ABSTRACT
The prevalence of bovine anaplasmosis was studied in 320 Zebu cattle randomly selected from three regions of Uganda (central; south-western and north-western) using DOT-ELISA; Western immunoblotting; Rapid Card Agglutination Test (RCAT); Capillary Tube Agglutination Test (CAT); Complement Fixation Test (CFT); and parasitological techniques. Dried blood on Whatman filter paper no. 1 was eluated in PBS 0.05pc Tween 20 prior to testing at an initial dilution of 1:25. The incidence of parasitaemia ranged from 25pc in the central region to 35pc in the north-western region and the serological prevalence was lower in the central region and highest in the north-west. Prevalence rates assayed by DOT-ELISA and Western immunoblotting were 1.5-fold greater than those tested with RCAT and 3-fold greater than in CAT. The overall prevalence rates by DOT-ELISA and Western immunoblotting compared favourably with CFT data. The present data utilizing dried blood on filter papers indicate that there is a high prevalence of anaplasmosis in those regions of Uganda surveyed and it confirms our observations and those of others that collecting blood on filter papers is a suitable technique for large-scale screening and for seroepidemiological studies