Symptoms of Trypanosomiasis (Nagana)
Tsetse fly-borne. Affects 10 million km² of Africa. N'Dama and Muturu breeds are naturally resistant.
Early recognition is critical. Watch for fever, a drop in appetite, separation from the herd, reduced milk yield, and any animal that is unusually dull or reluctant to move. Catching Trypanosomiasis (Nagana) early gives you the best chance of effective treatment and limits spread to the rest of the herd.
Treatment
Treatment of Trypanosomiasis (Nagana) should be guided by a qualified animal-health worker. Self-medicating with leftover or under-dosed drugs drives resistance and often fails.
Supportive care — shade, clean water, soft feed, and treatment of secondary infections — improves survival in many cases. Some African breeds carry useful natural resistance to Trypanosomiasis (Nagana), including the N'Dama, Djakoré, White Fulani. Choosing resistant or tolerant breeds is a legitimate, low-cost control strategy in high-risk areas.
Prevention & control
- Biosecurity: Quarantine newly bought animals for 2–4 weeks before mixing them with your herd.
- Vector control: Reduce biting-fly exposure with traps, targeted spraying and, where possible, grazing away from fly belts during peak season.
- Herd immunity: Keep vaccinations current and maintain good nutrition — well-fed animals withstand disease far better.
- Breed choice: In hotspots, favour breeds with known tolerance.
Vaccination
There is no single, widely available routine vaccine that reliably prevents Trypanosomiasis (Nagana) across Africa, so control depends mainly on parasite and vector management, biosecurity, and prompt treatment. Discuss the latest options with your veterinary service, as availability changes by country.
Economic impact
Trypanosomiasis (Nagana) (Nagana) is rated a high threat to African herds. Losses come from death, reduced growth and milk, treatment costs, and lower sale prices for affected or recovered animals. For an owner, every prevented case protects both the individual animal's value and the productivity of the whole herd. Knowing the price of your stock — see our market prices — makes the cost of prevention easy to justify.