Status of Bovine Trypanosomiasis and Seasonal Variation in Its Occurrence in Zone 1 (Niger Valley) of the Republic of Mali

摘要

Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), inflicted by the prolific tsetse fly, is a major constraint to the development of the cattle industry in Mali. This report, responding to the paucity of scientific evidence on the extent of tsetse infestation, investigates the tsetse presence in 110 villages in Zone 1, a portion of southwest Mali along the Niger River. Three types of diagnostic examination were used--thick blood smears, thin blood smears, and lymph node biopsy smears, with the latter found to have the most diagnostic utility. Factors limiting the experiment's success were the presence of trypanosome-resistant cattle and the widespread use of trypanocides by farmers.