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On-going research projects on control of cattle trypanosomosis in the Ghibe Valley, south-western Ethiopia. Workneh Ayalew and Woudyalew Mulatu ILRI, Addis Ababa 27 May 2004. Outline of presentation. Background on Ghibe Outcomes of research so far On-going research projects.
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On-going research projects on control of cattle trypanosomosis in the Ghibe Valley, south-western Ethiopia Workneh Ayalew and Woudyalew Mulatu ILRI, Addis Ababa 27 May 2004
Outline of presentation • Background on Ghibe • Outcomes of research so far • On-going research projects
Background on Ghibe • Altitude: 1050-1600masl • Rainfall: 900-1000mm • unimodal: June - September • Temperature: • Max: 30 –370C • Min: 10 - 150C • Agriculture: mixed crop-livestock • Crops: maize, sorghum, Teff, sesame • Livestock: cattle (+goats, sheep, donkeys)
Background on Ghibe (Cont´d) • Major animal health problem: Bovine Trypanosomosis • Parasite: T. congolense (most important), T. vivax, T. Brucei • Vectors: G. pallidipes (up to 1990); G.m.submorsitans (since 1990); G.fuscipes (least important) • Mean tryps prevalence: 30-35% in adult cattle; 7- 8% in adult tsetse flies
Outcomes of research in the past: • Application of Pour-On (Ectopor/cypermethrin) resulted in: • 63% reduction of trypanosomosis prevalence in cattle • 50% reduction in the number of curative trypanocidal treatments per animal • 62% reduction in abortion rates and calf mortality • 5% increase in body weight of cows.
Outcomes of research (Cont´d) • Control and prevention of tryps resulted in: • Over 10,000 farming families now maintain over 25,000 heads of cattle under tryps challenge. • More people and animals coming through the government sponsored human resettlement scheme. • Increasing pressure on the environment from the growing human and livestock population. • Increased awareness on options for tryps control through parasite and vector control.
On-going research projects:1. On-farm monitoring of parasites and vectors in the Ghibe valley • Continuation of the work by the African Trypanotolerant Livestock Network (ATLN) • Monthly monitoring of parasitaemia and vectors in seven cattle herds • Will continue after community takes over management of veterinary service delivery
On-going research projects:2. EARO-ILRI on-station breed comparison on cattle Trypanotolerance • Four breeds involved : • Sheko (Humpless Shorthorn, exposed to tryps) • Abigar (Sanga, lightly exposed to tryps) • Horro (Zenga, marginally exposed to tryps) • Gurage (Zebu, not exposed to tryps) • Pure breeding of 50 females and 5 males for performance monitoring • Maintained under continuous medium tryps challenge • Monthly monitoring of Parasitaemia and PCV • Only cases with critically low PCV (<26) are treated.
On-going research projects:2. EARO-ILRI on-station study on cattle Trypanotolerance: preliminary results (Parasitaemia)
On-going research projects (Con´d):3.Community action learning processes on CBM of trypanotolerance • Relative trypanotolerance measured by the least number of curative treatments in sample cattle herds combined with measures of Parasitaemia and PCV • Identification of animals with verified superior trypanotolerance • Community awareness on the genetic basis of trypanotolerance guaged through interview and workshops • Community interest on enhanced reproduction of these animals to be facilitated in community workshops • Community to be assisted on chosen interventions
On-going research projects (Con´d):4. Promotion of tsetse control technology to the community • Facilitate direct functional linkages between demanders and suppliers of veterinary products (Pour-on, trypanocidal drugs) at village level. • Assist communities to organise themselves into marketing cooperatives with legal entity. • Assist communities to take over monitoring of parasitemia and PCV in their cattle herds • Explore opporunities for handling other agricultural inputs as well.
On-going research projects (Cont´d):5. Small projects • Assessment of impact of tryps control and prevention on livelihood, environment • Resistance of parasites to available trypanocidal drugs (IFAR) • Use of animal traction under tryps challenge • Synthesis of research results: on epidemiology; animal performance under tryps challenge; impact of tryps control on ecology
New (& approved) projects: • SLU supported project (PhD project): • Harnessing genetic variation in cattle trypanotolerance for improved livelihood • ETH ZIL (PhD project): • Developing optimised cattle breeding schemes on trypanotolerance • BMZ: • Community based management of FAnGR for improved livelihood
What more? • Micro-financing services and markets • Integrated control of Malaria and trypanosomosis (vector control) • Participation of farmers in agricultural markets (crops, livestock)