EFFECT OF DIFFERENT EAST-COAST FEVER CONTROL STRATEGIES ON FERTILITY,MILK-PRODUCTION AND WEIGHT-GAIN OF SANGA CATTLE IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCE OF ZAMBIA

Five different East Coast Fever (ECF) (Theileria parva infection) cont rol strategies, based on tick control and/or ECF immunization, were te sted in groups of traditionally managed Sanga cattle in the Central Pr ovince of Zambia over a period of 2.5 years. Two groups were kept unde r intensive tick control (sprayed weekly), one group immunized and one non-immunized. Two further groups were under no tick control, one gro up immunized and one non-immunized, while a fifth group was immunized against ECF and maintained under strategic tick control (18 sprays per year). Tick control increased milk production and weight gain but not fertility. Immunization had neither marked detrimental nor beneficial effects on the cattle productivity. The combination of strategic tick control and immunization resulted in the highest level of production and at the same time reduced the potential risk from other tick-borne diseases.