Bovine trypanosomiasis in southern Tanzania: investigation into the incidence of infection and duration of chemoprophylaxis.

Before implementing chemoprophylaxis to control bovine trypanosomiasis it is essential to have epidemiological data upon which to base control regimes. A study was conducted under natural tsetse challenge with two groups each of 12 calves grazing their first season. Group 1 received isometamidium treatments prophylactically at intervals during the rainy season and calves in group 2 were treated individually with diminazene as they become infected with trypanosomes. Infections were first detected in the unprotected calves and indicated that the onset of challenge was approximately four weeks after the rainy season began. Trypanosoma vivax accounted for 21 of the 30 infections detected in blood smears, and although one infection remained unspeciated, the remaining eight were T. congolense. It was concluded that a prophylactic regime beginning one month after the start of the rains with repeat treatments of isometamidium at 1 mg/kg at intervals of 10 weeks could be expected to give good control of trypanosomiasis at this location.