Trypanosoma brucei Infection in Asymptomatic Greater Kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) on a Game Ranch in Zambia.
- Author:
Hetron Mweemba MUNANG'ANDU
1
;
Victor SIAMUDAALA
;
Musso MUNYEME
;
Andrew NAMBOTA
;
Stephen MUTOLOKI
;
Wigganson MATANDIKO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Brief Communication
- Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei; game ranch; kudu; wildlife; Zambia
- MeSH: Animals; Animals, Wild; Ruminants/*parasitology; Trypanosoma brucei brucei/*isolation & purification; Trypanosomiasis/*diagnosis; Zambia
- From:The Korean Journal of Parasitology 2010;48(1):67-69
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Trypomastogotes of Trypanosoma brucei were detected from 4 asymptomatic kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) on a game ranch located approximately 45 km north east of Lusaka, Zambia. Blood smears examined from 14 wildlife species comprising of the impala (Aepyceros melampus), Kafue lechwe (kobus leche kafuensis), sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus), warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), puku (Kobus vardoni), zebra (Equus burchelli), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), reedbuck (Redunca arundinum), wilderbeest (Connochaetes taurinus), hartebeest (Alcephelus lichtensteini), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) showed that only the kudu had T. brucei. Although game ranching has emerged to be a successful ex-situ conservation strategy aimed at saving the declining wildlife population in the National Parks, our findings suggest that it has the potential of aiding the re-distribution of animal diseases. Hence, there is a need for augmenting wildlife conservation with disease control strategies aimed at reducing the risk of disease transmission between wildlife and domestic animals.
