New foci of Rhipicephalus microplus in West Africa

The invasive character of Rhipicephalus microplus was observed in Benin, the second West-African country from which this ticks species has been collected after the initial confirmed record in Ivory Coast in 2007. A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Mono to examine the presence of the tick R. microplus. The survey covered 9 herds (villages) in an agro-ecological zone inhabited by agro-pastoralists, including the State Farm of Kpinnou that imported Girolando cattle from Brazil. Almost 800 ticks were sampled from 36 cattle, on average four cattle per village. The morphological identification revealed ticks of two different genera: Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma. Rhipicephalus microplus was the only representative of the species previously known as Boophilus or blue ticks. Its taxonomic identity was confirmed molecularly by PCR–RFLP. A comparison was made with the situation of R. microplus in Brazil.The Belgian Development Cooperation (BDC) for the financial support of this research project as part of a Masters programme offered by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.http://www.springerlink.com/content/100158/ab201

West African Cattle Farmers’ Perception of Tick-Borne Diseases

Worldwide, cattle production is struggling to face the negative impacts caused by ticks and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is one of the most harmful ticks for livestock. Most of the people in West Africa depend on cattle farming and subsistence agriculture. The presence of ticks on cattle is a major problem faced by smallholder farmers who fight for their livelihood. National and regional tick control programs could assist these rural communities in protecting their livelihoods against ticks and tick-borne diseases, but only if they take into account the targeted herders and their perception on cattle management and tick control. This paper aims to provide a better insight in the socio-economic characteristics of Beninese cattle farmers, and their perception on tick burden, as well as to document common tick control strategies. Different tick species and their seasonality are well understood by cattle herders. For tick control, many still use manual tick removal, especially in the north of the country. The high cost of acaricides, the lack of financial means of African farmers, and of the local stockbreeders in particular, limits the use of acaricides in livestock breeding in Benin. While aiming to increase the meat or milk production of their animals, stockbreeders who can afford it sometimes turn to an abusive use of acaricides, which might in time lead to an increase in tick resistance. This study remains one of the rare studies to report extensively on the perceptions of West African cattle herders

New foci of Rhipicephalus microplus in West Africa

The invasive character of Rhipicephalus microplus was observed in Benin, the second West-African country from which this ticks species has been collected after the initial confirmed record in Ivory Coast in 2007. A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Mono to examine the presence of the tick R. microplus. The survey covered 9 herds (villages) in an agro-ecological zone inhabited by agro-pastoralists, including the State Farm of Kpinnou that imported Girolando cattle from Brazil. Almost 800 ticks were sampled from 36 cattle, on average four cattle per village. The morphological identification revealed ticks of two different genera: Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma. Rhipicephalus microplus was the only representative of the species previously known as Boophilus or blue ticks. Its taxonomic identity was confirmed molecularly by PCR-RFLP. A comparison was made with the situation of R. microplus in Brazil

Rabbit breeding in tropical conditions, comparative study between a local strain and an European strain: I. Growth of sucklings

National audienc

Etude comparée de l'appétabilité de vingt-trois plantes fourragères chez le lapin

International audienc

Performances de croissance jusqu'au sevrage de lapereaux nés en France et élevés au Bénin à partir de l'age de 3 jours, en comparaison avec des lapins de population locale

International audienc

GROWTH PERFORMANCE UNTIL WEANING OF YOUNG RABBITS BORN IN FRANCE AND FOSTERED IN BENIN AT 3 DAYS OF AGE, IN COMPARISON WITH LOCAL RABBITS

[EN] A total of 80 two-day-old suckling rabbits of a selected New Zealand White rabbit strain imported from a temperate country (France) were suckled in a tropical country (Benin) by foster does of the local population. The growth performance of the imported rabbits and of 81 native rabbits suckled by the same does was compared. No morbidity was observed in both groups. Growth rate was identical in both groups up to 21 days i.e. the end of the exclusive milk feeding : 10.2 and 10.5 g/day for imported and native rabbits respectively. During the last period befare weaning (21 to 31 days) the group of imported sucklings had a lower growth rate (13.0 vs 17.1 g/day). This period corresponds to the beginning of salid food consumption. A genetic adaptation of the local rabbits to the local feed and/or climate, or, more probably, an effect of the early chemosensory experience (during both gestation and first suckling) of the imported strain are discussed.[FR] Un total de 80 lapereaux de 2 jours provenant d'une souche de lapins Néo Zélandais Blancs sélectionnée dans un pays tempéré (France), ont été transportés et adoptés dans un pays a climat tropical (Bénin) par des méres d'une population locale. La croissance des lapereaux importés et des lapereaux autochtones a été comparée. Aucune morbidité particuliére n'a été observée dans aucun des deux groupes. La croissance fut identique pour les deux groupes jusqu'a l'age de 21 jours, soit jusqu'a la fin de l'alimentation exclusivement lactée des lapereaux : 10,2 et 10,5 g/jour pour les lapereaux importés et locaux respectivement. Entre 21 et 31 jours (sevrage) les lapereaux importés ont eu une croissance plus faible : 13,0 centre 17, 1 g~our pour les lapereaux nés sur place. Cette période correspond au début normal de la consommation d'aliment solide. Deux hypothéses explicatives sont évoquées par les auteurs : soit une adaptation génétique de la souche locale a l'alimentation locale eUou au climat, soit plus probablement une différence entre les lapereaux importés et les lapereaux locaux dans l'expérience chémosensorielle initiale acquise pendan! la vie in utero et lors de la premiére tétée.Kpodekon, M.; Adehan, R.; Djago, A.; Lebas, F.; Coudert, P. (1998). GROWTH PERFORMANCE UNTIL WEANING OF YOUNG RABBITS BORN IN FRANCE AND FOSTERED IN BENIN AT 3 DAYS OF AGE, IN COMPARISON WITH LOCAL RABBITS. World Rabbit Science. 6(3-4). doi:10.4995/wrs.1998.358SWORD63-

Influence of diet on technological and nutritional characteristics on indigenous pigs in Benin

International audienc

Diet influence on growth performances and carcass characteristics on indigenous pigs in Benin

International audienc

Influence of diet on technological and nutritional characteristics on indigenous pigs in Benin

International audienc