The Prevalence Of Trypanosome Infection In Trade Cattle, Goats And Sheep Slaughtered At The Kaduna Abattoir

Abstract

The prevalence of trypanosome infection in trade cattle, goats and sheep was investigated in slaughtered animals at the Kaduna Abattoir. Wet, thin, thick films, animal inoculation, haematocrit centrifugation technique and buffy coat methods were used to detect rypanosomes in the jugular blood of the animals. The packed cell volume (PCV) was also determined. A total of 300 cattle, 300 goats and 300 sheep were examined within five months (September, 1998 – January, 1999) and the prevalence rates in cattle, goats and sheep were found to be 5.00%, 4.67% and 3.33% respectively.
Mean PCV of infected cattle was 20.33% against uninfected cattle 35.08%. In goats, the PCV was 20.29%, uninfected goats 31.56%; while that of sheep was 19.40% and uninfected 32.85%. Trypanosoma vivax infection accounted for 60%, T. brucei 26.67% and T. congolense 13.33% in cattle. In goats, T. vivax infection accounted for 71.43%, T. brucei 21.43% and T. congolense 7.14%. Also T. vivax infection accounted for 70%, T. brucei 30% and T. congolense 0% in sheep. Sex did not significantly (P>0.05) affect infection rates. Although the prevalence rate of trypanosomiasis in cattle, goats and sheep appeared low compared with the previous works, natural trypanosomiasis remains economically importance in cattle, goats and sheep in Nigeria.

African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology Vol. 10 (1) 2009: pp. 15-25