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Trypanosomiasis / Nagana
Scientific name:
Trypanosoma brucei
Local names:
Luo: tuo maugo, nyalolwe /
Kamba: kamosu, kisiko /
Kipsigis: kanyagat /
Meru: mutombo/
Gabbra:ghandi, ndukan, kando /
Samburu: itikana, saar /
Swahili: lotorobwo, ndorobo /
Somali: agku, aino, angsulleh, attech, bargerish, dorobo, dukan, gandi, gindi, gundho, korbarar, malale, salaf, suuilleh /
Turkana: edeke lo eidiit, lokipi, lotorob, tikana, lonyang /
Maasai: Kububwuo, dorobo /
Common names:
Nagana, Surra
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Introduction
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Warning: This is a notifiable disease! If your animals have nagana disease you have to inform the authorities immediately. |
Trypanosomiasis is a protozoan infection of cattle, camels, donkeys, goats, sheep and dogs. It also affects human. The disease occurs world wide in the tropical and sub tropical countries and it is caused by trypanosome parasites.(Protozoans, tiny, one-celled organisms - in cattle, by Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma congolense, Ttrypanosome vivax and Trypanosoma evansi). The disease is transmitted from wild animals such as Elands, Giraffes, Buffaloes etc by blood sucking tsetse flies and other biting flies to cattle. These flies are found along rivers, in bushes and forests.
Human and other domestic animals become infected when they are accidentally bitten by the tsetse flies. There are several species of tsetse flies found in three habitats: savannah, riverine and forest flies. All species can transmit the disease although the savannah and riverine flies pose the greatest risk of transmission to domestic animals. Incubation takes 1-3 weeks after infection and the disease can persist for a very long time.
Signs of Trypanosomiasis
Signs
- Infected animals are usually tired and weak and are always left behind by the rest of the herd. They have rough, dull coats, progressive anaemia and lose condition.
- The animal has a foul smell that herders recognize
- There is a drop in milk production.
- There is a watery discharge from the eyes of sick animals and the eyes of such animals are cloudy and blink a lot. The sick animals have swollen lymph nodes which are easily seen under the skin.
- Paleness on gums, under the tongue and inside the eyes after several weeks of infection.
- The animals get fever that goes for several weeks.
- Pregnant animals abort or give birth to weak offspring while some animals become infertile.
The disease is made more severe by factors like poor nutrition, stress and over working.
Some animals recover very slowly without treatment while others become very sick, collapse and die after a few months.
Diagnostic aids
Skilled workers check for trypanosomes in wet blood film by placing a drop of blood on slide or by converting the wet film into a smear. The smear is then stained using Giemsa and examined under oil immersion.
Prevention - Control - Treatment
Prevention and Control
- Avoid fly-infested areas
- Take animals to water when fly activity is low
- Repel flies with smoke from smouldering cow dung
- Separate sick animals from the healthy ones
- Use of trypano-tolerant breeds of cattle such as N'dama and Orman Boran instead of keeping exotic breeds
The use of trypanocidals for treatment and prevention, and good nutrition should be encouraged especially where exotic breeds are reared.
Recommended treatment
The following treatments can be used:
- Berenil, (Diminazine aceturate): other names Trypazen, Diminazen should be prepared by mixing 2.36 g of powder with 12.5 ml of clean water. The mixture should be given as injection at 3.5 mg/kg body weight in the muscle.
- Novidium (Lomidium chloride or bromide) other trade name Ethidium, can be prepared by mixing 1 tablet 250 mg in 10 litressterile clean water and used soon after mixing at 1mg/kg body weight injected deep in the muscle.
- Samorin or Trypamidium (Isometamidium chloride) Other trade nameTrypamidium can be prepared by mixing 125 mg of powder in 12.5 ml of clean sterile water and ensure that all the powder dissolves. Inject the mixture deep intramuscular in the neck or slowly intravenously and ensure the medicine goes into the vein. The mixture should be used within 2 days.
Information Source Links
- Barber, J., Wood, D.J. (1976) Livestock management for East Africa: Edwar Arnold (Publishers) Ltd 25 Hill Street London WIX 8LL
- Blood, D.C., Radostits, O.M. and Henderson, J.A. (1983) Veterinary Medicine - A textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Sheep, Goats and Horses. Sixth Edition - Bailliere Tindall London. ISBN: 0702012866
- Blowey, R.W. (1986). A Veterinary book for dairy farmers: Farming press limited Wharfedale road, Ipswich, Suffolk IPI 4LG
- Force, B. (1999). Where there is no Vet. CTA, Wageningen, The Netherlands. ISBN 978-0333-58899-4.
- Hall, H.T.B. (1985). Diseases and parasites of Livestock in the tropics. Second Edition. Longman Group UK. ISBN 0582775140
- Hunter, A. (1996). Animal health: General principles. Volume 1(Tropical Agriculturalist) - Macmillan Education Press. ISBN: 0333612027
- Hunter, A. (1996). Animal health: Specific Diseases. Volume 2(Tropical Agriculturalist) - Macmillan Education Press. ISBN:0-333-57360-9
- ITDG and IIRR (1996). Ethnoveterinary medicine in Kenya: A field manual of traditional animal health care practices. Intermediate Technology Development Group and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Nairobi, Kenya. ISBN 9966-9606-2-7.
- Pagot, J. (1992). Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics. MacMillan Education Limited London
- The Organic Farmer magazine No. 50 July 2009
