Rodents and Herpetofauna (Reptiles and Amphibians) as household pests in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana

Small mammals and herpetofaunal household pests, known for their economic damages, health implications and nuisance effects on people, are frequently seen in the Ghanaian home environment. The study was aimed at assessing the relationship between the level of infrastructural development and the abundance, control methods and perception ofpeople about rodents and herpetofaunal household pests. The results indicated that the incidence of rodents and anurans decreased with increasing infrastructural development of an area, while the occurrence of wall geckos and agama lizards was independent of the level of infrastructural development of the areas. The use of control measures, as well as the type of control measure employed, was also dependent on infrastructural development with the underdeveloped areas employing more physical and sanitary measures on daily basis, contrary to weakly and monthly bases in the developed and developing areas. Chemical control was mostly used in the developing areas while biological controlwas the main vertebrate pest control method in the developed areas. The level of infrastructural development of an area, therefore, gives an indication of the kind of herpetofaunal and small mammal pests likely to be prevalent in an area, and the consequences of their infestation. This information is particularly important in the choice of accommodation forrental purposes as well as town planning

The Wildlife Trade In Ghana: A Threat To Biodiversity Conservation

The rich biodiversity of Ghana is currently under threat from anthropogenic influences, including local and international trade in wildlife. Thes study investigated the effect of this trade on biodiversity conservation initiatives in Ghana. The study involved the use of interviews and structured questionnaires administered in four towns in the Eastern and Greater-Accra regions of Ghana. The results indicated that the level of awareness of wildlife laws was high among the exclusively male dealers in the trade. Trapping was the most widely used hunting method, and involved some brutality to the captured animals before they were finally killed. Export permit fees charged by the Wildlife Division were found to be very low and, based on uncertain international market prices, pose potential threats to the national economy and wildlife heritage. It is recommended that a policy framework should be developed to regulate the production and use of killer traps in hunting of wildlife. Export permit fees and penalties for non-adherence to wildlife laws also need to be increased to high levels to serve as a deterrent to the over-harvesting and exportation of wildlife.La biodiversité riche du Ghana est actuellement menacé de l\'influence d\'anthropogénie y compris le commerce local et international d\'animaux sauvages. Cette étude enquêtait l\'effet de ce commerce sur les initiatives de la conservation de biodiversité au Ghana. La methodologie entraînait les interviews et les questionnaires structurés appliqués en quatre villes dans les régions de Eastern et de Greater-Accra du Ghana. Les résultats indiquent que le niveau de sensibilisation de lois d\'animaux sauvages était élevé parmi les négociants exclusivement mâles du commerce. La prise au piège était la méthode de chasse la plus généralement employée, mais ceci entrainait beaucoup de violence pour les animaux capturés avant d\'être finalement tués. Le droit de permis d\'exportation facturé par le département de la faune et la flore est considéré d\'être trop bas et basé sur les prix incertains du marché international, posant une menace potentielle à l\'économie nationale et à l\'héritage de la faune et la flore. Il est recommandé qu\'un cadre de principe soit développé pour régler la construction et l\'utilisation des pièges tueuses pour la chasse d\'animaux sauvages. Les droits de permis d\'exportation et les pénalités pour la non-adhésion aux lois d\'animaux sauvage exigent également d\'être augmentés aux niveaux élevés pour avoir un effet dissuasif à la chasse excessive et l\'exportation d\'animaux sauvage. Ghana Journal of Science Vol. 47 2007: pp. 101-10

Bird Species Diversity and abundance in the Abiriw Sacred Grove in the Eastern Region of Ghana

The sacred grove concept is one of the strategies developed by many human societies to conserve biological resources using a traditional approach. Sacred groves are currently under threat from anthropogenic activities due to lack of enforcement of traditional edicts to check encroachment. The birds inhabiting the Abiriw Sacred Grove in the Akwapim North District in the Eastern Region of Ghana were surveyed between February and April 2005 to determinethe current ecological status of the grove, and to establish a bird species list. The transect count method was used to sample the birds in the grove. A total of 411 individual birds belonging to 22 families and 66 species was recorded, out of which 211 individuals of 41 species occurred in the forest-cultivated land boundary, 111 (36 species) in pristine forest, and 89 (40 species) in secondary forest. A significant proportion of species in the grove were savanna specialists. Similarity indices indicated different levels of degradation of the various blocks. The current situation needs immediate attention to stem the tide of fragmentation and degradation

Small mammal community composition and species diversity in the Shai Hills Resource reserve, Ghana

Biodiversity monitoring and assessment are essential for establishing population trends and status, and the causes of declines in abundance and occupancy within protected areas. However, biodiversity monitoring and assessment are rarely done in developing countries because of funding and other logistic constraints. This study assessed the small mammal (rodents and shrews ≤ 200 g) species composition and diversity in the Shai Hills Resource reserve with the aim of establishing baseline data for regular monitoring. The small mammals were live-trapped using Sherman and Pitfall traps. A trapping effort of 1,080 Sherman trap-nights and 360 Pitfall trap-nights yielded 36 individuals belonging to two orders (Rodentia and Eulipotyphla) and nine species. Five new species, including two shrews Crocidura olivieri and C. crossei, and three rodents Mus muscules, Mastomys natalensis and Arvicanthis rufinus were added to the known small mammal species in the reserve. Uranomys ruddi was the most abundant species. All the species that were captured are listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are under no form of protection nationally. The results of this study provide crucial baseline data to the park managers to monitor the population dynamics and changes in the community composition of small mammal in the SHRR and evaluate the impact of management actions on the small mammal biodiversity in the reserve. This can improve their understanding of conservation needs and guide the development of effective habitat management strategy

Tracking smell loss to identify healthcare workers with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Introduction Healthcare workers (HCW) treating COVID-19 patients are at high risk for infection and may also spread infection through their contact with vulnerable patients. Smell loss has been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, but it is unknown whether monitoring for smell loss can be used to identify asymptomatic infection among high risk individuals. In this study we sought to determine if tracking smell sensitivity and loss using an at-home assessment could identify SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCW. Methods and findings We performed a prospective cohort study tracking 473 HCW across three months to determine if smell loss could predict SARS-CoV-2 infection in this high-risk group. HCW subjects completed a longitudinal, behavioral at-home assessment of olfaction with household items, as well as detailed symptom surveys that included a parosmia screening questionnaire, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction testing to identify SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our main measures were the prevalence of smell loss in SARS-CoV-2-positive HCW versus SARS-CoV- 2-negative HCW, and timing of smell loss relative to SARS-CoV-2 test positivity. SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 17 (3.6%) of 473 HCW. HCW with SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to report smell loss than SARS-CoV-2-negative HCW on both the at-home assessment and the screening questionnaire (9/17, 53% vs 105/456, 23%, P < .01). 6/9 (67%) of SARS-CoV-2-positive HCW reporting smell loss reported smell loss prior to having a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, and smell loss was reported a median of two days before testing positive. Neurological symptoms were reported more frequently among SARS-CoV-2-positive HCW who reported smell loss compared to those without smell loss (9/9, 100% vs 3/8, 38%, P < .01). Conclusions In this prospective study of HCW, self-reported changes in smell using two different measures were predictive of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Smell loss frequently preceded a positive test and was associated with neurological symptoms

Ranging characteristics of the domestic cat (Felis catus) in an urban environment

In many countries, high densities of domestic cats (Felis catus) are found in urban habitats where they have the potential to exert considerable predation pressure on their prey. However, little is known of the ranging behaviour of cats in the UK. Twenty cats in suburban Reading, UK, were fitted with GPS trackers to quantify movement patterns. Cats were monitored during the summer and winter for an average of 6.8 24 h periods per season. Mean daily area ranged (95 % MCP) was 1.94 ha. Including all fixes, mean maximum area ranged was 6.88 ha. These are broadly comparable to those observed in urban areas in other countries. Daily area ranged was not affected by the cat’s sex or the season, but was significantly larger at night than during the day. There was no relationship between area ranged and habitat availability. Taking available habitat into account, cat ranging area contained significantly more garden and other green space than urban habitats. If cats were shown to be negatively affecting prey populations, one mitigation option for consideration in housing developments proposed near important wildlife sites would be to incorporate a ‘buffer zone’ in which cat ownership was not permitted. Absolute maximum daily area ranged by a cat in this study was 33.78 ha. This would correspond to an exclusory limit of approximately 300–400 m to minimise the negative effects of cat predation, but this may need to be larger if cat ranging behaviour is negatively affected by population densit

Tracking smell loss to identify healthcare workers with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

IntroductionHealthcare workers (HCW) treating COVID-19 patients are at high risk for infection and may also spread infection through their contact with vulnerable patients. Smell loss has been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, but it is unknown whether monitoring for smell loss can be used to identify asymptomatic infection among high risk individuals. In this study we sought to determine if tracking smell sensitivity and loss using an at-home assessment could identify SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCW.Methods and findingsWe performed a prospective cohort study tracking 473 HCW across three months to determine if smell loss could predict SARS-CoV-2 infection in this high-risk group. HCW subjects completed a longitudinal, behavioral at-home assessment of olfaction with household items, as well as detailed symptom surveys that included a parosmia screening questionnaire, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction testing to identify SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our main measures were the prevalence of smell loss in SARS-CoV-2-positive HCW versus SARS-CoV-2-negative HCW, and timing of smell loss relative to SARS-CoV-2 test positivity. SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 17 (3.6%) of 473 HCW. HCW with SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to report smell loss than SARS-CoV-2-negative HCW on both the at-home assessment and the screening questionnaire (9/17, 53% vs 105/456, 23%, P ConclusionsIn this prospective study of HCW, self-reported changes in smell using two different measures were predictive of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Smell loss frequently preceded a positive test and was associated with neurological symptoms