Epidemiology and Economic Impact of Bovine Trypanosomosis in Jawi District, Northwest Ethiopia

Background Bovine trypanosomosis is a debilitating cattle disease considered as a bottleneck to sufficient food production and economic growth in sub-Saharan countries including Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2021 to April 2022 in the Jawi district of Northwest Ethiopia to estimate the prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis, determine the apparent density (AP) of tsetse flies, identify potential risk factors, and assess the economic impact of the disease. For the parasitological study, blood samples were collected from 384 randomly selected zebu breed cattle and examined using the buffy coat technique and Giemsa-stained thin smears. For the entomological survey, a total of 60 monoconical traps were deployed in two randomly selected kebeles. For the economic impact assessment, economic data were collected through interviews using comprehensive and pretested structured questionnaires administered to 100 households. Results The overall prevalence was 9.11% (95% CI = 6.43–12.45). The trypanosome species identified were Trypanosoma congolense (57.14%, n = 20), T. vivax (37.14%, n = 13) and mixed infection with T. congolense and T. vivax (5.72%, n = 2). There was a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) between sex, body condition score (BCS) and packed cell volume (PCV) of cattle and trypanosome infection, but no statistically significant differences were observed for age, coat color, altitude or kebele (p > 0.05). The mean PCV of the infected group (22.46 ± 2.56) was significantly (P < 0.001) lower than that of the non-infected group (27.77 ± 2.22). A total of 154 flies were captured, 110 tsetse and 44 other biting flies (Stomoxys, n = 26 and Tabanus, n = 18). The species of tsetse identified was Glossina tachinoides , and the apparent density was 0.61 flies/trap/day (FTD). The overall economic losses per household and per individual cattle were US$ 1,204.34 and US$ 79.55, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence and estimated mean total economic losses due to bovine trypanosomosis indicated that this disease is highly economically important to farmers; therefore, sustainable and integrated control methods must be be designed and implemented in this area to minimize its impact.