Expert consultation on the sustainable management of parasites in livestock challenged by the global emergence of resistance

FAO

Expert consultation on the sustainable management of parasites in livestock challenged by the global emergence of resistance

Part 2: African animal trypanosomosis and drug resistance: a challenge to progressive, sustainable disease control

Year of publication 2022

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 48 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 978-92-5-137217-3

Series title FAO Animal Production and Health Reports

Series number No. 18

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) African animal trypanosomosis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by tsetse flies and other vectors in 37 African countries. Affecting livestock health and welfare, the disease imposes a heavy burden on communities that rely on domestic animals for their livelihoods. In most endemic areas, trypanosomosis control relies heavily on trypanocidal drugs, which are often the only tool farmers possess to manage the problem. Unfortunately, the few veterinary medicines to treat or prevent the disease are old and outdated, and their efficacy is challenged by the emergence and spread of resistant trypanosome strains. FAO convened experts to discuss how to control African animal trypanosomosis progressively and sustainably in the face of drug resistance. FAO organized the meeting in the framework of an Expert Consultation on the sustainable management of parasites in livestock challenged by the global emergence of resistance. The experts of animal trypanosomosis warned that over 17 countries in Africa have reported treatment failure possibly resulting from trypanocidal drug resistance, which hampers disease control and negatively affects food security and livelihoods. Several factors contribute to the emergence and spread of trypanocidal drug resistance, including drug overuse and misuse, the circulation of fake or substandard products and weak controls along the supply chains. The meeting recommended that national authorities should promote the quality control of trypanocides, raise awareness of rational drug use and strengthen data collection and surveillance. FAO and the other organizations of the Tripartite should develop and disseminate guidelines and best practices, provide a platform for technical and scientific discussions, and they should support advocacy, awareness and resource mobilization at the international level. Academic institutions should improve our understanding of the mechanisms and drivers of resistance and develop more effective tools to monitor and curb the spread of the problem.

Read also Part 1 Last updated 17/01/2024

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2022. Expert consultation on the sustainable management of parasites in livestock challenged by the global emergence of resistance - Part 2: African animal trypanosomosis and drug resistance – a challenge to progressive, sustainable disease control, 9–10 November 2021. FAO Animal Production and Health Report No. 18. Rome.

https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2988en

Language English

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

Article

Cattle breeding, trypanosomosis prevalence and drug resistance in Northern Togo 2017

Also available in:

No results found.

African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT) is a major disease of cattle in Togo and its control is essentially based on chemotherapy. However, because of excessive use of trypanocides during the past decades, chemo-resistance in the parasites has developed. In order to assess the current situation of AAT and resistance to trypanocidal drugs in Northern Togo, a study was conducted on cattle from December 2012 to August 2013 in the regions of Kara and Savanes. An initial cross-sectional survey was carrie d out in 40 villages using the Haematocrit Centrifugation Technique (HCT). Out of these, 5 villages with a trypanosome prevalence of > 10% were selected for a block treatment study (BT) with diminazene diaceturate (DA: 3.5 mg / kg for a 14-day follow-up) and isometamidium chloride (ISM: 0.5 mg / kg for a 28-day follow-up). Positive blood samples collected during the parasitological surveys and an equivalent number of negatives were further analyzed by PCR-RFLP for trypanosome species confirmatio n and molecular diagnosis of resistance to DA in T. congolense. The results from 1,883 bovine blood samples confirmed a high overall trypanosome prevalence of 10.8% in Northern Togo. PCR-RFLP revealed that T. congolense is the dominant pathogenic trypanosome species (50.5%) followed by T. vivax (27.3%), and T. brucei (16.2%). The BT showed varying levels of treatment failures ranging from 0 to 30% and from 0 to 50% for DA and for ISM respectively, suggesting the existence of resistant trypanosom e populations in the study area. Our results show that AAT still represents a major obstacle to the development of cattle husbandry in Northern Togo. In areas of high AAT risk, a community-based integrated strategy combining vector control, rational use of trypanocidal drugs and improving the general condition of the animals is recommended to decision makers.
Article

The COMBAT project: controlling and progressively minimizing the burden of vector-borne animal trypanosomosis in Africa
Version 2 (15 August 2022)
2022

Also available in:

No results found.

Vector-borne diseases affecting livestock have serious impacts in Africa. Trypanosomosis is caused by parasites transmitted by tsetse flies and other blood-sucking Diptera. The animal form of the disease is a scourge for African livestock keepers, is already present in Latin America and Asia, and has the potential to spread further. A human form of the disease also exists, known as human African trypanosomosis or sleeping sickness. Controlling and progressively minimizing the burden of animal trypanosomosis (COMBAT) is a fouryear research and innovation project funded by the European Commission, whose ultimate goal is to reduce the burden of animal trypanosomosis (AT) in Africa. The project builds on the progressive control pathway (PCP), a risk-based, step-wise approach to disease reduction or elimination. COMBAT will strengthen AT control and prevention by improving basic knowledge of AT, developing innovative control tools, reinforcing surveillance, rationalizing control strategies, building capacity, and raising awareness. Knowledge gaps on disease epidemiology, vector ecology and competence, and biological aspects of trypanotolerant livestock will be addressed. Environmentally friendly vector control technologies and more effective and adapted diagnostic tools will be developed. Surveillance will be enhanced by developing information systems, strengthening reporting, and mapping and modelling disease risk in Africa and beyond. The socio-economic burden of AT will be assessed at a range of geographical scales. Guidelines for the PCP and harmonized national control strategies and roadmaps will be developed. Gender equality and ethics will be pivotal in all project activities. The COMBAT project benefits from the expertise of African and European research institutions, national veterinary authorities, and international organizations. The project consortium comprises 21 participants, including a geographically balanced representation from 13 African countries, and it will engage a larger number of AT-affected countries through regional initiatives.
Book (stand-alone)
Vector control and the elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) - Joint FAO/WHO Virtual Expert Meeting, 5-6 October 2021
PAAT Meeting Report Series, No. 1
2022

Also available in:

French

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a vector-borne parasitic disease transmitted by tsetse flies in sub-Saharan Africa. The gambiense form of the disease (gHAT) is endemic in western and central Africa and is responsible for more than 95 percent of the HAT cases reported annually. In the road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030, WHO targeted gHAT for elimination of transmission by 2030. FAO supports this goal within the framework of the Programme against African Trypanosomosis (PAAT). In the framework of the WHO network for HAT elimination, FAO and WHO convened a virtual expert meeting to review vector control in the context of gHAT elimination. The experts included health officials from endemic countries and representatives from research and academic institutions, international organizations and the private sector. Seven endemic countries provided reports on recent and ongoing vector control interventions against gHAT at national level (i.e. Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea and Uganda). The country reports were followed by thematic sessions on various aspects of vector control: tools, costs, community-based approaches, monitoring and reporting. Tsetse control was also discussed in the broader framework of One Health, and in particular in relation to the control of animal trypanosomosis. This report presents a summary of the findings and lessons learned.