Retrospective study on laboratory results of African Swine fever virus in Tanzania

Abstract

A 10-years records on diseases was retrieved so as to investigate the occurrences of African Swine Fever (ASF) disease in Tanzania over a period of year 2007/2008 to 2016/2017. A total of 640 samples were tested for ASF virus at the Centre for Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CIDB), Dar es Salaam. The samples included whole blood, swabs and internal organs from domestic pigs in different areas of Tanzania. Annual, monthly and origin distribution of suspect cases was analyzed. ASF occurrences was confirmed in each year from 465 (72.6%) samples. High numbers of positive cases were in recorded in February 94 (20.2%), March 198 (42.5%), April 35 (7.5%), May 36 (7.7) and June 56 (12.0%). Regional distribution of positive samples were 45.8% from Iringa, 16.9% from Dar es Salaam, 12.3% from Mbeya, 10.3% from Coast,9.4% from Morogoro and the remaining 0.51% were from Kilimanjaro, Rukwa, Arusha and Tanga, Kagera regions. Largest number of samples were tested in 2012/2013 (255 (39.8%) and 2011/2012 (96 (15%). The study reveals endemicity of ASF disease in Tanzania and its trend in occurrence. Further studies need to be undertaken to establish factors for the endemicity of the disease so as to mitigate its occurrence and spread for the control of the disease.

Keywords: African Swine Fever disease, endemic, Retrospective study, Tanzania.