Innovative Method to Control Cattle Ectoparasites in Suburban Areas of the Subhumid Zone of Burkina Faso: the Footbath

Abstract

A consequence of the increase of the urban demand for animal proteins is the development of the dairy cattle subsector in suburban areas of West Africa. But the inadequate control of diseases and parasites hampers production increase. A novel control method, based on cattle passing through a footbath containing an aqueous formulation of a pyrethroid, could however limit the impact of ticks and tsetse flies, the main pathologic constraints in subhumid areas. This method leads to the elimination of most of adult Amblyomma variegatum, the most harmful tick species in these areas, before attachment to their predilection sites. Furthermore, the footbath treatment helps to reduce drastically the most common populations of riverine tsetse flies in West Africa (Glossina tachinoides and G. palpalis gambiensis), and therefore helps limit trypanosomosis incidence. This control method is also efficacious, low timeconsuming and relatively unexpensive, because the product quantity used in the footbath at each passage is low. But the construction of the structure, which can be used by 400 to 600 head of cattle, is rather expensive and can be more easily achieved by farmers’ associations or private investors than by traditional farmers on their own. This method could be implemented within the framework of planning and development policies. The modalities of the technical support needed are described. In Burkina Faso, a development project for dairy cattle production (ARIOPE) financed the construction of 15 footbaths in the suburban areas of Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou.

Keywords

• Bovin
• Metastigmata
• Glossinidae
• Méthode de lutte
• Lutte intégrée
• Approche communautaire
• Innovation
• Burkina Faso