Africa is home to a great diversity of livestock breeds, differing in their levels of susceptibility to trypanosomosis. A better characterization and exploitation of animal genetic resources could help mitigate the impacts of animal trypanosomosis.

The populations of six livestock species (i.e. cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys and horses) will be characterized and linked to the epidemiological data of animal trypanosomosis and to production systems.  

• by comparing genomic regions harbouring selection signatures and candidate genes to public data on other livestock populations

• by monitoring trypanosome infections and comparing immunological and metabolic responses between zebus (trypanosusceptible), West-African cattle (trypanotolerant), and African/European cross-breds

• by testing the hypothesis that a local breed of north-eastern Uganda northern Uganda living under high tsetse challenge is indeed trypanotolerant

COMBAT will endeavour to fill another important gap in scientific knowledge: the infectious potential for tsetse flies of susceptible versus trypanotolerant cattle.