Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research (original) (raw)

Trypanosomosis serves as an important constraint to camel production because it substantially reduces animal productivity, thus inducing economic losses. It is a major endemic disease problem throughout Central and South America, Africa and Asia (Gutierrez et al. 2000). Infection with T. brucei evansi (hereafter, T. evansi) reduces market value of exported animals, decreases milk yield and lessens animal body condition score, resulting in more than $223 million loss to the camel industry (Salah, Robertson & Mohamed 2015). In addition to causing the aforementioned losses, T. evansi is the most important cause of infectious abortions in camels in the Middle East and Africa (Boushaki et al. 2019; More et al. 2017). Camels with clinical disease can present progressive emaciation, severe anaemia, reproductive problems (because of infertility, abortions and stillbirths), and eventually death (Desquesnes et al. 2013). In Algeria, T. evansi was first detected in 1903 in infected camels (Sergent & Sergent 1905). Since that time, few studies have been performed on livestock, and most were conducted in a Surra, caused by Trypanosoma evansi, is a re-emerging animal trypanosomosis, which is of special concern for camel-rearing regions of Africa and Asia. Surra decreases milk yield, lessens animal body condition score and reduces market value of exported animals resulting in substantial economic losses. A cross-sectional seroprevalence study of dromedary camels was conducted in Algeria, and major risk factors associated with infection were identified by collecting data on animal characteristics and herd management practices. The seroprevalence of T. evansi infection was determined in sera of 865 camels from 82 herds located in eastern Algeria using an antibody test (card agglutination test for Trypanosomiasis-CATT/T. evansi). Individual and herd seroprevalence were 49.5% and 73.2%, respectively, indicating substantial exposure of camels to T. evansi in the four districts studied. Five significant risk factors for T. evansi hemoparasite infection were identified: geographical area, herd size, husbandry system, accessibility to natural water sources and type of watering. There was no association between breed, sex or age with T. evansi infection. Results of this study provide baseline information that will be useful for launching control programmes in the region and potentially elsewhere.