[en] The available techniques for trypanosomosis diagnosis, surveillance and control have failed to provide an effective control of the disease when used in isolation. However, when used in combination the techniques might provide a better alternative for a sustainable disease control strategy. Antigen-detection ELISA was validated and established at ADRI through support of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division, but still required perfection in order to meet the requirements for which it was intended (detection of current infection and species specificity). The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the trypanosomal antibody-detection ELISA (Ab-ELISA) kit produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Vienna, Austria, to supplement conventional diagnostic techniques in trypanosomosis surveillance and control. Three-hundred sixty cattle from selected herds in the Tanga region of Tanzania were bled to obtain buffy-coat and serum samples in a study of the prevalence of trypanosomosis using parasitological and serological techniques. The prevalence of trypanosomosis, by means of parasitological techniques, in Korogwe, Muheza, Tanga and Pangani districts of Tanga region, varied from 0-18.2%. The IAEA Ab-ELISA kit, showed a 97.2% specificity for Trypanosoma congolense and T. vivax antibodies, at a cut-off point of 30.0% positivity (PP), out of 160 sera from a trypanosomosis-negative population; and a 94.5% sensitivity for the same antibodies and cut-off point, out of 200 sera from trypanosomosis-buffy-coat-positive samples. Packed red cell volume (PCV) values for a trypanosomosis-negative population were much higher than those from cattle from trypanosomosis-endemic areas: 77.5% of samples from a disease-free area showed PCV values higher than 30.0, while only 15% of the samples from endemic areas were above 30.0. (author)