An epidemic of besnoitiosis in cattle in Kenya

Abstract

A total of 17 head of cattle presenting with typical "Elephant skin disease" were isolated from the rest of the herd within a beef ranch for further clinical observation. On physical examination, all the animals had characteristic sclero-conjunctival cysts of Besnoitia besnoiti. In addition, some of the animals had characteristic skin nodules on the legs, ears and back. Histological examination of skin sections revealed typical large Besnoitia cysts. Microscopic exami• nation of crush preparations of skin scrapings revealed crescent-shaped organisms with a more pointed anterior than posterior end (banana-shaped morphology) confirming that the cysts belong to the genus Besnoitia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical record of bovine besnoitiosis in Kenya.