REVIEW article
Front. Anim. Sci.
Sec. Animal Breeding and Genetics
This article is part of the Research TopicInnovations in Veterinary Diagnostics for Enhancing Animal Health and WelfareView all 15 articles
Enhancing diagnostic accuracy and health monitoring in goats of Sub-Saharan Africa: The role of haematological parameters and their molecular genetics
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
- 2Agricultural Research Council Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa
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Haematological markers are extensively utilized as diagnostic and monitoring tools for evaluating health, physiological state, and disease conditions in goats. This review integrates existing literature on haematological parameters in goats, with a particular emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa, where goats play a central role in smallholder livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience. The literature indicates significant differences in blood values among breeds and regions, underscoring the need for region-and breed-specific reference ranges. Internal factors, including age, sex, and breed, alongside external influences such as nutrition, environmental stress, disease burden, and management practices, significantly impact haematological profile. Despite the importance of these indicators, inconsistencies in testing methodologies and insufficient integration of molecular genetic tools limit standardization and comprehensive understanding. Recent advancements highlight the potential of merging traditional haematology with genomic techniques to enhance disease resistance and adaptive trait evaluation. To create evidence-based interventions that are relevant to smallholder farming and to fill in the current knowledge gaps in this crucial field, more research is necessary. This review aims to provide a framework for enhancing diagnostic accuracy and health management strategies for goats in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Keywords: Climate resilience, Goats, haematology, one-health, sub-Saharan Africa
Received: 13 Sep 2025; Accepted: 21 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Nemukula, Nephawe, Mtileni, Hadebe and Mpofu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Takalani Mpofu, mpofutj@tut.ac.za
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