:Study on Trypanosomosis in Cattle, Sheep and Goats and Assessment of the Impacts of Control Activities in Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

African Animal Trypanosomosis is the major constraint of livestock production in tsetse infested areas of Ethiopia and is the major challenge in Dawuro zone. However, there is shortage of information on general situations and impacts of control methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November, 2017 to June, 2018 in the area with the aims of assessing the prevalence and risk factors of ruminants` trypanosomosis, apparent density of tsetse and impacts of the control interventions. The study was conducted in the areas with the history of application of tsetse control interventions.The hematological and parasitological techniques, trap deployment,questionnaire study were conducted. Blood sample was collected from themarginal ear vein of 302 cattle, 126 sheep and 103 goats and tested at Tarcha Veterinary Laboratory. The data was analyzed using binary logistic regression. The findings of this study showed the overall prevalence of 15.6% (95%CI: 12.5%-18.7%) and the prevalence of 23.8% (95%CI: 19%- 29.6%), 4% (6%-7.4%) and 5.8% (1.3%-10.3%) in cattle, sheep and goats respectively. Therisk factors such asage (P-value = 0.01,OR = 3.3),coat color (OR = 2.6, P-value = 0.009), body conditions (P-value = 0.008,OR = 0.36) and forest coverage (P-value = 0.004, OR = 0.3) in bovine and age (P-value = 0.03, OR = 0.03),coat color (P-value = 0.005, OR = 0.17), body conditions (P-value = 0.005, OR = 0.07) and forest coverage (P-value= 0.04,OR = 0.2) in shoats were showed statistically significant association the prevalence of trypanosomosis.The apparent density of tsetse and Stomoxys were 5.37f/t/d and 0.39f/t/d respectively. The overall mean prevalence and vector density of pre-intervention were 4.50+7.44SD and 0.17+0.38SD while post intervention was 10.83+11.63SD and 5.50+0.51SD respectively. There is control continuouscontrol interventions applied in the area but the results show that the disease prevalence and apparent density were increasing. Therefore, comprehensive national wise evaluation of the impacts of control interventions applied to the disease so far is better to be taken.