Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe

A postal questionnaire asking for data concerning heartwater deaths was sent to all large-scale commercial farmers in Zimbabwe's lowveld, where heartwater is endemic. One hundred and fifty returns (24 percent return rate) provided usable data, with 85 farms (57 percent of sample) reporting heartwate...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Meltzer, M.I., Perry, Brian D., Donachie, P.L.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 1996
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/29526
_version_ 1855525973015920640
author Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
Donachie, P.L.
author_browse Donachie, P.L.
Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
author_facet Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
Donachie, P.L.
author_sort Meltzer, M.I.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description A postal questionnaire asking for data concerning heartwater deaths was sent to all large-scale commercial farmers in Zimbabwe's lowveld, where heartwater is endemic. One hundred and fifty returns (24 percent return rate) provided usable data, with 85 farms (57 percent of sample) reporting heartwater deaths in 1990/91. The median heartwater mortality percentage for calves (0.12 months) was 2.3 percent. This was statistically significantly different (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P<0.005) from the median mortality percentage of 0.6 percent for cattle 13 months and older. Heartwater accounted for 51 percent of all mortalities on farms reporting heartwater deaths. There were no meaningful correlations between farm or herd size and heartwater mortality percentages. A plot of the farms reporting heartwater deaths found that the heartwater endemic area in 1991 is essentially unchanged from 1979. Inspection of the geographic distribution of farms reporting heartwater showed no obvious patterns, and distances from communal land farms were not significantly correlated to heartwater mortality percentages. An economic model found that the annual financial impact of heartwater on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe to be some Z$19.4 million (1991 prices). The upper bound, that allowed for inflation since 1991, was Z$33.4 million. The lower bound estimate was Z$8.1 million (Z$3 = US$1, 1991 rates). Eighty-nine percent of these costs can be attributed to the cost of dipping. Since it has been shown experimentally that the carrier state of heartwater may not affect the productivity of cattle, intensive dipping may not be the best means of controlling heartwater.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace29526
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 1996
publishDateRange 1996
publishDateSort 1996
publisher Elsevier
publisherStr Elsevier
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace295262024-05-01T08:17:29Z Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe Meltzer, M.I. Perry, Brian D. Donachie, P.L. livestock bacterial diseases cowdria mortality disease control costs large scale husbandry A postal questionnaire asking for data concerning heartwater deaths was sent to all large-scale commercial farmers in Zimbabwe's lowveld, where heartwater is endemic. One hundred and fifty returns (24 percent return rate) provided usable data, with 85 farms (57 percent of sample) reporting heartwater deaths in 1990/91. The median heartwater mortality percentage for calves (0.12 months) was 2.3 percent. This was statistically significantly different (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P<0.005) from the median mortality percentage of 0.6 percent for cattle 13 months and older. Heartwater accounted for 51 percent of all mortalities on farms reporting heartwater deaths. There were no meaningful correlations between farm or herd size and heartwater mortality percentages. A plot of the farms reporting heartwater deaths found that the heartwater endemic area in 1991 is essentially unchanged from 1979. Inspection of the geographic distribution of farms reporting heartwater showed no obvious patterns, and distances from communal land farms were not significantly correlated to heartwater mortality percentages. An economic model found that the annual financial impact of heartwater on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe to be some Z$19.4 million (1991 prices). The upper bound, that allowed for inflation since 1991, was Z$33.4 million. The lower bound estimate was Z$8.1 million (Z$3 = US$1, 1991 rates). Eighty-nine percent of these costs can be attributed to the cost of dipping. Since it has been shown experimentally that the carrier state of heartwater may not affect the productivity of cattle, intensive dipping may not be the best means of controlling heartwater. 1996-04 2013-06-11T09:23:52Z 2013-06-11T09:23:52Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/29526 en Limited Access Elsevier Preventive Veterinary Medicine;26(3-4): 187-199
spellingShingle livestock
bacterial diseases
cowdria
mortality
disease control
costs
large scale husbandry
Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
Donachie, P.L.
Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe
title Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe
title_full Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe
title_fullStr Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe
title_short Mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe
title_sort mortality percentages related to heartwater and the economic impact of heartwater disease on large scale commercial farms in zimbabwe
topic livestock
bacterial diseases
cowdria
mortality
disease control
costs
large scale husbandry
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/29526
work_keys_str_mv AT meltzermi mortalitypercentagesrelatedtoheartwaterandtheeconomicimpactofheartwaterdiseaseonlargescalecommercialfarmsinzimbabwe
AT perrybriand mortalitypercentagesrelatedtoheartwaterandtheeconomicimpactofheartwaterdiseaseonlargescalecommercialfarmsinzimbabwe
AT donachiepl mortalitypercentagesrelatedtoheartwaterandtheeconomicimpactofheartwaterdiseaseonlargescalecommercialfarmsinzimbabwe