African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT)

Why in news?

• Recently, Ethiopia has released the first edition of an atlas to map a parasitic disease affecting livestock in the country and the vector behind it.
• Ethiopia’s National Institute for Control and Eradication of Tsetse and Trypanosomosis (NICETT), through this atlas initiative, aims to establish a reference for the distribution of tsetse flies and African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) in western Ethiopia.

What is AAT?

• It is caused by the parasitic protozoa trypanosomes, which are transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies, an African blood-sucking fly.
• It is a major livestock disease constraining sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural production.
• There is no vaccine, and existing drugs are becoming less effective because of the development of resistance in parasites.
• A human form of the disease also exists, known as human African trypanosomosis or sleeping sickness.

On-going Projects related to AAT

• The COMBAT project(Controlling and progressively Minimising the Burden of Animal Trypanosomosis)

• • The European Commission financed a four-year research and innovation project in Africa.
  • The project spans from August 2021-August 2025 and houses African countries, including South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, Senegal, Sudan, Chad, Zambia and Zimbabwe.