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Tick burden and prevalence of Theileria parva infection in Tarime zebu cattle in the lake zone of Tanzania |
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| Authors: | Emmanuel Levillal Katamboi Laisser Maulilio John Kipanyula George Msalya Robinson Hammerthon Mdegela Esron Daniel Karimuribo Anjello Joseph Mwilawa Elisa Daniel Mwega Lughano Kusiluka Sebastian Wilson Chenyambuga |
| Institution: | 1. Inspectorate Department, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Eastern Zone, P.O. Box 325, Morogoro, Tanzania 3. Department of Animal Science and Production, SUA, P. O. Box 3004, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania 2. Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), P. O. Box 3016, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania 5. Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, SUA, P.O. Box 3021, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania 7. Tanzania Livestock Research Institute Mabuki, P. O. Box 352, Mwanza, Tanzania 4. Department of Microbiology and Parasitology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, SUA, P. O. Box 3019, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania 6. Nelson Mandela Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania |
| Abstract: | This study was carried out to assess the distribution, abundance of different tick genera and prevalence of Theileria parva infection in Tarime zebu cattle kept in selected wards of Serengeti and Tarime districts in Mara region. Adult ticks were identified and counted from half body parts of 360 animals which were extensively managed in communal land with natural pastures. Concurrently, blood samples were collected and thereafter DNA extracted and a nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was done using primers specific for p104 gene to detect the presence of T. parva DNA. Ticks were identified into four groups: Amblyomma genus, Boophilus sub-genus of Rhipicephalus genus, other species of Rhipicephalus, and Hyalomma genus. Rhipicephalus genus accounted for 71.8 % of the total ticks, whereas Amblyomma, Boophilus sub-genus of Rhipicephalus genus and Hyalomma constituted 14.1, 14.0 and 0.1 %, respectively. There were more animals (p?p?T. parva was 27.7 % and was higher (p?T. parva did not show any clinical signs of East Coast fever (ECF), suggesting the existence of subclinical infection in Tarime zebu. These results suggest that Tarime cattle can tolerate ECF infection and are likely to serve as potential carriers of T. parva to other less-tolerant cattle breeds in mixed herds. Since Tarime cattle are preferred by most farmers with mixed herds, routine screening for T. parva is highly recommended to minimize introduction of infected cattle into an immunologically naive population. |
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