Prevalence of Anaplasma and Babesia parasites in cattle slaughtered at Soroti municipal abattor, Soroti district.

Abstract

Anaplasma and babesia parasites cause significant economic losses in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world including Uganda. Costs to farmers are incurred not only from mortality, abortion, loss of milk & meal production, loss of draft power and from therapeutics and control measures such as acaricide treatment but also through their impact on international trade. However, the prevalence of Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis, and their impact on the local economy of Soroti district is not clear. For starters, across-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of Anaplasmaand Babesia parasites In cattle slaughtered at the Soroti municipal abattoir. The study which was carried out during the months of May and June 2015. targeted the Soroti municipal abattoir as a hub for most of the livestock arriving from the different parts of Soroti district. One hundred (100) head of cattle were randomly selected without dueregard to their Sex, age was determined using the dentition method. Thin blood smears were prepared for examinationsof blood samples drawn aseptically from the jugular vein for Anaplasma and the ear vein for Babesia parasites. A quantitative analysis was carried out and the results subjected to statistical tests using the, Statistical. Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version20. The overall prevalence of anaplasma parasites was 35% and that of Babesia parasites 16%. There was a significant difference (p=0.006< 0.05) between the level of anaplasma infections in different age groups. The sampled cattle were also assessed for haematological signs of anaemia.