Prevalence of African animal trypanosomiasis and the associated blood parameters among trade ruminants at Obollo-Afor market

Abstract

African trypanosomiasis is a haemoprotozoan disease of animals and humans. In animals particularly, the disease directly hinders production and therefore impedes socioeconomic development of Sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of trypanosome infection was investigated in trade goats and sheep sold at Obollo-Afor market in Enugu State, Nigeria. Wet and thin films, haematocrit test (HCT) and buffy coat methods (BCT) were used to detect trypanosomes in jugular blood of the animals. The packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC), and white blood cell (WBC) counts were also determined. A total of 200 goats and 100 sheep were examined within four months (October 2019 to January 2020). The prevalence rates of trypanosomes in the 200 goats and 100 sheep examined were 0(0.0 %) and 2(0.7 %) respectively. The RBC, WBC, and Hb of the two infected animals were significantly (p<0.05) lower than the uninfected. The average PCV of infected animals (20.65 ± 5.44%) was also lower than that of uninfected (34.17 ± 0.29%) although, it was not statistically significant (p>0.05).