Prevalence of babesiosis in Sanga cattle in the Ohangwena region of Namibia

Abstract

Three hundred and ninety two (n = 392) blood samples from randomly selected cattle were subjected to the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test to test for antibodies against Babesia spp. The proportions of males (49%) and females (51%) included in the study did not differ significantly. Cattle that were 5 years constituted 63% of the sampled animals, while cattle that were 0-2 years old were in the minority (14%). Babesia bigemina had the highest prevalence (36.5%), while mixed infections had the least prevalence (13.2%). Based on age, cattle that were 3-4 years old had the highest prevalence of both B. bovis (23.9%) and B. bigemina (44.6 %). Cattle in the 0-2 year age category had the lowest prevalence of both B. bovis (12.3%) and B. bigemina (29.8 %). The 3-4 years old age category also had the highest prevalence (18.5 %) of mixed infections, while the 0-2-years old had the lowest (8.8%). Overall, B. bigemina had the highest prevalence; however the level of the prevalence of babesiosis in the study area was not at the point where the region could be considered endemically stable.There was no significant association between infection and age, gender and place.