Cross Sectional Cattle Disease Surveillance Bungoma District, Kenya..PDF

This study was undertaken to identify the major diseases affecting and limitingthe health and productivity of indigenous zebu cattle in 3 divisions of Bungomadistrict, Kenya.The survey established the prevalence rate of these diseases over the 2 monthsperiod (of the exercise) and looked at the effect of age and sex of cattle oninfection by different diseases and conditions.During the survey, 1040 indigenous zebu cattle from 13 sub-locations had theirsamples (faeces, blood, lymph node smears and ticks, Amhyllyoma SPP)collected and analyzed both in the field and in the laboratory for trypanosomiasis,worms, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, east coast fever and cowdriosis. Biconicaltraps were also used (3-6 per sublocation) to trap tsetse flies which were lateridentified.Faecal samples were subjected to the McMaster egg counting technique andworm egg counts per gram of faeces determined. Blood was collected from theear vein of target animals into heparinized capillary tubes for determination of thepacked cell volume (PCV) which was used as an indicator of the anemia statusfor each animal. Examination of the buffy coat and thin as well as thick bloodsmears was used to study the presence of trypanosomiasis. Thin blood smearswere also used to detect babesiosis and anaplasmosis, while lymph nodesmears were done to examine for East Coast fever. Samples of AmbylyommaSPP(ticks) were collected to analyze the present of cowdriosis.Out of the 1040 cattle examined as previously described, 28 (2.7%) were foundto be positive for trypanosomiasis, 64 (6.15%) had east coast fever, 25 (2.4%)had babesiosis and 30 (2.9%) had anaplasmosis. Tamuleka had the highestnumber of trypanosomiasis cases (7), followed by Machakha (5) and Chebukuyi(4) and West Siboti (4). It was found in this study that 60.7% of all thetrypanosomiasis case were caused by Trypanosome Congolense, and 39.3% byT. vivax.A total of 23 tsetse flies were got in this exercise from 54 traps laid out across inthe study area. Tamuleka had the highest number of flies trapped (7), followedby Machakha (6) and Chebukuyi (4) over the 48 hour trapping period. Most ofthe flies got were G. pailidipes. The low fly numbers reported in this study couldbe due to high level trapping and baiting that was already going on in the area.There was uniform infection of all cattle in all areas with worms. About 30 — 50animals in each sub-location were sampled for worm egg counts. Emphasis wasgiven to young stock and those in poor condition. In general, this study reportsan average worm egg count of 306.1 eggs per gramme of faeces for all areasand studied. Male calves had the highest EPG of 522, followed by female calves (448), female growers (303.8), male growers (257), female adults (252.2)and male adults (228.5)It was observed during this survey that there is a very high tick infestation in allthe animals studied. This coupled with the tsetse fly situation calls for acombined tick and tsetse fly control program. It is also noted that provision ofveterinary services in the area is a major constraint to farmers, which needs to beaddressed.