (13 species) were collected from 21 localities in the Orange Free State, Leso...

The southern African bee genus Plesianthidium Cameron is revised. It comprises twelve species. Two new species are described: Plesianthidium (Spinanthidium) richtersveldense sp. nov. (Namibia and South Africa) and P. (S.) namaquaense sp. nov. (South Africa). Two species, Plesianthidium calvini (Cockerell, 1932) and P. rufocaudatum (Friese, 1909), are reinstated as valid species. Keys for the id...

Archinamaqua gen. n. lyleae sp. n. (Pimeliinae Latreille, 1802, Tentyriini Eschscholtz, 1831) is described from the sand dunes of Namaqualand in northwestern South Africa. It is related to the genera Broomium Koch, 1950 and Archinamibia Koch, 1952. All these taxa are wingless and highly adapted nocturnal sand dwellers in dry habitats of the same area in northwestern South Africa and southern Na...

Although the lesser spotted eagle is not listed as endangered by the IUCN, BerndUlrich Meyburg from BirdLife Germany (NABU) knows that the graceful bird of prey’s future is far from assured in Germany. Meyburg explains that the German population has dwindled to just 110 breeding pairs in recent decades, largely due to habitat loss and persecution by poachers during their long migration to their...

Because of their worldwide distribution and profuse pollen production, grasses represent a major aeroallergen source for 40% of allergic patients. In Southern Africa there are 94 genera (10% of the world total) and 967 species of grass. Of these, 847 species are indigenous, and 115 are naturalised. Southern Africa comprises both subtropical and temperate regions, where grassland and savannah bi...