Bovine Trypanosomosis: Prevalence, Vector Density and Livestock Farmers’ Perception on the Impact of Trypanosomosis and Tsetse Control Interventions in Arbaminchzuriaworeda, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Livestock keeping among various communities in Africa is a source of livelihood, income, nutrition, traction, manure and pride. Any factor that can lead to poor health or death of livestock is detrimental to the livestock production (Seinfeld et al., 2006). Ethiopia has high livestock resource potential with estimated number of 53.4 million heads of cattle, 25.5 million heads of sheep, 22.78 million heads of goats and more than 858 million equines and 2.3 heads of camels (CSA, 2011). However, much of the livestock resources are not fully utilized to maximum due to various constraints. Major problems are attributed to poor genetic pool, Abstract: A cross sectional study was conducted from October 2015 to April, 2016 to determine post control prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis and density of tsetse and other biting flies and to assess the livestock farmers’ perception about the impact of integrated tsetse control interventions implemented by Southern Rrift Valley Tsetse Eradication Project (STEP) in three selected kebeles of Arbaminchzuriaworeda, GamoGofa Zone, in South Nation Nationalities and People Regional state (SNNPR). Entomological, parasitological and questionnaire surveys were carried out in the study area covered by STEP. Both primary and secondary data were used. Structured questionnaire was administered by face to face discussion to 216 randomly selected households to assess the perception of livestock keepers towards the impact of trypanosomosis and its vector control interventions. For parasitological survey, blood samples were collected from 360 randomly sampled cattle and screened by Buffy coat technique for detection of trypanosomes. Giemsa stained thin smear technique was applied on the positive samples for trypanosome species identification. A total of 15 baited monopyramidal NGU traps were deployed for 72 hours to catch flies. The present questionnaire survey has revealed that the livestock keepers in the study area had a good knowledge about the suggestive signs of trypanosomosis and means of transmission and also on the impact of the disease on the agricultural and livestock production and on the livelihood and wellbeing of themselves. The majority of the respondents agreed that the tsetse and trypanosomosis control interventions have reduced the tsetse density and the prevalence of trypanosome infection to a low level. In the present study, out of the 360 examined animals, 6 (1.7%) animals were found positive. The trypanosome species detected were T. congolense (83.3%) and T. vivax (16.7%). No significant association was seen between the prevalence of trypanosome infection and the host factors (age, sex, body condition score), kebele of study and altitude (p>0.05). Regarding entomological survey, a total of 121 tsetse flies and 188 other biting flies (tabanus and Stomoxys) were caught. All of the tsetse flies were identified to be Glossinapallidipes. The overall apparent tsetse flies density in study area was 2.7 flies/trap/day. A considerable reduction in tsetse density and prevalence of trypanosome infection was noted when the present entomological and parasitological survey result was compared to that of the 2010 study on the same study area, In general, the present study has revealed a good correlation between the parasitological, entomological and questionnaire survey findings all of which reflect the actual situation on the ground that there is reduction in tsetse flies density and trypanosomosis prevalence as a result of integrated intervention implemented by STEP.