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Haematology of N'Dama and West African Shorthorn cattle herds under natural Trypanosoma vivax challenge in Ghana.

ABSTRACT: Background: Animal trypanosomosis is a major cause of economic loss in livestock production in Africa. A suggested control measure is to use breeds with traits of trypanotolerance. The study examines the effect of natural Trypanosoma vivax challenge on haematological parameters in two trypanotolerant cattle [N'Dama and West African Shorthorn (WASH)] herds. Methods:Trypanosoma vivax-specific primers were used to diagnose T. vivax infection in an N'Dama herd at Cape Coast in southern Ghana and a WASH herd at Chegbani in northern Ghana from May to July 2011 in a cross-sectional study. Levels of haematological parameters comprising packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and red blood cell (RBC) and total white blood cell (TWBC) counts; differential WBC counts (neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes and basophils); and RBC indices of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were determined in blood samples and then compared between infected and uninfected cattle. Results: We found that haematological indices for infected and uninfected animals in both breeds were within the normal range. However, the mean PCV values for T. vivax-infected WASH and N'Dama were lower in infected compared to uninfected animals. The difference was significant ( p< 0.05) in N'Dama but not in WASH. Conclusion: Despite the presence of infection by T. vivax, N'Dama and WASH cattle maintained their haematological parameters within acceptable normal ranges, which confirms their trypanotolerant trait. This highlights the need for low-input traditional African farmers in medium, high and severe tsetse challenge areas to be educated on the advantages of N'Dama and WASH breeds to increase their utilization in integrated tsetse and trypanosomosis control programmes.

SUBMITTER: Ganyo EY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6117849 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundAnimal African Trypanosomosis particularly affects cattle and dramatically impairs livestock development in sub-Saharan Africa. African Zebu (AFZ) or European taurine breeds usually die of the disease in the absence of treatment, whereas West African taurine breeds (AFT), considered trypanotolerant, are able to control the pathogenic effects of trypanosomosis. Up to now, only one AFT breed, the longhorn N'Dama (NDA), has been largely studied and is considered as the reference trypanotolerant breed. Shorthorn taurine trypanotolerance has never been properly assessed and compared to NDA and AFZ breeds.Methodology/principal findingsThis study compared the trypanotolerant/susceptible phenotype of five West African local breeds that differ in their demographic history. Thirty-six individuals belonging to the longhorn taurine NDA breed, two shorthorn taurine Lagune (LAG) and Baoulé (BAO) breeds, the Zebu Fulani (ZFU) and the Borgou (BOR), an admixed breed between AFT and AFZ, were infected by Trypanosoma congolense IL1180. All the cattle were genetically characterized using dense SNP markers, and parameters linked to parasitaemia, anaemia and leukocytes were analysed using synthetic variables and mixed models. We showed that LAG, followed by NDA and BAO, displayed the best control of anaemia. ZFU showed the greatest anaemia and the BOR breed had an intermediate value, as expected from its admixed origin. Large differences in leukocyte counts were also observed, with higher leukocytosis for AFT. Nevertheless, no differences in parasitaemia were found, except a tendency to take longer to display detectable parasites in ZFU.ConclusionsWe demonstrated that LAG and BAO are as trypanotolerant as NDA. This study highlights the value of shorthorn taurine breeds, which display strong local adaptation to trypanosomosis. Thanks to further analyses based on comparisons of the genome or transcriptome of the breeds, these results open up the way for better knowledge of host-pathogen interactions and, furthermore, for identifying key biological pathways.

Project description:BackgroundInfectious livestock diseases remain a major threat to attaining food security and are a source of economic and livelihood losses for people dependent on livestock for their livelihood. Knowledge of the vital infectious diseases that account for the majority of deaths is crucial in determining disease control strategies and in the allocation of limited funds available for disease control. Here we have estimated the mortality rates in zebu cattle raised in a smallholder mixed farming system during their first year of life, identified the periods of increased risk of death and the risk factors for calf mortality, and through analysis of post-mortem data, determined the aetiologies of calf mortality in this population. A longitudinal cohort study of 548 zebu cattle was conducted between 2007 and 2010. Each calf was followed during its first year of life or until lost from the study. Calves were randomly selected from 20 sub-locations and recruited within a week of birth from different farms over a 45 km radius area centered on Busia in the Western part of Kenya. The data comprised of 481.1 calf years of observation. Clinical examinations, sample collection and analysis were carried out at 5 week intervals, from birth until one year old. Cox proportional hazard models with frailty terms were used for the statistical analysis of risk factors. A standardized post-mortem examination was conducted on all animals that died during the study and appropriate samples collected.ResultsThe all-cause mortality rate was estimated at 16.1 (13.0-19.2; 95% CI) per 100 calf years at risk. The Cox models identified high infection intensity with Theileria spp., the most lethal of which causes East Coast Fever disease, infection with Trypanosome spp., and helminth infections as measured by Strongyle spp. eggs per gram of faeces as the three important infections statistically associated with infectious disease mortality in these calves. Analysis of post-mortem data identified East Coast Fever as the main cause of death accounting for 40% of all deaths, haemonchosis 12% and heartwater disease 7%.ConclusionThe findings demonstrate the impact of endemic parasitic diseases in indigenous animals expected to be well adapted against disease pressures. Additionally, agreement between results of Cox models using data from simple diagnostic procedures and results from post-mortem analysis underline the potential use such diagnostic data to reduce calf mortality. The control strategies for the identified infectious diseases have been discussed.

Project description:Animal African trypanosomosis, caused by blood protozoan parasites transmitted mainly by tsetse flies, represents a major constraint for millions of cattle in sub-Saharan Africa. Exposed cattle include West African taurine breeds called trypanotolerant according to their ability to control parasite development and to survive and grow in enzootic areas, and indicine breeds that are trypanosusceptible to the disease. Until now the genetic basis of trypanotolerance remains unclear. Here, we improved knowledge in the biological processes involved in trypanotolerance by identifying bovine genes differentially expressed during an experimental infection by Trypanosoma congolense and their biological functions. To this end, whole blood genome-wide transcriptome profiling by RNA sequencing was performed on five West African cattle breeds, three trypanotolerant taurine breeds (N'Dama, Lagune and Baoulé), one susceptible zebu (Zebu Fulani) and one African taurine x zebu admixed breed (Borgou), at four dates, one before and three during infection. As expected, infection had a major impact on cattle blood transcriptome whatever the breed. The functional analysis of differentially expressed genes over time in each breed confirmed an early activation of the innate immune response, followed by an activation of the humoral response and an inhibition of T cells functions at the chronic stage of infection. More importantly, we highlighted overlooked features, as a strong disturbance in host metabolism and cell production energy that differentiate trypantolerant and trypanosusceptible breeds. N'Dama breed showed the earliest regulation of immune response, associated with a strong activation of cellular energy production, this last feature being also shared with Lagune, and to a lesser extent with Baoulé. Susceptible Zebu Fulani breed was distinguished from other breeds by the strongest modification in lipid metabolism regulation. Lastly, basal differences in gene expression reflected the structuration of cattle genetic diversity, and could have consequences on the tolerant or susceptible phenotype. Overall, it would be of value to deeper investigate interactions between immune response and cell metabolism that likely impact disease outcome.

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Haematology of N'Dama and West African Shorthorn cattle herds under natural Trypanosoma vivax challenge in Ghana.

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