Most of the future increase in livestock production is expected to occur in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Cattle are the most numerous of the ruminant species in the tropics and provide the largest quantity of animal food products. More than one-third of the worlds cattle are found in the tropics. Disease is the major factor which prohibits full utilization of these regions for cattle production. Various infectious and transmissible viral, rickettsial, bacterial, and particularly protozoan and helminthic diseases, are widespread in the tropics and exert a heavy toll on the existing cattle industry there. This uncontrolled disease situation also discourages investment in cattle industries by private and government sectors.
Diseases of Cattle in the Tropics is designed as an assemblage of modern basic and practical information on diseases of cattle in the tropics. It is not limited to diseases caused by infectious agents but also covers special topics associated with the epidemiologic, ecologic, and certain animal husbandry aspects of these diseases. Environmental effects such as those caused by tick bites, toxic plants, and adverse elements are considered. Also included are some economic aspects of animal losses due to disease and how it relates to the world demand for animal protein. In each chapter, emphasis has been given to epidemiology, clinical signs, pathogenesis and control of the diseases. The authorship of Diseases of Cattle in the Tropics is truly international and is represented by scientific eminence, intense practical experience, and comprehensive knowledge of the respective subject matter.