Heterogeneity in Prevalence of Bovine Trypanosomosis and its Associated Risk Factors in Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Communities Surrounding Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

Abstract

Bovine trypanosomosis transmitted by tsetse flies is a major constraint to cattle health and productivity in sub- Saharan countries including Uganda. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis and its associated risk factors and the species of trypanosomes associated with the disease. A cross sectional study was conducted around Murchision Falls National Park, Uganda from January 2020 to April 2020. Blood samples were collected from 460 cattle and were screened for trypanosomes using ITS-PCR. From 460 samples collected, 136 (29.6%) of the samples were positive for trypanosomosis infections while 324 (70.4%) samples were negative. The overall trypanosome prevalence was 29.6% (95% CI 25.4-33.8). T. vivax (n = 130, 28.3%) was the most prevalent trypanosome specie detected and two mixed infection types (T.vivax + T. congolense (n = 2, 0.4%) and T.vivax + T. brucei (n = 1.0, 0.2%) were detected during the analysis. There was a significant difference when Trypanosome prevalence was compared with sex, age, breed of the sampled animals (P < 0.05 for sex), (P = 0.0043 for age) and (P = 0.001 for breed). Trypanosomosis is still a major limitation to cattle production around Murchision Falls National Park and interventions are urgently needed .The prevalence of trypanosomosis was high and T.vivax was identified as the major trypanosome species in the cattle herd.