Protozoa Diseases, Symptoms, Control

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Hi, welcome to this blog on protozoa diseases and control method.

Table Of Contents

  1. Protozoa disease
  2. Trypanosomiasis
  3. Animals affected by protozoa disease
  4. Causal organism
  5. Symptoms of protozoa diseases
  6. Methods of transmission
  7. Control methods Of protozoa disease

Protozoa Diseases

Protozoa are single celled micro-organisms that can cause various diseases in humans and Farm animals. Some common protozoan diseases include:

1. Trypanosomiasis

  • Animals affected: Resistant breeds of cattle are N’Dama, muturu and kateku, while susceptible breeds are white Fulani, Red bororo, Kuri Chad, sokoto Gudali and Boran.

Causal organism

  • It is caused by a protozoa called trypanosoma spp, trypanosoma vivax, T.Congolensis, T.gambiensi.

Symptoms of Trypanosomiasis

  1. Rise in body temperature
  2. Dullness in appearance
  3. Anaemia
  4. Sleepiness
  5. Nervous disorder leading to paralysis and death
  6. Weakness
  7. Dry coat
  8. Loss of weight
  9. Loss of appetite

Method of Transmission

The disease is spread by blood sucking tsetse fly (Glossina spp) which may suck blood from an infected animal and transmit the pathogens to a healthy animal.

Control Methods

  1. Cleaning of bush surrounding the farm in order to remove the fly’s habitat.
  2. Spraying with insecticides to kill vector (tsetse fly).
  3. Treatment of infected animals with drugs such as trypanosomide and antimosan.
  4. Eradication of wild species or animal carriers in and around the ranch or pasture.
  5. Isolating affected animals
  6. Biological control of insect vectors.

2. Coccidiosis

  • Animals affected are: domestic fowl, turkey, goose and rabbit.
  • Causal organism: It is caused by protozoa (Eimera spp)

Symptoms of Coccidiosis

  1. Dropping wings
  2. Loss of appetite
  3. Blood stained diarrhoea
  4. Emaciation
  5. High mortality
  6. Dullness and unthriftiness
  7. Loss of hair or acopacia (in rabbits).
  8. Rough feathers
  9. Huddling (crowding together).

Control Methods

  1. Practice proper sanitization.
  2. Avoid wet litters and feed.
  3. Changing of litter used and general disinfection.
  4. Use suitable drugs such as amprolium, nitrofurazone or sulphaquinoxaline in water.

3. Red water fever (Piroplas mosis)

  • Animals affected: These are Sheep, goat, cattle and pig.
  • Causal organism: It is caused by protozoan called babesia spp.

Symptoms

  1. Rise in body temperature
  2. Loss of appetite
  3. Diarrhoea
  4. Pale red color of urine
  5. Emaciation and death

Methods of transmission: It is transmitted through the bite of infected animals by a vector called blue tick.

Control Methods

  1. Spray with insecticide to kill the vector of disease (blue tick).
  2. Inject animals with drugs like trypan blue, babesan or acaprin.

Revision Questions

  1. What is protozoa disease?
  2. What is the method of Transmission of trypanosomiasis?
  3. What are the methods of controlling protozoa disease?
  4. List five symptoms of protozoa disease of trypanosomiasis
  5. List five control method of coccidiosis.
  6. What are the symptoms of coccidia?
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