A Review on Population Structure, Genetic Diversity Analysis, Genetic Distance between Population and Genetic Singularity in Livestock

This review was undertaken to clarify importance of genetic diversity and genetic distance of domestic livestock species in the future. Importance of farm animal genetic resources is very diverse, particularly for the poor and under smallholder production systems in the developing world. Uses include subsistence consumption of livestock products, manure, traction, savings, risk management, capital accumulation and socio-cultural functions. The present domestic animal diversity as represented in the multitude of our livestock breeds is the result of thousands of generations of rural communities manipulating their livestock populations according to the requirements of their environment, their subsistence needs and cultural concepts. Genetic characterization has recently been the method of describing and classifying livestock breeds/populations using measures of genetic distances between populations. Genetic markers like microsatellites, and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and recently the whole genome are tools used for characterizing genetic diversity between and within populations.. Hence, SNP is more preferable to other markers for developing countries due to its simplicity, ability to differentiate variations, useful to identify genes of economically important traits and it is cheap. Keywords: Genetic marker, SNP, Genetic Diversity Analysis, Genetic Distanc

A Review on Current Status of Small Ruminant Meat Production Comparison Yield and Carcass Characteristics in Ethiopia

The review assessed the small ruminant meat production, comparison on yield, carcass characteristics and marketing opportunity and challenge with the aim of delivering summarized and synthesized information for the beneficiaries and user. The livestock subsector has an enormous contribution to Ethiopia’s national economy and livelihoods of many Ethiopian farmers in the various farming system and serves as a source of food, traction, manure, raw materials, investment, cash income, foreign exchange earnings and has social and cultural values. The sub sector contributes about 45% of the agricultural GDP, 16% of the national Gross Domestic Product and 15% of the export earnings. Sheep and goats also contribute a quarter of the domestic meat consumption; about half of the domestic wool requirements; about 40% of fresh skins and 92% of the value of semi-processed skin and hide export trade. Ethiopia can export 700,000 sheep and 2 million heads of goats annually the annual meat production from small ruminants is relatively small compared to the number of heads. There is high demand for live animals as well as meat from small ruminants by consumers in the Middle East and north and West African countries. However, the current levels of contributions of the livestock sector in Ethiopia, is very low. There are various factors that contribute for low productivity: health constraints, socio economic and technical limitations like inadequate feed quality and quantity, poor feeding and health management practice. Keywords: Ethiopia, small ruminant, sheep transport, meat Consumption ,meat quality

Assessment of Land Use Land Cover Change and Its Implication on Agro-Pastoral Area of Gode District, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia

Studying land use/land cover change plays an important role in order to understand the economic, environmental and social consequences of the changes. The current study was conducted aiming to assess the temporal land use/land cover changes, Drivers of these changes and its implications on the environment and agro-pastoral communities. Remote sensing and GIS tools were used to detect the changes in land use/land cover between 1973 and 2012. Formal household survey and key informant interviews were employed to collect socioeconomic data. Five land use/land cover categories (bare land, agricultural land, settlement, woody shrub land and grass land) were identified. The study area has experienced with severe land use/land cover changes as a result of human pressure and has an adverse impact on local communities, livestock and the environment. Bare land (22% - 51%), agricultural land (1.2 – 5%) and settlement (0.8% - 1.3%) areas have been increased whereas woody shrub land (30% - 10%) and grass land (46% - 32.7%) declined. Drought, overgrazing, erratic rainfall and charcoal production were the major causes behind the decline of woody shrub land and grass land while the increasing of bare land. Livestock and crop production are the major livelihood sources, which were seriously affected by land use/land cover changes as a result of population pressure, recurrent drought, desiccation of water points, and ecological degradation. Sustainable woodland management like conservation and rehabilitation of natural resources, control grazing (zero grazing), and proper irrigation could help to improve the natural environment and the livelihood of agro-pastorals. Looking for alternative income generation from fishery and energy alternative skims are also indispensable to reduce natural resources degraded features beyond strengthening household income sources. Keywords: GIS, RS, LULCC, Formal Survey, Livelihood, Somali Regio

A Review on Effect of Transportation and Handling on Meat Quality and Animal Welfare of Sheep in Ethiopia

Stressful routines for animal handling can reduce immune function and productivity of animals.  In May developing country including Ethiopia sheep is transported by the land /rood  and also sheep is subjected to walked during hot time of the day, they transport whole the day. Poor transportation can have serious deleterious effects on the welfare of sheep and can lead to significant loss of quality and production.  In Ethiopia, there are no legislations to protect animals from suffering or discomfort. Therefore the objective of this review paper was to investigate Effect of transportation and handling on meat quality and animal welfare of sheep in Ethiopia The Consequences of poor sheep transport are Physical injury will cause loss of meat quality and subsequent rejection, the main forms of injury are bruising - bruising is the most serious and significant production loss as bruised, off-color meat must be wasted , Trampling - this occurs when animals fall down due to slippery floors or overcrowding. Sheep may also suffocate as a result and even die if not helped. Suggested improvements for the future are education of stakeholders, establishment of animal welfare regulations, and use of appropriate vehicles when transporting sheep and lastly to make sure that sheep’s will get feed, water and rest during transportation. Keywords: Ethiopia, animal welfare, sheep transport, animal handling, sheep, meat quality

African <em>Moringa stenopetala</em> Plant: An Emerging Source of Novel Ingredients for Plant-Based Foods

Moringa stenopetala is a multi-purpose tropical plant native to East Africa. The plant is exceptionally rich in nutrients and health-promoting bioactive compounds. It is among the top plants that could potentially feed the world and alleviate nutritional deficiencies. Moringa stenopetala is a versatile plant because its various parts, including leaves, seeds, flowers, pods, bark, and roots are useful to humans. Especially, the leaves and seeds are high in protein with all the essential amino acids. Based on the FAO database, M. stenopetala seed protein with its essential amino acid content stands highest among all commercial plant protein sources. Though it is a high-value plant and extensively used for food and traditional medicine by the local people in its native place, it is underutilized elsewhere. This chapter reviews recent research efforts that aim to unlock the potential of the plant as a source of ingredients for food, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries

Effect of index HIV self-testing for sexual partners of clients enrolled in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in Malawi: A randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundHIV testing among the sexual partners of HIV-positive clients is critical for case identification and reduced transmission in southern and eastern Africa. HIV self-testing (HIVST) may improve uptake of HIV services among sexual partners of antiretroviral therapy (ART) clients, but the impact of HIVST on partner testing and subsequent ART initiation remains unclear.Methods and findingsWe conducted an individually randomized, unblinded trial to assess if an index HIVST intervention targeting the partners of ART clients improves uptake of testing and treatment services in Malawi. The trial was conducted at 3 high-burden facilities in central and southern Malawi. ART clients attending HIV treatment clinics were randomized using simple randomization 1:2·5 to: (1) standard partner referral slip (PRS) whereby ART clients were given facility referral slips to distribute to their primary sexual partners; or (2) index HIVST whereby ART clients were given HIVST kits + HIVST instructions and facility referral slips to distribute to their primary sexual partners. Inclusion criteria for ART clients were: ≥15 years of age, primary partner with unknown HIV status, no history of interpersonal violence (IPV) with partner, and partner lives in facility catchment area. The primary outcome was partner testing 4-weeks after enrollment, reported by ART clients using endline surveys. Medical chart reviews and tracing activities with partners with a reactive HIV test measured ART initiation at 12 months. Analyses were conducted based on modified intention-to-treat principles, whereby we excluded individuals who did not have complete endline data (i.e., were loss to follow up from the study). Adjusted models controlled for the effects of age and marital status. A total of 4,237 ART clients were screened and 484 were eligible and enrolled (77% female) between March 28, 2018 and January 5, 2020. A total of 365 participants completed an endline survey (257/34 index HIVST arm; 107/13 PRS arm) and were included in the final analysis (78% female). Testing coverage among sexual partners was 71% (183/257) in the index HIVST arm and 25% (27/107) in the PRS arm (aRR: 2·77, 95% CI [2·56 to 3·00], p ≤ 0.001). Reported HIV positivity rates did not significantly differ by arm (16% (30/183) in HIVST versus 15% (4/27) in PRS; p = 0.99). ART initiation at 12 months was 47% (14/30) in HIVST versus 75% (3/4) in PRS arms; however, index HIVST still resulted in a 94% increase in the proportion of all partners initiating ART due to higher HIV testing rates in the HIVST arm (5% partners initiated ART in HVIST versus 3% in PRS). Adverse events including IPV and termination of the relationship did not vary by arm (IPV: 3/257 index HIVST versus 4/10 PRS; p = 0.57). Limitations include reliance on secondary report by ART clients, potential social desirability bias, and not powered for sex disaggregated analyses.ConclusionsIndex HIVST significantly increased HIV testing and the absolute number of partners initiating ART in Malawi, without increased risk of adverse events. Additional research is needed to improve linkage to HIV treatment services after HIVST use.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03271307, and Pan African Clinical Trials, PACTR201711002697316

Significance of fermentation process on biochemical properties of Phaseolus vulgaris (red beans)

Phaseolus vulgaris L. beans have been characterized as a nearly perfect food in all around the world. It is consider functional in terms of providing nutrients and energy to sustain daily life. Red bean contain high protein, mineral, fibres and chemically diverse micronutrient composition, which can be affected by processing. The main aim of this work is to investigate the effect of open and controlled fermentation on the proximate composition, mineral elements, antinutritional factors and flatulence- causing oligosaccharides of a domesticated bean (Anger, conscope and Loko). Open fermentation was done using endogenous microorganism present in the seed of beans, while controlled fermentation was done on autoclaved beans flour inoculated with thermophilic lactic culture which is a mixed strain culture containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus thermophillus. The result shows that the open and controlled fermentation increased the protein digestibility up to 90% in all samples and 4 days of fermentation time, loko red bean was found to more suitable. The chemical compositions and mineral contain was also high as compared to remaining two verities. Keywords: Antinutritious, Digestibility, Fermentation, Proteins, Minera

The exposure rate to hepatitis B and C viruses among medical waste handlers in three government hospitals, southern Ethiopia

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the rate of and risk factors for exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among medical waste handlers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2014 to January 2015. A total of 152 medical waste handlers (MWH) and 82 non-medical waste handlers (NMWH) were studied. Serum samples were collected from participants and screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) and anti-HCV using rapid immunochromatography assay. MWH were also screened for hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). RESULTS: The respective prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HCV was 1.3%, 39.4%, and 0.7% in MWH, compared to 2.4%, 17.1%, and 1.2%, respectively, in NMWH. Among MWH, 58.6% were susceptible to HBV infection. There was a significant difference in the rate of lifetime exposure to HBV in MWH compared with NMWH (odds ratio [OR], 3.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64 to 6.13). However, there was no significant difference between participant groups with respect to current HBV infection (OR, 0.53; 95%CI, 0.07 to 3.86) or anti-HCV (OR, 0.54; 95%CI, 0.03 to 8.69). Age older than 40 years and working in a hospital laundry were independent predictors of lifetime exposure to HBV infection. Eleven (7.2%) respondents were vaccinated against HBV. CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime exposure to HBV infection was significantly higher in MWH than in NMWH. The majority of MWH was not vaccinated against HBV and thus remains susceptible to contracting the infection. Screening upon hire followed by vaccination of MWH is recommended to reduce the transmission of HBV