Borena Zone Agriculture Office, Oromia Regional State, Yabello, Ethiopia.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa University, P.O.Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
BMC Vet Res. 2024 Sep 7;20(1):400. doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04250-1.
Surra is a parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi that threatens the health and productivity of camels. Despite its significant impact on camels in Ethiopia, surra has not received as much attention as diseases in cattle and other domestic animals. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of surra, identify the potential risk factors and assess the traditional knowledge, attitude and practices of camel herders towards the disease.
The study used a parasitological and participatory epidemiological (PE) approach. Between February and July 2022, a total of 335 blood samples were collected from camels across three districts and tested using the buffy coat technique. The PE investigation involved six key informant groups consisting of 8 to 12 key persons, and used a semi-structured interview and various PE tools and principles.
The study found that the prevalence of surra among examined camels was 3.9% (95% CI: 2.1-6.5). The prevalence was significantly higher in camels with a poor body condition score (BCS) (OR = 9.3; 95% CI: 1.8-47.5; p = 0.008) compared with camels with a good BCS. However, district, age, sex, and ethnicity had no effect on the prevalence of surra (p > 0.05). The study also found that the packed cell volume (PCV) was significantly lower (p < 0.0001) in parasitaemic animals (18.92 ± 2.63) than in aparasitaemic animals (25.13 ± 4.56). Camels with poor BCS (22.7 ± 3.5) had a significantly (p < 0.001) lower mean PCV than camels with good BCS (26.2 ± 5.0). The PE investigation showed that all the camel herders were well aware of surra, known locally as Dhukana. The clinical symptoms, the season of high incidence, routes of transmission, impact on production, and control methods were accurately described. Moreover, this study emphasized that surra is the primary disease affecting camel health and productivity.
The study identified a moderate prevalence of surra in the research area. To reduce surra incidence and associated losses, enhancing veterinary services and providing support for proper camel husbandry practices in the region is recommended. Additionally, future studies should consider using more sensitive and specific techniques like serological and molecular assays, as this study relied on microscopy only.
苏拉病是由伊氏锥虫引起的寄生虫病，对骆驼的健康和生产力构成威胁。尽管苏拉病对埃塞俄比亚的骆驼有重大影响，但它并没有像牛和其他家畜疾病那样受到关注。本研究的目的是估计苏拉病的流行率，确定潜在的风险因素，并评估骆驼饲养者对该病的传统知识、态度和做法。
本研究采用寄生虫学和参与式流行病学（PE）方法。在 2022 年 2 月至 7 月期间，从三个地区采集了 335 份骆驼血液样本，采用血涂片技术进行检测。PE 调查涉及由 8 至 12 名关键人员组成的六个关键信息组，使用半结构式访谈和各种 PE 工具和原则。
研究发现，受检骆驼苏拉病的患病率为 3.9%（95%CI：2.1-6.5）。与身体状况评分（BCS）良好的骆驼相比，BCS 较差的骆驼苏拉病的患病率明显更高（OR=9.3；95%CI：1.8-47.5；p=0.008）。然而，地区、年龄、性别和种族对苏拉病的患病率没有影响（p>0.05）。研究还发现，感染寄生虫的动物的红细胞压积（PCV）明显较低（p<0.0001）（18.92±2.63），而无寄生虫感染的动物的 PCV 较高（25.13±4.56）。BCS 较差的骆驼（22.7±3.5）的平均 PCV 明显低于 BCS 良好的骆驼（26.2±5.0）（p<0.001）。PE 调查显示，所有的骆驼饲养者都非常了解苏拉病，当地称为 Dhukana。准确描述了该病的临床症状、高发季节、传播途径、对生产的影响和控制方法。此外，本研究强调，苏拉病是影响骆驼健康和生产力的主要疾病。
本研究确定了研究区域中苏拉病的中等流行率。为了降低苏拉病的发病率和相关损失，建议加强兽医服务，并为该地区提供适当的骆驼饲养实践支持。此外，未来的研究应考虑使用更敏感和特异的技术，如血清学和分子检测，因为本研究仅依赖于显微镜检查。
