Epidemiology of bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis in Zambia

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production Vol. 20; no. 4; p. 234
• Main Authors: Jongejan, F, Perry, B D, Moorhouse, P D, Musisi, F L, Pegram, R G, Snacken, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.1988
• Subjects: Agglutination Tests; Anaplasma - immunology; Anaplasmosis - epidemiology; Anaplasmosis - immunology; Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - analysis; Babesia - immunology; Babesiosis - epidemiology; Babesiosis - immunology; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Cattle Diseases - immunology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Zambia; Zambia
• ISSN: 0049-4747
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02239989

The serological prevalence of bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis in the traditional farming sector of six provinces of Zambia was determined using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for babesiosis and the card agglutination test (CAT) for anaplasmosis. Antibodies to Babesia bigemina occurred throughout the country whereas the prevalence of B. bovis followed the distribution of its tick vector Boophilus microplus which is limited to the north-eastern part of the country. Low numbers of B. bovis serologically positive cattle were demonstrated in central and southern Province. Anaplasma spp. occurred throughout Zambia but the overall percentages of positive sera were low ranging between 14.7% and 38.6% using the CAT. Two hundred sera were retested for anaplasmosis using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sero-prevalence rates were 1.5 to 2.3-fold greater with the ELISA than with the card agglutination test.