Abstract
BackgroundTick-borne diseases (TBDs) present a major economic burden to communities across East Africa. Farmers in East Africa must use acaracides to target ticks and prevent transmission of tick-borne diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, cowdriosis and theileriosis; the major causes of cattle mortality and morbidity. The costs of controlling East Coast Fever (ECF), caused by Theileria parva, in Uganda are significant and measures taken to control ticks, to be cost-effective, should take into account the burden of disease. The aim of the present work was to estimate the burden presented by T. parva and its spatial distribution in a crop-livestock production system in Eastern Uganda.MethodsA cross sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence and spatial distribution of T. parva in Tororo District, Uganda. Blood samples were taken from all cattle (n: 2,658) in 22 randomly selected villages across Tororo District from September to December 2011. Samples were analysed by PCR and T. parva prevalence and spatial distribution determined.ResultsThe overall prevalence of T. parva was found to be 5.3%. Herd level prevalence ranged from 0% to 21% with majority of the infections located in the North, North-Eastern and South-Eastern parts of Tororo District. No statistically significant differences in risk of infection were found between age classes, sex and cattle breed.ConclusionsT. parva infection is widely distributed in Tororo District, Uganda. The prevalence and distribution of T. parva is most likely determined by spatial distribution of R. appendiculatus, restricted grazing of calves and preferential tick control targeting draft animals.
Highlights
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) present a major economic burden to communities across East Africa
Very high morbidity and mortality rates due to East Coast Fever (ECF) are expected in areas such as Eastern Uganda, where relatively low transmission rates of T. parva have previously been recorded in lowland grazing areas, a topographic situation that typifies Tororo District [15,16]
To determine the extent of the problem that T. parva presents to cattle rearing in Eastern Uganda, a cross sectional study was undertaken to determine the overall prevalence of T. parva and examine the spatial distribution of T. parva in traditional farming systems in Tororo District
Summary
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) present a major economic burden to communities across East Africa. Farmers in East Africa must use acaracides to target ticks and prevent transmission of tick-borne diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, cowdriosis and theileriosis; the major causes of cattle mortality and morbidity. Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) - anaplasmosis, babesiosis, cowdriosis and theileriosis - cause significant economic losses to the livestock sector in tropical and subtropical regions of the world [1,2,3]. Cattle are continuously exposed to ticks and T. parva and other tick-borne infections with some of them progressing to clinical disease (for example ECF) This presents both benefits and risks with regard to TBD epidemiology and in particular to ECF. Very high morbidity and mortality rates due to ECF are expected in areas such as Eastern Uganda, where relatively low transmission rates of T. parva have previously been recorded in lowland grazing areas, a topographic situation that typifies Tororo District [15,16]. These epidemiological observations indicate that ECF remains an important impediment to livestock production in both areas of low and high transmission rates [13,16]
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