Livestock Population In Africa Research Articles

Review of Important Cattle Tick and Its Control in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa, but the contribution for the economic aspect of the country is still lowest amount and disease can be considered as a major constrain. Ticks are the most important ectoparasites of livestock in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Ethiopia is not exceptional and ticks are responsible for severe economic losses both through the direct effects of blood sucking and indirectly as vectors of pathogens and toxins. Feeding by large numbers of ticks causes reduction in live weight gain and anaemia among domestic animals, while tick bites also reduce the quality of hides. However, the major losses caused by ticks are due to the ability to transmit protozoan, rickettsial and viral diseases of livestock, which are of great economic importance world-wide. This review concerns with general aspects of tick biology, the taxonomy, pathogenic effects and methods for the control of ticks. ticks belong to the suborder Ixodida, which contains a single super family, the Ixodoidea, which is divided into two major families, Argasidae (soft ticks) and Ixodidae (hard ticks), and the rare family Nuttalliellidae, with a single African species. The main tick genera found in domestic animals of Ethiopia are Amblyomma, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus). Various breeds of cattle differ in their response to tick infestations. Bos indicus pure breeds and crossbreeds are reported to be more innately resistant than Bos taurus breeds. The conventional method of controlling tick infestations in Ethiopia is application of acaricide, either by hand spraying, by hand dressing. Therefore, to minimize tick adverse effect appropriate and timely strategic control measures are crucial.

Review of Economically Important Cattle Tick and Its Control in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa, but the contribution for the economic aspect of the country is still lowest and disease can be considered as major constrain. Ticks are the most important ectoparasites of livestock in tropical and subtropical areas. Ethiopia is not exceptional and ticks are responsible for severe economic losses both through the direct effects of blood sucking and indirectly as vectors of pathogens and toxins. Feeding by large numbers of ticks causes reduction in live weight gain and anaemia among domestic animals, while tick bites also reduce the quality of hides. However, the major losses caused by ticks are due to the ability to transmit protozoan, rickettsial and viral diseases of livestock, which are of great economic importance world-wide. This review concerns with general aspects of tick biology, the taxonomy, pathogenic effects and methods for the control of ticks. Ticks belong to the suborder Ixodida, which contains a single super family, the Ixodoidea, which is divided into two major families, Argasidae (soft ticks) and Ixodidae (hard ticks), and the rare family Nuttalliellidae, with a single African species. The main tick genera found in domestic animals of Ethiopia are Amblyomma, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus). Various breeds of cattle differ in their response to tick infestations. Bos indicus pure breeds and crossbreeds were reported to be more innately resistant than Bos Taurus breeds. The conventional method of controlling tick infestations in Ethiopia is application of acaricide, either by hand spraying, by hand dressing. Therefore, to minimize tick adverse effect appropriate and timely strategic control measures are crucial

A Review on Ruminant Fasciolosis

This work was conducted to touch the epidemiology and economic impact of ruminants’ Fasciolosis. Ethiopia possesses the largest livestock population in Africa. Ruminants play a significant role in maintaining household stability. However, the productivity per animal and the contribution of this sub-sector to the national economy is relatively low due to multiple factors. The review reveals that Fasciolosis is an important limiting factor for ruminant production and causes for several economic losses due to morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. The two species of the greatest veterinary importance are Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica and snails are their intermediate host. Clinical disease is usually characterized by weight loss, anemia and hypopotenaemia. Therefore, it can be concluded that Fasciolosis is an important parasitic disease which hinders the ruminants’ production. So it is recommended to control the disease by reducing the snail population or by using anthelmintics.

Appropriate animal health information systems for nomadic and transhumant livestock populations in Africa

Nomadic and transhumant livestock comprise the normative mode of production in the arid and semi-arid regions of Africa. By adopting management practices with high human labor and informational input, pastoral societies have adapted to innately high environmental variability. The Western veterinary model, which developed under sedentary conditions of production, has been unable to address herd health problems in African pastoral regions. By soliciting the participation of pastoral people, however, it is possible to develop an animal health information system that is technically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable. The organizational structure of appropriate information systems can furnish the framework for animal health delivery under pastoral conditions.