M. Mazibe* and C. Lopes Pereira+
*Veterinary Research Institute
Ministry of Agriculture
P.O. Box 1922
Maputo, Mozambique
+ Veterinary Faculty
Eduardo Mondlane University
P.O. Box 257
Maputo, Mozambique
Trypanosomiasis, ticks and tick-borne diseases are major constraints to cattle, goat and sheep rearing in Mozambique. Ticks, particularly those of the genus Amblyomma, are indirectly responsible for great losses in calves in the infested areas of the south because of damage to cow teats and udders. Tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis and anaplasmosis are important causes of livestock losses in the commercial sector, and heartwater is of overwhelming importance for goats and exotic breeds of cattle. East Coast fever (ECF) and Corridor disease have been recorded and are of importance in local breeds of cattle in the smallholder sector.
The first recorded outbreak of theileriosis occurred in southern Mozambique in 1901 after the introduction of infected cattle from Tanzania through Beira and Lourenco Marques. The disease spread rapidly and infected cattle in large areas in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa (Koch, 1903, and Gray, 1908, cited by Henning, 1932). In Zimbabwe it is estimated that over half of the cattle population died of ECF in three years after its introduction. In South Africa, where its spread was restricted, some 50 million Rand (US$137 million at the exchange rate in August 1989) was spent on its control before it was eradicated 50 years later. The disease was present south of the Limpopo River in Mozambique until at least 1917, after which it disappeared due to a combination of strict control measures (Dies, 1977) and, perhaps more importantly, unsuitable ecological conditions for the vector and low cattle density.
East Coast fever remained endemic in Angonia, a northwestern district bordering Malawi, where meteorological and ecological conditions are very suitable for the vector. In this area the brown ear tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, and the blue ticks of the genus Boophilus are the dominant species, in contrast to the main cattle-keeping areas of the south, where the bont tick, A. hebraeum, is of greatest importance.
The first outbreak of theileriosis caused by Theileria parva lawrencei was recorded in 1960 in Mapai, a southwestern district of Gaza Province. Later outbreaks occurred in Mossurize, Manica and Chimoio in 1970 and 1971 (Dies, 1977).
Few ecological and epidemiological studies on ticks and tick-borne diseases in Mozambique exist. A tick survey has been conducted over a number of years by Dias (1950), but no quantitative data are available. More recently, ecological and epidemiological studies were initiated by Jacobsen (1985) at the Veterinary Research Institute. The potential vector of ECF was shown to have a marked seasonal activity in both Maputo and Gaza provinces, with peak activity in February and March.
The results of a serological survey indicate a low number of ECF-positive animals outside the ECF-endemic area, but these data require further study (Jacobsen, 1985). A high percentage of positive cattle (58%) in the sector in Tete Province indicates a still active focus of ECF.
The lack of quantitative and qualitative data on ECF in Mozambique has been a constraint to the design and implementation of a sound control programme in the endemic area. Both epidemiological and ecological studies are required to define the extent of the endemic area and the risk of disease spread. The distribution of the vector and the seasonal nature of its activity need to be studied to evaluate the viability of an immunization programme combined with strategic tick control.
REFERENCES
Dias, J.A. Travassos Santos (1950). List of Mozambique ticks and their known hosts. Anais dos Servicos de Veterinaria e Industria Animal, n. 3, pp. 227-252.
Dias, J.A. Travassos Santos (1977). Theileriosis in Mozambique. In: Henson, J.B. and Campbell M., eds. Theileriosis: Report of a Workshop Held in Nairobi, Kenya, 7-9 December 1976. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre, pp. 43-45.
Henning, M.W. (1932). Animal Diseases in South Africa, Vol. 1. South Africa: Central News Agency, pp. 298-329.
Jacobsen P. (1985). Final Report Project n. 5 Monap Phase III, Strengthening Veterinary and Laboratory Service.
