Prevalence of Small Ruminant Trypanosomosis in Dangur District, Metekel Zone, Benishangul Gumuz Region, North Western Ethiopia

Kumela Lelisa,Adem Abdela

doi:10.4172/2157-7579.1000334

Kumela Lelisa, Adem Abdela

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4172/2157-7579.1000334

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Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted in Dangur district, North Western Ethiopia from February to June, 2013 to determine the prevalence of trypanosomosis in small ruminants using dark phase contrast buffy coat examination. Blood samples were collected from 312 randomly selected small ruminants including sheep (108) and goats (204) of different sexes and body conditions in five peasant associations. Of the total small ruminants examined during the study period, 8 animals (2.56%) were infected with trypanosomes. Out of the total examined, (3.70%) four sheep and four (1.96%) goats were found infected. Infections were due to Trypanosoma vivax (1.85%) and Trypanosoma congolense (0.98%) in both sheep and goats. There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) between season, body conditions, species and sexes on infection rate. The overall Mean Packed Cell Volume (PCV) value of examined animals was 27.66%. The difference in mean PCV of parasitaemic (23.13%) and aparasitaemic (27.78%) animals was not significant (P>0.05) although, lower mean PCV was recorded in parasitaemic animals. Although, the present study revealed low prevalence (2.56%) of trypanosomosis in small ruminants in the study area, the impact of this disease on production, and the role of these small ruminants as potential risk of transmission to other livestock should not be under estimated. Therefore, appropriate intervention measures need to be taken.

Highlights

Ethiopia is endowed with huge and diverse livestock population that plays an important role in the economy and livelihoods of farmers and pastoralists
Half (50%) of the parasitaemic animals were infected with T. congolense, and the rest were infected with T. vivax
Both Trypanosoma species were responsible for infection of sheep and goats in the study area

Summary

Introduction

Ethiopia is endowed with huge and diverse livestock population that plays an important role in the economy and livelihoods of farmers and pastoralists. Livestock are a “Living bank” or “Living account” for rural and urban poor farmer, or livestock owners. They serve as a financial reserve for period of economic distress such as crop failure as well as primary cash income. Despite the large population of animal, productivity in Ethiopia is low and even below the average when compared to most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is due to poor nutrition, reproduction insufficiency, management constraints and prevailing animal disease [1,2]. It is a wasting disease in which there is a slow progressive loss of condition accompanied by increasing anemia and weakness to the point of extreme emaciation, collapse and death [5]

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