Evaluation of sun-dried and roasted maggot meal as a source of protein for laying hens in the Tropics

A research paper on poultry-feed nutrition.An eight week feeding trial involving 126 Nera breed laying hens in a completely randomized block design, was carried out to evaluate sun-dried and roasted maggot meal as protein sources in laying chickens diet. The sun-dried and roasted maggot meals incorporated in the diets at levels of 0, 50 and 100 percent, in replacement of equivalents of soyabean meal and soyabean plus fish meal. There were significant effects on some performance characteristics with increasing levels of sun-dried and roasted maggot meal in the diets. Hen-day production was generally improved in the maggot-based diets but was higher in SMM diets than in RMM and control diets. Shell thickness and shell weight were significantly affected (p<.05). Egg shell weight as percent of egg weight was higher (p<0.05) for chickens-fed RMM than sun-dried maggot meal [SMM] and control diets. Egg yolk, albumin and percentage of blood/meat sport were significantly affected (p<0.05) but did not follow a specific trend attributable to the diets. Cholesterol and content of egg yolk were significantly reduced (p<0.05) by maggot meal. Maggot meal also reduced cost/kg of egg, which was slightly higher for RMM than SMM diets. The use of maggot meal as the sole protein source in laying chickens' diet is possible without detrimental effect. The reduction of egg yolk cholesterol by maggot meal is of nutritional and health importance to consumers, therefore the use of maggot meal in laying hens should be encouraged

Drought Occurrence Pattern in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia

Drought is characterized using parameters including duration, severity, intensity and spatial coverage. Drought frequency and trend can also be used as additional parameters to further characterize drought occurrences. In this study, drought occurrence was examined using Standard Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) as an assessment tool. Based on the SPEI results, spatial and temporal patterns were inspected both at district and regional levels. In doing so, monthly climate data collected on selected stations, from the Dutch national weather service known as the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), was used to assess the drought trends and characterize the study area in terms of drought duration, severity, intensity, frequency, spatial extent as well as drought trend. The analysis results indicated that most districts in the southern and eastern zones experienced more intense droughts than the rest of the study area. It was also found that the average drought return period in the study area ranged between 2.02 at 3-month, 6-month and 24-month time scales to 2.13 years at 12-month time scale. A statistically significant increasing drought trend was also revealed at all-time scales. Generally, the study has revealed an increasing trend of drought occurrence and spatially variable drought duration, severity, intensity and frequency in the study area. The short return period and increasing drought trends indicate the need for urgent drought management intervention.Keywords: Drought characterization, Drought Intensity, Trend, Spatial Distribution

Relationship between Space-Based Vegetation Productivity Index and Radial Growth of Main Tree Species in the Dry Afromontane Forest Remnants of Northern Ethiopia

Investigating the relations between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and tree growth is vital for quantifying ecosystem primary productivity over large spatial and long temporal scales. In this study, the relationships between forest growth (tree-ring width indices) and space-based measurement of vegetation activity (NDVI) were examined in the dry Afromontane forest remnants of northern Ethiopia. The results showed that radial growth of the main tree species (Juniperus procera, Olea europaea and Podocarpus falcatus) is positively correlated with inter-annual NDVI values. Moreover, the relationships between ring width – rainfall and rainfall – NDVI were positive and significant (p&lt;0.05), suggesting that rainfall seasonality is an overriding growth-limiting factor in the study region. Rainfall during the wet-season largely controls cambial activities and phenological processes of the founding tree species, and hence affects overall vegetation dynamics in the region. Overall, the study showed the coupling of tree-ring growth and NDVI values with potential implications for understanding forest growth dynamics. Thus, it gives insights to the applicability of NDVI – treerings integration approach to predict landscape-level patterns of vegetation productivityKeywords: Dry Afromontane Forest, Remote-sensing, Tree-ring

Climatic variations, trends and drought frequency in Dejen District, Nile Basin of Ethiopia

Temperature and rainfall variability affect systems such as water, agriculture, health, tourism, coastal areas, and biodiversity. This study examined climatic variability, and trends in Dejen district, Nile Basin of Ethiopia. The trends in temperature and rainfall over the period 1979- 2014 were computed and tested for statistical significance. Results indicated a significant increase in temperature consistent with global temperature pattern. The decreasing trend in rainfall is contrary to the projections of a climate model for East Africa.The results show that the mean annual temperature increased by 1.66 OC. The maximum and minimum temperatures also rose by 2.16 OC and 1.91 OC respectively. The yearly rainfall declined by 399.96 millimeters. From 36 years of observation, 2002 and 2012 received below the average rainfall and characterized by arid years while 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014 years were moderately dry. The year 1983, 1986, 1987, 1996, 1998, and 2010 were moderately wet. Among these negative patterns, the year 2002 and 2012 were extreme drought years. In the Nile Basin of Ethiopia, the variability and trends of temperature and rainfall, which hinders agricultural production are increasing and expected to increase in the future. This implies that the country specifically the study area whose mainstay depends on agriculture must cope with further warming, low, and erratic rainfall, and frequent climatic extremes.Keywords: Climate change, drought frequency, standardized precipitation index, rainfall variation

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Efficacy of some anthelmintics used in porcine practice in Ibadan, Nigeria

Ninety three (93) pigs (crosses of Large white, Landrace, Hampshire and Duroc) were screened for gastrointestinal worms before and after treatment with the following drugs: Levamisole, Albendazole, Morantel citrate, Piperazine., thiabendazole and Ivermectin. The anthelmintic efficacy (measure as reduction egg per gram (EPG) of faeces) observed ranged as follows: Ivermectin – 100% Levamisole – 89%; Thiabendazole – 78.0%; Albendazole – 73.2%; Morantel citrate – 78.7% and Piperazine – 70.6% Ivermectin and Albendazole cleared the Trichuris worms that were not cleared by Morantel, Piperazine and Levamisole. A combination of good hygiene and strict deworming programme will go a long way in eradication of pathogenic helminths of livestock

Urban water supply and demand in Nigeria in era of economic liberalization

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