Effect of Trypanosome Infection on Work Performance of Trypanotolerant Ndama Cattle in Senegal Subhumid Zone

The aim of this study was to assess trypanosome infection effects on the work performance of trypanotolerant cattle in the subhumid zone of Senegal. The study was conducted on Ndama cattle with a mean live weight of 288 kg and a mean age of six years. The animals were trained individually (single ox). The experimental design comprised two phases of four weeks each. In the first phase, the animals worked five hours a day, five days a week drafting the equivalent of 12% their body weight. A three-week rest period followed. Then, in the second phase, they were intradermally infected with a strain of Trypanosoma congolense (infective dose: 105 trypanosomes per milliliter) and subjected to the same work. The trypanosome infection had a significant effect on work power (P < 0.001), work speed (P < 0.001), distance traveled (P < 0.001), volume of pellets obtained by centrifugation (P < 0.05) and Andropogon gayanus intake (p < 0.01). However, the infection had no significant effect on the animals’ live weights. Results showed the work performance of infection-free animals was better than that of trypanosome-infected cattle. Healthcare and prophylactic measures against trypanosomes are proposed to improve the work performance of trypanotolerant Ndama cattle used for drafting: cattle should be treated against trypanosomosis with diminazene aceturate (Bérénil®) (7 mg/kg body weight) at the end of the dry season, and with isometamidium (0,5–1 mg/kg body weight) during the rainy season, to protect them during the land preparation period.