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BackgroundTsetse flies and trypanosomiasis are among several factors that constrain livestock development in Tanzania. Over the years Rufiji District was excluded from livestock production owing to tsetse fly infestation, however, a few years ago there was an influx of livestock following evictions aimed at conserving the Usangu wetlands.MethodsA study was conducted to determine the efficiency of available traps for catching tsetse flies, Glossina species infesting the area, their infection rates and Trypanosoma species circulating in the area. Trapping was conducted during the semi dry season for a total of 30 days (ten days each month) during the onset of the dry season of May - July 2009. Harvested flies after every 24 hours were dissected and examined under a light microscope for trypanosome infections and whole fly DNA was extracted from 82 flies and analyzed for trypanosomes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using different sets of primers.ResultsThe proportions of total tsetse catches per trap were in the following decreasing order S3 (33%), H-Trap (27%), Pyramidal (19%), sticky panel (11%) and biconical trap (10%). Of the 1200 trapped flies, 75.6% were identified as Glossina pallidipes, 11.7% as G. brevipalpis, 9.6% as G. austeni and 3.0% G. morsitans morsitans. Dissections revealed the overall infection rate of 6.6% (13/197). Whole DNA was extracted from 82 tsetse flies and the prevalence of trypanosomes circulating in the area in descending order was 92.7% (76/82) for T. simiae; 70.7% (58/82) for T. brucei types; 48.8% (40/82) for the T. vivax types and 32.9% (27/82) for the T. congolense types as determined by PCR. All trypanosome types were found in all tsetse species analysed except for the T. congolense types, which were absent in G. m. morsitans. None of the T. brucei positive samples contained human infective trypanosomes by SRA - PCR testConclusionAll tsetse species found in Rufiji are biologically important in the transmission of animal trypanosomiasis and the absence of T. congolense in G. m. morsitans could be a matter of chance only. Therefore, plans for control should consider all tsetse species.

After an absence of about 25 years contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) appeared again in 1990 in Tanzania. It was preceded by a spread in Kenya to an area bordering Tanzania. Due to the frequent cattle movements across the border it was soon introduced into Loliondo in northern Tanzania. One month after the first cases, CBPP was suspected in a total of 9 herds comprising 1,500 cattle. However, few animals showed clear clinical signs and frequent antibiotic treatment at an early stage further obscured the clinical picture. In one herd with acute cases, the diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, SC type, was isolated. From this herd several serum samples were positive in the complement fixation test and gave high absorbance values in an ELISA with M. mycoides subsp. mycoides antigen. From 5 other herds with suspected cases blood samples were negative by the complement fixation test but in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at least one in each herd was positive.

A study between August 1995 and December 1997 included 343 dairy cattle on 20 farms in the Dar es Salaam region and 2289 zebu cattle on 39 bomas in the Lugoba area (coast region). The aim was to establish the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) and bovine brucellosis (Brucella abortus). In the single intradermal tuberculin test (SIT), 0.9% (3/343) of the animals in Dar es Salaam tested positive and 1.2% (4/343) were doubtful. Positive reactors were found in 10% (2/20) of the farms. In the Lugoba area, 0.6% (14/2206) were positive and 6.8% (149/2206) doubtful, positive cases being found in 21% (8/39) of all bomas. In the slow agglutination test (SAT) for B. abortus, 14.1% (48/341) of the serum samples reacted positively in Dar es Salaam and 2.3% (8/341) were doubtful. Positive SAT reactors were identified on 25% (5/20) of the dairy cattle farms. In the Lugoba area, 12.3% (273/2221) proved to be positive SAT reactors and doubtful reactions were observed in 2.9% (64/2221). SAT-positive animals were detected on 87% (34/39) of all bomas. The prevalence in single herds in Dar es Salaam varied from 4.3% to 5.3% for the SIT and from 2.2% to 50% for the SAT. The prevalence in single herds in Lugoba area was between 1.1% and 2.9% for SIT and from 1.4% up to 62.1% for SAT. The two cattle populations differed significantly (p < 0.001) in the prevalence of both bovine tuberculosis and bovine brucellosis. Two cows that were positive reactors were slaughtered and subjected to post-mortem examination, and organ samples were bacteriologically cultured. The occurrence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in both cows.