Parasitic Infections of Calves in Northern Togo

Abstract

Parasitological examination of 738 cattle head in NorthernTogo, aged from 1 to 12 months, and of zebu, taurine or zebux taurine types, revealed several pathogenic agents andvectors belonging to various parasite groups (piroplasms,trypanosomes, nematodes, ticks and tsetse flies). Relativeprevalences were 16.9% for Babesia, 11.0% for Trypanosomaand 46.4% for gastrointestinal strongyles. The packed cellvolume was measured to evaluate the parasite pathogenicimpact on hosts (29.3% on average). It increased towards theend of the dry season (31.1%) and in areas where the animalswere treated with pour-on (29.6%), i.e. where they weremonitored by the Regional Animal Trypanosomosis ControlProject (PLTA). Epidemiologically, cattle parasite infectionsvaried according to the ecogeographical location, the season,whether the animals were monitored by PLTA, the breed, thefarming system and the animal age. This study confirmed thattrypanosomosis and strongylosis were major healthconstraints. On the other hand, it showed that the impactBabesia sp. had on calf health had been underestimated.