Anaplasmosis in Uganda. III. Parasitological and serological evidence of Anaplasma infection in Ugandan goats

ABSTRACT

Randomly selected goat sera from north-western; central; and south-western regions of Uganda were analyzed parasitologically and serologically for evidence of anaplasmosis. Prevalence rates of 3.2pc by parasitemia; 4.8pc by card-agglutination test; and 12.9pc by DOT-ELISA combined with western blotting were established. Parasitologically positive samples were consistently serologically positive. Positive samples were all from either the north-western or south-western regions of the country. Goats in these regions graze with cattle and are presumable exposed to the same tick species. There was no evidence of clinical caprine anaplasmosis; whereas bovine anaplasmosis cases are very common. Rhipicephalus evertsi was frequently observed on goats which cograze with cattle