The Prevalence of Bovine Trypanosomiasis in JabiTehnan District of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Livestock is backbone of the socio-economic system of most of the rural communities of Africa [1]. Ethiopia is known for its large and diverse livestock resource endowments. Livestock is primarily kept on small holdings where it provides drought power for crop production, manure for soil fertility and fuels, serves as a sources of family diet and sources of cash income (from sale of livestock and livestock products). Despite large livestock population, Ethiopia fails to optimally utilize this resource due to different constrains facing the livestock subsector. Shortage of nutrition, reproductive insufficiency, management constraints and animal disease are the major constraints [2]. One of the diseases hampering the livestock subsector is trypanosomosis [3]. Trypanosomosis is a complex disease of protozoa that is caused by different species of unicellular parasites (trypanosome) found in the blood and other tissues of vertebrates, including livestock, wild life and people [4]. Trypanosomosis limited to the extension of natural herds particularly in Africa were the presence of the tsetse fly density access to woodland and savanna areas with good grazing potential [3]. It is a serious constraint to agricultural production in extensive areas of the tsetse infested regions which accounts over 10 million squares of the tropical Africa [5]. Ethiopia is one of the countries suffering from the impact of trypanosomosis. In Ethiopia, it is estimated that some 10 to 14 million heads of cattle and an equivalent number of small ruminants together with a significant number of equines and camels, are exposed to the risk of trypanosomosis [6]. Six species of trypanosomes are recorded in Ethiopia and the most important trypanosomes in terms of economic loss in domestic livestock are the tsetse transmitted species T. congolense, T. vivax and T. brucei [3].