Prevalence of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis in donkeys in Nyaminyami District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

A survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of trypanosome species in donkeys in a tsetse-endemic district in north western Zimbabwe. A total of 153 donkeys were conveniently selected from three wards in the district. Blood samples were collected for microscopic and molecular detection. All samples were negative for trypanosomes by Giemsa staining. Three samples (1.96%) were positive on the buffy coat smears. Using the PCR assay, only T. congolense was detected with a point prevalence of 18.3% (28/153), with 0% (0/153) detection of both T. brucei and T.vivax. The mean PCV (24.53±3.4) of infected donkeys was insignificantly lower than that of non-infected donkeys (25.44±4.2), (p>0.05). The results show the presence of trypanosome infection in donkeys in Zimbabwe, a higher sensitivity of the ITS1 PCR assay for the detection of trypanosomes compared to the other detection methods, and the potential role of donkeys as reservoirs of trypanosomes.

Keywords: Prevalence, Trypanosomosis, Donkeys, PCR, Zimbabwe