Bovine trypanosomiasis is a significant health concern for livestock intensification in Côte d’Ivoire. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of pathogenic trypanosomes and identify the most infected cattle breed in northern Côte d'Ivoire. We examined 700 cattle and found that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was more sensitive (12.3%) than microscopic observation (5.6%). Among the trypanosome species detected in naturally infected cattle, Trypanosoma vivax was 7.3%, Trypanosoma simiae tsavo was 6.7%, and Trypanosoma congolense was 0.4%. The overall prevalence of trypanosome infection in all cattle breeds was 12.3%, while the prevalence in individual breeds was 14.8%, 7.3%, 10.6%, and 12.3% for N’Dama, Baoule, Zebu, and Mere breed, respectively. The infected animals had low packed cell volume, influencing the prevalence. Our findings indicate that bovine trypanosomes are prevalent in Côte d’Ivoire, and their prevalence varies by region and breed. These pathogens include T. vivax, T. simiae tsavo, and T. congolense.

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are caused by roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and thread worms. Accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment, prevention, and control of these infections. This study evaluates a new diagnostic method called Single-image Parasite Quantification (SIMPAQ), which uses a lab-on-a-disc (LoD) technique to isolate STH eggs into a single imaging zone for digital analysis. The study evaluates the purification performance of the SIMPAQ technique for detecting STH eggs in animal samples. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 237 pigs and 281 dogs in the Morogoro region in Tanzania. Faecal samples were collected and processed with the LoD technique, as well as flotation and McMaster (McM) methods for comparison purposes. The overall prevalence of STH infections was high as per the LoD technique (74%), followed by McM (65.44%) and flotation (65.04%). Moreover, the overall performance of the LoD technique, using McM as the gold standard, was 93.51% (sensitivity), 60.89% (specificity), 81.91% (PPV), and 83.21% (NPV). The LoD technique exhibited high prevalence, sensitivity, and NPV, which demonstrates its value for STH egg detection and its crucial role in the era of accurate STH diagnosis, promoting proper management of the infection.

Bovine trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by protozoans of the genus Trypanosoma. The disease cause economic losses in livestock production. In order to determine the status of research on this disease in Côte d’Ivoire, we used the systematic review method and meta-analysis. Three electronics databases, namely Google Scholar, PubMed and CrossRef were used to search for publications on trypanosomiasis prevalence that met our inclusion criteria. Twenty five articles were identified, 11 of which met the inclusion criteria. Bovine trypanosomiasis prevalence of 2.99% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.96% – 3.01%) to 25.28% (95% CI: 25.17% – 25.38%) were recorded between 1960 and 2021. The analyses showed that the most infected regions were the Bagoue 11.26% (95% CI: 11.25% – 11.27%), Bounkani 14.94% (95% CI: 14.93% – 14.95%), Gbeke 10.34% (95% CI: 10.33% – 10.35%), Marahoue 13.79% (95% CI: 13.78% – 13.80%), Poro 8.50% (95% CI: 8.49% – 8.51%), and Tchologo 11.83% (95% CI: 11.82% – 11.84%).The most sensitive diagnostic method used was the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The species of trypanosomes diagnosed were Typanosoma vivax 4.99% (95% CI: 4.97% – 5.01%), T. congolense 1.51% (95% CI: 1.49% – 1.52%), and T. brucei 0.61% (95% CI: 0.59% – 0.62%). Despite some variation, the prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis in Côte d’Ivoire caused mainly by T. vivax has increased in the years between 1977 and 2017. Efforts to control tsetse and other mechanical vectors should also be put in place to minimize its transmission.Contribution: The authors studied the prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis using the systematic review method and MA in order to determine the status of research on this disease in Côte d’Ivoire.

The resistance of trypanosomes to the doses of trypanocide administered by farmers to their animals acts as a real brake on efforts to control to combat African trypanosomiasis. Thus, in-depth knowledge of the use of these different molecules and their resistance profiles will be necessary to establish an integrated strategy to combat African trypanosomiasis. To achieve these objectives, a participatory survey among farmers and a resistance diagnosis of trypanosome strains identified in three regions of northern Côte d’Ivoire (Bagoué, Poro and Tchologo) was carried out using the PCR-RFLP technique, followed by sequencing of genes of interest. This study made it possible to identify three molecules that are commonly used by 85% (63/74) of farmers. In descending order of use, we identified Isometamidium chloride (43%), Diminazene aceturate (28%) and Homidium bromide (14%). Three species of trypanosomes, Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma. theileri and Trypanosoma vivax, were identified in farms, and only one strain had the adenosine transporter gene (Trypanosoma congolense), but this strain was sensitive to the Diminazene aceturate molecule. Comparison of the sequence of this trypanosome strain showed that it is different to the Kenyan strain diagnosed as resistant to the Diminazene aceturate molecule. This study shows that a variety of trypanocides are used by farmers, and that the resistance profile of the strains to the Diminazene aceturate molecule could not be observed. However, it is important to further investigate the other molecules encountered in Côte d’Ivoire.

The potential danger to livestock from African animal trypanosomiasis is well known. However, the trypanosome species circulating in cattle and their genetics are poorly understood. After different alignments according to three regions (ITS1, gGAPDH and rRNA gene) of the trypanosome genome, phylogenetic analyses were used to show the genetic diversity of the different species that were circulating in the cattle in three regions (Bagoue, Poro and Tchologo) of Côte d’Ivoire. These analyses were performed by alignment of ITS1; by alignment of partial 18S, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2 and partial 28S rRNA genes; and by alignment of gGAPDH gene with sequences of Trypanosomes found in GenBank. Three species were identified (T. vivax, T. theileri and T. congolense) in the cattle in the three northern regions of Côte d’Ivoire. T. vivax and T. theileri were the most abundant species in the present study. Contrary to the other primers used in this study, the ITS1 primers were not able to amplify T. theileri. We observed mixed infections between T. theileri and the other two species identified (T. vivax and T. congolense). As far as primers are concerned, in some cases, rRNA was able to identify the same species of trypanosomes that the ITS1 and gGAPDH primers were able to identify. Two main distinct groups of T. theileri complex were identified. The T. congolense and T. vivax strains were close to African strains, such as those from Kenya, Nigeria and Cameroon, unlike the T. theileri strain. Three trypanosome species (T. vivax, T. theileri and T. congolense) circulate in cattle in the Savannah district of Côte d’Ivoire. The genetic diversity of the trypanosome species encountered in this study cannot be classified as intraspecies according to geographical area and breed of cattle they infect.