Bovine Trypanosomiasis (Nagana): Welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa

Key Facts

• Caused by Trypanosoma vivax, T. congolense, and T. brucei brucei transmitted by tsetse flies
• Clinical signs include progressive anemia, wasting, diarrhea, abortion, and death over weeks to months
• Trypanotolerant breeds (N'Dama, Muturu) survive in tsetse belts where European breeds succumb rapidly
• Treatment with diminazene aceturate (Berenil) and isometamidium chloride is effective but drug resistance is increasing
• Nagana affects livestock in approximately 10 million km2 of sub-Saharan Africa, constraining cattle keeping across the continent

Welfare Considerations

Nagana causes profound chronic suffering. Affected cattle progressively deteriorate over weeks: weight loss is extreme, anemia causes weakness and pallor, reproductive failure is common, and ultimately animals become moribund. The suffering is prolonged because the disease course is slow. Treatment exists but is expensive and resistance is increasing. For subsistence farmers, losing cattle to nagana represents both a welfare catastrophe and economic devastation. Supporting international programs for tsetse control, trypanotolerant breed development, and affordable treatment access is a meaningful global welfare intervention.

What You Can Do

• Support international animal health organizations working on African animal trypanosomiasis control
• Advocate for funding of tsetse control programs that protect both cattle welfare and farmer livelihoods
• Support research into new trypanocidal drugs and resistance-breaking treatment combinations
• Promote use of trypanotolerant breeds in endemic areas as a long-term welfare solution
• Engage with One Health frameworks that link animal and human trypanosomiasis control