An assessment of tick-borne diseases constraints to livestock production in a smallholder livestock production system in Machakos District, Kenya

摘要

nbsp;Theprincipleobjectiveofthestudywastodeterminethetick-bornediseasesconstraintstolivestockproductioninMachakosDistrict.Thesurveywascarriedoutineightrandomlyselectedsub-locationsspreadacrossthedistrict.Twohundredfarmerswererecruitedintothestudy.Allcattlefromtheselectedfarmswerebledtodeterminetheprevalenceoftick-bornediseases.Clinicalexaminationofsickanimalswascarriedoutduringthesurvey.Questionnaireswithquestionsdesignedtoidentifyandrankvarioustick-bornediseaseproductionconstraints,occurrenceoftick-bornediseases,mortalityanddiseasecontrolstrategieswereadministered.Atotalof634zebuand15cross-breed(Friesian-zebucrosses)cattleweresampledonthe200farmsforbloodparasiteinfections(serologyanddirectparasitedetection)andtickinfestation.nbsp;Fromthefarmers#8217;perceptive,EastCoastfever(ECF)andanaplasmawererankedasthemaintick-bornediseasesprevalentinthedistrict.Althoughbabesiawasnotrankedasoneofthemaintick-bornediseasesinthedistrictbythefarmers,serologicalanalysisdidindicateahighprevalenceofthedisease.Tickchallengewashighinsevenoftheeightsub-locationswherethesurveywascarriedout.ThemostcommontickspecieswereRhipicephalusappendiculatus,Amblyommavariegatum,Rhipicephalusevertsi,RhipicephaluspulchellusandBoophilusdecoloratus.nbsp;Veterinaryservicesinthedistrictareinadequatewithupto92%ofthefarmersinoneofthesub-locationstreatingtheirsickanimalswithouttheassistanceofqualifiedveterinarypersonnel.