Studies on Species of Trypanosomes in Selected Ruminant Animals Slaughtered at Zango Abattoir, Kaduna, Nigeria

Studies on species of trypanosomes in selected ruminant animals slaughtered at Zango abattoir, Kaduna State was investigated. A total of three hundred and eighty-five (385) animals consisting of 148 cattle, 122 sheep and 115 goats were selected using the clinical signs of the animals. Their blood samples were collected and parasitological diagnostic techniques of Wet mount, thin films, thick films, Hematocrit centrifugation technique and Buffy Coat method were used to detect trypanosomes from the jugular blood of the animals sampled. The Packed Cell Volume (PCV) of the blood samples were also determined. Three (3/0.78%) of the Cattle sampled were infected and had trypanosomal prevalence rate of 2.03% with no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) observed. The species of trypanosome identified were Trypanosoma congolense and one mixed causative agents (Trypanosoma congolence and Trypanosoma vivax) as the positive cases. Trypanoma brucei species infection was totally absent in all the blood samples tested. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference (p>0.05) in the spread of the trypanosome species among the animals investigated. Only the female white Fulani breeds of cattle recorded Trypanosoma infection, whereby the adult female cattle (≤ 10yrs) had higher infection rates of 1.35 % than the younger female cattle (≤ 5yrs) of 0.68%. The infected cattle had lower mean PCV value of 25.67 ± 2.85 when compared to the non-infected cattle with 30.90 ± 0.58 and shows no statistically significant (p>0.05) difference between the PCV of the infected animal and non- infected ones in the study area. Meanwhile the infection rate of trypanosomiasis in cattle, goats and sheep appeared low compared to most previous works. Though trypanosomiasis still remains economically importance in these studied animals in Nigeria, therefore, improved veterinary extension services and more educational awareness should be intensified.