Ann. Méd. Vét., 2012, 156 (2), pp 99-108 Epidemiological status of East
Coast fever in two cattle herds
derived from different farming
systems in North-Kivu Province,
Democratic Republic of CongoKALUME M.K., SAEGERMAN C., MARCOTTY T., DUCHATEL J.-P., LOSSON B.Abstract :
The aim of this study was to assess
the epidemiological state of East
Coast fever (ECF) in North-Kivu
by the follow-up (from October
2009 to September 2010) of two
cohorts; the first was the freerange
grazing system with indigenous
cattle and the second used
crossbred cattle raised under a
fenced grazing system. During
the study, the mean monthly seropositivity
to Theileria parva was
very high (> 70 %) and this could
suggest a state of enzootic stability
in the two cohorts. However,
the monthly ECF clinical incidence
in indigenous cattle herd
was very low (0%, CI95 % = 0-13
%), which suggested an enzootic
stable state. In contrast, the
herd of crossbred cattle seems to
be in an enzootic unstable state
because the monthly ECF clinical
incidence was very high (70 %;
IC95 % = 47-86 %). In this cohort,
the median age at first contact
to T. parva was about 6 months
and the periods of seroconversion
to T. parva coincided with peaks
of adult R. appendiculatus activity.
The state of enzootic stability
requires very little control of the
disease, but the treatment of clinical
cases and the immunization of
animals are essential in the enzootic
unstable situation. Get the PDF Contact person : blosson@ulg.ac.be |