Characterization Of Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu Cattle For Tolerance To Ticks And East Coast Fever

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

In Tanzania, livestock diseases, especially tick bone diseases (TBDs), impose loses to livestock in terms of mortality, decrease in production and increased costs of control measures. Among the TBDs, East Coast fever (ECF) is the most prevalent and fatal disease. The main control measure for TBDs is use of acaricides to control the vector ticks, chemotherapy of sick animals as well as immunization of cattle by the infection and treatment method (ITM). The applications of these are control measures are often limited by high costs of acaricides and veterinary drugs, development of resistance by vector ticks and the parasites as well as negative environmental impacts. This necessitated the search for alternative ways to control TBDs with minimum use of acaricides. Indigenous breeds of cattle are said to be tolerant to TBDs and adapted to harsh conditions prevailing in rural areas. Among the Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu (TSHZ) cattle, Tarime cattle are believed by livestock keepers to be tolerant to ticks and ECF. However, there are no scientific investigations which have been conducted to verify the farmers’ beliefs. Therefore, studies were conducted to validate the farmers’ belief that Tarime cattle are tolerant to ECF. In the first study, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in four selected districts of Mara (Serengeti and Tarime) and Simiyu (Maswa and Meatu) regions to determine the perception of livestock farmers on ticks, tick-borne diseases and tolerance of their cattle to TBDs. In the second study, tick burden and prevalence of Theileria parva (T. parva) infection in Tarime cattle found in Serengeti and Tarime districts were assessed. In the third study, an on-station experiment was conducted to compare tick burden and induced immunity due to T. parva infection in Tarime and Sukuma zebu cattle under different tick control regimes. The fourth study was a review on tolerance of TSHZ cattle to ticks and ECF.