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Tick-borne pathogens of cattle in smallholder rural livestock production systems in East and West Africa

Article scientifique 2022 Anglais

Résumé

Abstract Background:The majority of the African population lives in rural areas where they heavily depend on crop and livestock production for their livelihoods. Given their socio-economic importance, we initiated a standardized multi-country (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia Tanzania and Uganda) surveillance study to assess the current status of important tick-borne haemoparasites (TBHPs) of cattle across these seven sub-Saharan African territories.Methods:We assessed vector-borne pathogen prevalences (Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma centrale, Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis, Ehrlichia ruminantium, andTheileria parva) in the blood of cattle, via molecular screenings in approximately 480 individuals per district in two districts per country and seven countries each. In addition, we screened for intrinsic (sex, weight, body condition) and extrinsic (husbandry, tick exposure) risk factors as predictors of infections with TBHPs.Results:There was a large macro-geographic variation observed inA. marginale, B. bigemina, B. bovis, E. ruminantiumprevalences. Most correlated with the co-occurrence of their specific sets of vector-competent ticks. Highest numbers of infected cattle were found in Benin, and lowest in Burkina Faso. WhileT. parvawas seldomly found in the cattle blood (Uganda only: 3.0 %),A. marginalewas found in each country with a prevalence of at least 40 %. Lower body condition score was found inB. bovisinfected cattle. Age (as estimated via the cattle’s body weight) of the animal was higher inA. marginaleinfected cattle, but was negatively correlated withB. bigeminaandE. ruminantiumprevalence.Ehrlichia ruminantiuminfection was more often found in males, andA. marginalemore often in transhumance farming. High levels of co-infection, especially the combinationA. marginalexB. bigemina, were observed in all countries, except for Uganda and Burkina Faso.Babesiabigeminawas more or less often observed than expected by chance, when cattle were also co-infected withE. ruminantiumorA. marginale, respectively.Conclusions:Tick-borne pathogens of cattle, including the highly virulentB. bovisandE. ruminantium,are ubiquitous in smallholder cattle production systems in Africa. This study is the first in its kind to demonstrate the negative impact ofB. bovison body condition score, a proxy for production. Looking at the continuous spread of its major vectorR. microplus, this finding is of major importance to cattle production in many parts of the world whereR. microplusis prevailing. Our study will help a wide range of stakeholders to provide recommendations for TBHP surveillance and prevention in cattle.

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Heylen, D., Kumsa, B., Kimbita, E., Mwiine, F., Muhanguzi, D., Jongejan, F., Adehan, S., Touré, A., Aboagye‐Antwi, F., Ogo, N., Juleff, N., Crafford, D., Fourie, J., Labuchange, M., Madder, M. (2022). Tick-borne pathogens of cattle in smallholder rural livestock production systems in East and West Africa. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2321463/v1

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Dieter Heylen Bersissa Kumsa Elikira Kimbita Frank Norbert Mwiine Dennis Muhanguzi Frans Jongejan Safiou Bienvenu Adehan Alassane Touré Fred Aboagye‐Antwi Ndudim Isaac Ogo Nick Juleff Dionne Crafford Josephus Fourie Michel Labuchange Maxime Madder

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