Influence Of Land Cover And Host Species On Trypanosome Infection In Cattle And Its Socio-Economic Impacts To Pastoralists Of The Maasai Steppe, Tanzania

Abstract

Introduction: Trypanosome infections result into trypanosomosis in cattle and this is an infection detrimental to pastoralist income. The patterns of transmission are thought to be influenced by ecological factors including wildlife and land cover. We assessed the influence of the relative abundance of wildlife and land cover (cultivation and habitat type) on the presence of trypanosome infections in replicated cattle herds of the Maasai Steppe.