Trypanosoma evansi control and horse mortality in the Brazilian Pantanal.

The impact of three treatment strategies for Trypanosoma evansi control on horse mortality in the Brazilian Pantanal based on four size categories of cattle ranches is explored. The region's 49,000 horses are indispensable to traditional extensive cattle ranching and T. evansi kills horses. About 13% of these horses would be lost, annually, due to T. evansi if no control were undertaken. One preventive and two curative treatment strategies are financially justifiable in the Pantanal. The best available technology for the treatment of T. evansi from a horse mortality perspective is the preventive strategy, which spares 6,462 horses, annually. The year-round cure spares 5,783 horses, and the seasonal cure saves 5,204 horses on a regional basis relative to no control strategy. Regardless of the strategy adopted, 39% of the costs or benefits fall to the largest ranches, while 18% fall to the smallest ranches.

Trypanosoma evansi control and horse mortality in the Brazilian Pantanal

The impact of three treatment strategies for Trypanosoma evansi control on horse mortality in the Brazilian Pantanal based on four size categories of cattle ranches is explored. The region's 49,000 horses are indispensable to traditional extensive cattle ranching and T. evansi kills horses. About 13 percent of these horses would be lost, annually, due to T. evansi if no control were undertaken. One preventive and two curative treatment strategies are financially justifiable in the Pantanal. The best available technology for the treatment of T. evansi from a horse mortality perspective is the preventive strategy, which spares 6,462 horses, annually. The year-round cure spares 5,783 horses, and the seasonal cure saves 5,204 horses on a regional basis relative to no control strategy. Regardless of the strategy adopted, 39 percent of the costs or benefits fall to the largest ranches, while 18 percent fall to the smallest ranches

Estimated financial impact of Trypanosoma vivax on the Brazilian pantanal and Bolivian lowlands.

The financial impact of the first outbreak of Trypanosoma vivax in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland is estimated. Results are extended to include outbreaks in the Bolivian lowlands providing a notion of the potential influence of the disease and an analytical basis. More than 11 million head of cattle, valued at more than US$3 billion are found in the Brazilian Pantanal and Bolivian lowlands. The total estimated cost of the 1995 outbreak of T. vivax is the sum of the present values of mortality, abortion, and productivity losses and treatment costs, or about 4% of total brood cow value on affected ranches. Had the outbreak gone untreated, the estimated losses would have exceeded 17% of total brood cow value.

A financial analysis of treatment strategies for Trypanosoma evansi in the Brazilian Pantanal.

The Brazilian Pantanal is a 138,000 km2 tropical seasonal wetland located in the center of South America bordering Bolivia and Paraguay. The Pantanal contains approximately 1100 cattle ranches, 3 million cattle, 49,000 horses and a unique diversity of wildlife. Cattle ranching is the most important economic activity in the Pantanal. This study explores the direct financial impacts of the adoption of seven treatment strategies for the control of Trypanosoma evansi in the Brazilian Pantanal. T. evansi adversely affects the health of the horse population in the region. Horses are indispensable to the cattle ranching industry in the Pantanal. Estimated costs include risk of infection, costs of diagnosis, alternative treatments, collecting animals for treatment, and costs of animal losses. The estimated total cost of T. evansi to the Pantanal region's cattle ranchers is about US$2.4 million and 6462 horses/yr. Results indicate that one preventive and two curative treatment strategies are financially justifiable. The best available technology for the treatment of T. evansi from an economic perspective is a curative treatment employed year-round. This treatment represents an annual net benefit of more than US$2 million or US$1845/ranch and spares about 5783 horses. It represents an annual net benefit of over US$200,000 and 600 horses relative to the currently most widely adopted strategy.