PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF ANAPLASMOSIS IN CATTLE SLAUGHTERED AT CENTRAL ABATTOIR BAUCHI, BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors of Anaplasmosis affecting cattle in Bauchi state. The study was conducted between the months of May 2021 and January, 2022. Samples obtained were screened for Anaplasma specie by examining Giemsa stained thin blood films. An overall prevalence of 42.4% was recorded out of the 384 cattle sampled. Different risk factors which include age, sex, breed, management system and ticks infestation were considered during sample collection. Among these factors, management system {158(96.9%)}, season {129(79.1%)}, and ticks infestation {133(81.6%)}, were found to be significantly associated with positivity for anaplasmosis (p < 0.05) while age, sex and breed were found to have non-significance (p > 0.05) effects on the occurrence of the disease. The highest prevalence of anaplasmosis was recorded in adult animals 123(75.5%) followed by young animals 30(18.4%) and old animals 10(6.1%). The prevalence of anaplasmosis based on sex of the study animals was found to be insignificantly higher in female 133(81.6%) than in male 30(18.4). Findings from this research shows that Anaplasmosis is prevalent in Bauchi state and several risk factors were found to be associated with the disease in the state. This is of great public health importance as morbidity and mortality in the affected animals leads to great economic loss in the cattle industry. More stringent and effective control measures should therefore be put in place to reduce to the barest minimum the occurrence and high prevalence of the infection in the study area.