Abstract:
Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and brucellosis are prevalent in buffaloes of the Kruger
National Park (KNP, South Africa). Both diseases were considered to have no or
a very low prevalence in wildlife and livestock in and around the Limpopo
National Park (LNP, Mozambique). The same applies for tuberculosis in Gonarezhou
National Park (GNP, Zimbabwe), but just recently, BTB was detected in
buffaloes in the GNP and fears arose that the disease might also spread to the
LNP as a result of the partial removal of the fences between the three parks to
form the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. To assess the status of both diseases
in and around LNP, 62 buffaloes were tested for bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and
bovine brucellosis. The percentage of positive BTB reactors in buffalo was 8.06%
using BovidTB Stat-Pak and 0% with BOVIGAM IFN-c test and IDEXX
ELISA. The brucellosis seroprevalence in buffalo was found to be 17.72% and
27.42% using Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and ELISA, respectively. In addition, 2445
cattle in and around the LNP were examined for BTB using the single intradermal
cervical comparative tuberculin test (SICCT), and an apparent prevalence of
0.98% was found with no significant difference inside (0.5%) and outside (1.3%)
the park. This is the first published report on the presence of positive reactors to
BTB and bovine brucellosis in buffalo and cattle in and outside the LNP. Monitoring
the wildlife–livestock–human interface of zoonotic high-impact diseases
such as BTB and brucellosis is of outmost importance for the successful implementation
and management of any transfrontier park that aims to improve the
livelihoods of the local communities.
