Abattoir surveillance demonstrates contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is widespread in Tanzania.

A study was conducted to investigate the presence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in the slaughter facilities in 10 regions of Tanzania that reported pathological lesions suggestive of CBPP during meat inspection. The aim was to ascertain if slaughter facilities can be used to monitor the occurrence and spread of CBPP in the country. The study involved a questionnaire survey, clinical examination of animals for CBPP symptoms prior to slaughter and postmortem examination of the respiratory system in slaughtered cattle. A total of 12 slaughterhouses and 31 animal markets were involved in the study. A total of 2736 cattle were slaughtered comprising 1978 and 758 in slaughterhouses and animal markets, respectively. Of the total slaughtered stock, 351 of 2736 (12.8 %) had lesions suggestive of CBPP and of these, 236 (8.6 %) were from slaughterhouses and 115 (4.2 %) from animal markets. Acute CBPP cases were observed in 192 of the 236 (81.4 %) and 71 of the 115 (61.7 %) of the animals inspected in the slaughterhouses and markets, respectively. Chronic cases were encountered in 24 (10.2 %) of the animals slaughtered in the slaughterhouses and 19 (16.5 %) at animal markets. This work has confirmed that targeted monitoring for CBPP lesions through meat inspection can be a useful tool for CBPP surveillance in endemic countries like Tanzania.

Antibody response to Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae bacterium in small holder dairy goats in Tanzania.

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), an Office International des Epizooties listed disease, can cause significant levels of morbidity and mortality in goats in Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of CCPP, in two contrasting administrative districts of northern Tanzania, namely, Babati and Arumeru. A total of 337 serum samples were collected from January to July 2010, from apparently clinically healthy unvaccinated dairy goats breeds of different ages and sexes. Samples were subjected to monoclonal antibody-based competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the specific measurement of antibodies to Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae bacterium. The overall animal flock and village-level seroprevalence of CCPP was found to be 3.3 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.6-5.8], 9.6 % (95 % CI = 4.7-16.9), and 31.5 % (95 % CI = 15.6-56.5), respectively. There was no evidence (p = 0.659) of differences in seroprevalence between samples from the two administrative locations. Despite the fact that there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in seropositivity between sex and age and between breeds sampled, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in seropositivity between the different physiological status groups examined with the non-lactating (dry) category of goats showing a higher seroprevalence. The findings of this survey revealed evidence of dairy goat exposure to M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae, although at a low prevalence. It is therefore advisable to include CCPP serology in the seromonitoring program so as to give a better indication of flock immunity. This should lead to the establishment of appropriate CCPP control measures in smallholder dairy goat flocks, which are increasingly being recognized for their value as a vital source of livelihood for resource poor livestock keepers in Tanzania.