Prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis in Gongola State of Northern Nigeria.

A study of bovine trypanosomosis was carried out in Gongola State (Northern Nigeria), a supposedly tsetse-free region during the months of April-July, 1990. Blood samples were collected from 1,065 cattle and examined by buffy coat and stained smear methods. Packed red cell volume (PCV) was determined simultaneously. Fourty-two (3.9%) of the animals examined were infected with trypanosomes. T. vivax was more frequently encountered than other species. Infection rate was high in the tsetse flies as 27 (22.7%) of Glossina tachinoides caught, dissected and examined were positive for T. vivax and T. congolense infections. Further studies are desirable in areas claimed tsetse-free in Nigeria.