Author(s)

Isidore Kpandji Kouadio¹, Didier Sokouri¹, Mathurin Koffi^2,3*, Ibrahim Konaté², Bernadin Ahouty¹, Alain Koffi⁴, Simon Pierre N’Guetta¹

¹Laboratoire de Génétique, UFR Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouet Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
²Laboratoire des Interaction Hôte-Microorganisme-Environnement et Evolution, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
³Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
⁴Institut Pierre Richet, Unité de Recherche Trypanosomoses, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire.

Background: African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) is caused mainly by Trypanosoma congolense, T. vivax, and T. brucei brucei and is the major constraint for livestock productivity in Sub-Saharan African countries. Information about animal trypanosomiasis status in Ivory Coast is missing, especially regarding molecular epidemiology. Therefore, this study intended to apply molecular tools to identify and characterize trypanosomes in Ivory Coast for sustainable control. Methods: 363 cattle blood samples were collected from Ferkessedougou Region in northern Ivory Coast in 2012. Buffy coat technique (BCT) and species-specific PCR assays were used to detect trypanosome species. Results: Out of 363 cattle examined with BCT, 33 were found positive with all trypanosomes species accounting for an average of 9.09% prevalence whereas polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species-specific primers showed that 81 out of 363 cattle were infected with trypanosomes with an overall prevalence of 22.31%. Trypanosoma congolense savanah type, T. Vivax and T. brucei sl. accounted for 28.39%, 49.38% and 23.45% of the infection rate respectively. No infection with T. congo forest type was detected. T. vivax infection was the most prevalence in the area investigated compared to the two other trypanosome species. Mixed infections with different trypanosomes species were detected accounting for 7.32% of prevalence. Regarding sexrelated prevalence, male cattles were slightly more infected than female but the difference was not significant. Conclusion: Our results showed that there was a high prevalence of AAT in livestock in Ferkessedougou Area. There is therefore a need to strengthen control policies and institute measures that help prevent the spread of the parasites for sustainable control of animal trypanosome in this area.

Animal African Trypanosomiasis, Molecular Diagnosis, Species-Specific PCR, Côte d’Ivoire

Kouadio, I. , Sokouri, D. , Koffi, M. , Konaté, I. , Ahouty, B. , Koffi, A. and N’Guetta, S. (2014) Molecular Characterization and Prevalence of Trypanosoma Species in Cattle from a Northern Livestock Area in Côte d’Ivoire. Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 4, 314-321. doi: 10.4236/ojvm.2014.412038.