Abstract

A 42 week community-based tsetse control project was undertaken in 3 riverine sub-ecosystems located in the Agaie Local Government area of Niger State, Nigeria to assess the effect of suppressing tsetse populations on the prevalence rate of trypanosomiasis in cattle. Baseline information on the vector and the disease was collected during the first 2 weeks of the 42-week period and suppression of the vector populations (traps and screens were used) were conducted during the remaining 40 weeks of the same period. Results of this initiative indicated a 90 fold reduction in the density of tsetse fly by the end of week 40. This density reduction was also observed in the experimental riverine sub-ecosystem where screening of 311 white Fulani zebu cattle showed a 3.4% decrease in prevalence with the presence of 17 recently purchased animals not previously screened for trypanosomes, providing plausible explanation for persistence of the disease. These results demonstrate that it is possible to contain the prevalence of trypanosomiasis in Nigeria by deploying appropriate interventions.

Key words: Tsetse control, local communities, cattle, pastoralists, Nigeria.