THEILERIOSIS IN ZAMBIA - ETIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL MEASURES

In Zambia, theileriosis manifests itself in the form of Corridor disea se (CD), caused by Theileria parva lawrencei, and East Coast fever (EC F), caused by T. parva parva. Of the approximately 3 million cattle in Zambia, 1.4 million are at risk to theileriosis. ECF is found in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the country, while CD appears in Sou thern, Central, Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces. Theileriosis is a maj or constraint to the development of the livestock industry in Zambia, with losses of about 10,000 cattle per annum. The disease is spreading at a very fast rate, over-flowing its original borders. The epidemiol ogy is complicated by, among other factors, the wide distribution of t he tick vector, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, which is found all over the country. The current strategy of relying on tick control and thera peutic drugs as a way of controlling the disease is becoming increasin gly difficult for Zambia. This is because both curative drugs and acar icides are very costly. Immunization against theileriosis using the in fection and treatment method as a way of controlling the disease is be coming increasingly accepted, provided local Theileria stocks are used . This paper reviews the incidence of theileriosis in the last 2 years , 1991 and 1992. It also gives a historical perspective of the disease , epidemiology and control measures presently in use.