The authors report the results of an entomo-parasitological survey in the State Ranch of Louboulou, Bouenza region, Congo. Over a period of more than five months, the average tsetse density was 0.2 Glossina palpalis palpalis captured per day and trap. Although some specimens of Glossina fusca congolensis were also captured, the density of the latter species was quite insignificant. No trypanosomiasis was detected among the N'Dama cattle of the ranch, as a result of 114 blood samples collected for parasitological (fresh blood sample, Woo method, thick blood film) and serological examinations (Testryp CATT on whole blood and serum). The absence of detectable trypanosomiasis is discussed and interpreted as a result of a low tsetse threat below a critical threshold which remains to be determined.
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Trop Anim Health Prod
December 2024
Animal Breeding and Genomic Group, Department of Animal Science, University Egerton, PO Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya.
The evolution of body weight under the natural trypanosome challenge and its association with disease tolerance to trypanosomosis is of utmost economic importance in cattle. This study estimated heritability for growth traits and packed cell volume (PCV) and their genetic correlations in the N'Dama cattle in the Gambia. A total of 2,488, 2,442, 1,471, 1,934, and 1,452 bodyweight records at 12 months (WT12), 16 months (WT16), 18 months (WT18), 24 months (WT24), 36 months (WT36) and 50 months (WT50) and 1,782, 1,800, 1,844, 1,608, and 1,459 records for PCV at 12 months (PCV12) 18 months (PCV18), 24 months (PCV24), 36 months (PCV36), and 50 months (PCV50), respectively, were analysed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeredity (Edinb)
January 2025
UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
BMC Genomics
October 2024
Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK.
Background: African cattle represent a unique resource of genetic diversity in response to adaptation to numerous environmental challenges. Characterising the genetic landscape of indigenous African cattle and identifying genomic regions and genes of functional importance can contribute to targeted breeding and tackle the loss of genetic diversity. However, pinpointing the adaptive variant and determining underlying functional mechanisms of adaptation remains challenging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe premise of this article is that African historiography has yet to embrace the genetic basis of cattle tolerance to tsetse-borne trypanosomiasis due to the literature's emphasis on human illness and landscape modification. By the early 1980s, empirical research indicated that N'Dama cattle possessed a tolerance to the disease that was heritable and, as such, could be strengthened through breeding. The Gambia's first president, who was a former veterinary surgeon, contributed to the breed's reappraisal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Genet
July 2024
Animal Genetics and Breeding Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, Haryana, India.
Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), cattle are crucial for socioeconomic stability yet face numerous environmental stressors such as diseases, parasites, and extreme heat within pastoral and agropastoral systems. Despite their significance, gaps remain in understanding how genetic diversity and inbreeding influence traits essential for disease resistance and environmental adaptability. This study examines the genomic adaptations that enable SSA cattle to thrive under these conditions and assesses the impact of inbreeding on such adaptive traits.
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