Prevalence and Risk Factors of Trypanosoma Infection in Cattle and Sheep Slaughtered at Katsina Abattoir, Nigeria

Abstract

African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a major constraint to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa, causing anaemia, reduced productivity and economic losses in cattle and sheep. Its burden among slaughtered livestock in Katsina State, Nigeria, remains poorly documented, as earlier studies focused mainly on live grazing animals. This study determined the prevalence and risk factors of Trypanosoma infection in cattle and sheep slaughtered at Katsina Modern Abattoir. A six-month cross-sectional study sampled 400 animals (250 cattle and 150 sheep). Blood was examined by wet mount, thin film and Giemsa-stained thick film microscopy, while structured questionnaires captured demographic and risk-factor data. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression, with significance set at p<0.05. Five animals tested positive, giving a prevalence of 1.25%. Prevalence was higher in cattle (1.60%) than in sheep (0.66%), although the difference was not significant (χ²=0.820, df=1, p=0.365). White Fulani cattle recorded the highest breed-specific prevalence (1.72%), whereas Sokoto Gudali cattle, Balami sheep and Uda sheep had no infections. Prevalence was four times higher in the rainy season (2.00%) than in the dry season (0.50%; OR=4.08, 95% CI: 0.45–36.84), and young animals (≤2 years) had the highest age-related prevalence (2.63%; OR=2.60). None of the risk factors examined reached statistical significance. AAT prevalence among slaughtered cattle and sheep at Katsina abattoir is low but persistent, with season and age emerging as the most notable, though non-significant, predictors. Larger molecular-based studies are recommended to better characterise trypanosomiasis burden and risk factors in the area.