Bovine Anemia Associated With Trypanosomosis Infection in Local Breed Cattle’s (Ethiopian Zebu Breeds) - Abstract
In tropical Africa, protozoan parasites cause several diseases of social and economic importance. Among protozoan parasites, trypanosomosis is one of the most devastating diseases caused by infection with different species of trypanosomes, which are transmitted primarily by tsetse flies and other hematophagous flies to human, domestic animals and wildlife.
A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and the analysis of major contributing risk factors of bovine anemia associated with trypanosomosis infection. From total examined cattle (n= 437) for anemia only 196 had anemia, with an overall prevalence rate of 44.85 per cent. Packed cell volume for all study animals were analyzed to compare the degree of anemia which resulted that, 73.58% (n=39) animals were anemic while 26.42% (n=14) non anemic from total (n=53) trypanosome infected cattle and, 40.89% (n=157) were anemic from total of n=384 cattle without trypanosome infection. Hence, a significantly higher prevalence rate of anemia (73.58%) was observed in trypanosome infected cattle when compared to non-infected cattle (40.89%) ?2= 20.13, p-value=0.00.
The overall resulted trypanosomosis prevalence was 12.13%; composed of n= 7.55 % (33), 3.66 % (16) and 0.92% (4) for Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma vivax and mixed infection (both Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax), respectively.
The study concluded that trypanosomosis strongly cause anemia and recommended that controlling anemia was mandatory to maximize cattle production and reproduction, which could be achieved by controlling trypanosomosis and associated risk factors.