2008 Volume 18 Issue 2 Pages 96-105
A total of 450 blood samples randomly collected from 218 (48.4%) cattle 66 (14.7%) sheep, 112 (24.9%) Goats, 4 (0.9%) donkeys and 50(11.1%) pigs from randomly selected herds from 8 villages in 4 districts (Bule – Kaltin, Tungo, Kaltungo-East and Kaltungo-West) of Kaltungo LGA were examined for haemoparasites. These total number of 450 animals comprises 115 (25.6%) males and 335 (74.4%) females. From the males, 76 (66.1%) are cattle, 10 (8.7%) goats, 0 (0.0%) donkeys and 10 (8.7%) boar. While female consist of cattle 142 (42.4%), sheep 56 (16.7%), goats 93 (27.8%) donkeys 4 (1.2%) and sow 40 (11.9%). The blood samples from these animals were analysed using a combination of thick and thin film technique and concentration methods; haematocrit centrifuge technique (HCT). 22 blood samples screened were found to be positive for haemoparasites: 3 (13.6%) were infected with Trypanosoma vivax, 1 (4.5%) T. theileri, 11 (50.0%) microfilariae, 4 (18.2%) Babesia spp and 3 (13.6%) Anaplasma marginale. T. congolense and T. brucei were not isolated. The average packed cell volume (PCV%) for infected and non-infected males were 26.2 ± 1.3 and 28.2 ± 0.5, while that of females was 24.1 ± 2.0 and 27.1 ± 2.1 respectively. Microfilariae is high in prevalence while T. vivax is low 3 (13.6%). However no single Glossina (Tsetse fly) was caught while few tabanids, stomoxys, chrysops and simulium were trapped. The findings reveals the area to be tsetse free and transmission of trypanosomiasis is mechanical due to presence of only stomoxys, tabanids and chrysops. Ticks were also picked from some of the herds.
