Resource mapping and emergency preparedness to infectious diseases in human and animal populations in Kibaha and Ngorongoro districts, Tanzania

A rapid situation analysis was conducted in Kibaha and Ngorongoro districts in Tanzania to map resources as well as analysing emergency preparedness to infectious diseases in animal (domestic and wild) and human populations. Kibaha was chosen as a district close to a commercial city (Dar es Salaam) while Ngorongoro represented a remote, border district with high interactions between humans, domestic and wild animals. In this study, data on resources and personnel as well as emergency preparedness were collected from all wards (n = 22), human health facilities (n = 40) and livestock facilities in the two districts using interview checklists and questionnaires. Descriptive statistics for resources were calculated and mapped by district. Kibaha district had a higher human population density, more health workers, better equipped health facilities and better communication and transport systems. On the other hand, Ngorongoro had a higher population of livestock and more animal health facilities but a poorer ratio of animal health workers to livestock. The average ratio of health personnel to population in catchment areas of the health facilities was 1:147 (range of 1:17−1:1200). The ratio of personnel to human population was significantly higher in Kibaha (1:95) than in Ngorongoro (1:203) district (p = 0 &lt; 0.001). Considering the limited resources available to both human and animal health sectors and their different strengths and weaknesses there are opportunities for greater collaboration and resource-sharing between human and animal health for improved surveillance and emergency-preparedness.</jats:p

Exploring local knowledge and perceptions on zoonoses among pastoralists in northern and eastern Tanzania

Background: Zoonoses account for the most commonly reported emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is limited knowledge on how pastoral communities perceive zoonoses in relation to their livelihoods, culture and their wider ecology. This study was carried out to explore local knowledge and perceptions on zoonoses among pastoralists in Tanzania. Methodology and principal findings: This study involved pastoralists in Ngorongoro district in northern Tanzania and Kibaha and Bagamoyo districts in eastern Tanzania. Qualitative methods of focus group discussions, participatory epidemiology and interviews were used. A total of 223 people were involved in the study. Among the pastoralists, there was no specific term in their local language that describes zoonosis. Pastoralists from northern Tanzania possessed a higher understanding on the existence of a number of zoonoses than their eastern districts' counterparts. Understanding of zoonoses could be categorized into two broad groups: a local syndromic framework, whereby specific symptoms of a particular illness in humans concurred with symptoms in animals, and the biomedical framework, where a case definition is supported by diagnostic tests. Some pastoralists understand the possibility of some infections that could cross over to humans from animals but harm from these are generally tolerated and are not considered as threats. A number of social and cultural practices aimed at maintaining specific cultural functions including social cohesion and rites of passage involve animal products, which present zoonotic risk. Conclusions: These findings show how zoonoses are locally understood, and how epidemiology and biomedicine are shaping pastoralists perceptions to zoonoses. Evidence is needed to understand better the true burden and impact of zoonoses in these communities. More studies are needed that seek to clarify the common understanding of zoonoses that could be used to guide effective and locally relevant interventions. Such studies should consider in their approaches the pastoralists' wider social, cultural and economic set up

Assessment of drug usage and antimicrobial residues in milk on smallholder farms in Morogoro, TanzaniaEvaluation de l'utilisation des medicaments et determination des residus antimicrobiens dans le lait dans les petites exploitations agricoles a Morogoro en Tanzanie

Questionnaire survey and on-farm inspection were used to establish types of drugs used to treat livestock diseases, to collect information on occurrence of clinical mastitis and milk discarding practices on 59 randomly selected smallholder dairy farms in Morogoro municipality, Tanzania. Milk samples were also collected for evaluation of antimicrobial drug residues using three tests; the Delvotest® SP, agar well diffusion and agar plate disc assays. On the day of farm visit, 25.4% of study farms had various drugs used to treat animals, categorised as antimicrobials (54.2%), anthelmintics (25.0%), anti-protozoans (8.3%), pesticides (8.3%) and anti-anaemics (4.2%). In addition, 25 farmers reported to have observed clinical mastitis in cows and 84% of them used intramammary infusions to treat infected quarters. During the validation, all the tests detected dihydrostreptomycin, oxytetracycline and gentamicin below the Codex Alimentarius recommended Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) but disparities were observed with reference to detection of penicillin residues. The DelvotestSP was found to be more reliable than the other two tests. Only 1 (1.7%) of 59 milk samples screened had antimicrobial residues as detected by the Delvotest SP suggesting that antimicrobial residues in milk in the smallholder farms in Morogoro municipality may not be a serious problem. Keywords: drugs, residues, smallholder farms, Morogoro, TanzaniaRsumOn a eu recours une enqute par questionnaire et une inspection au niveau des fermes, en vue de dterminer les types de mdicaments utiliss pour traiter les maladies animales, recueillir des informations sur l'incidence de la mammite clinique et sur les pratiques qui consistent jeter le lait, dans 59 petites fermes laitires choisies au hasard dans la municipalit de Morogoro en Tanzanie. Des chantillons de lait taient galement collects, afin d'valuer les rsidus de mdicaments antimicrobiens l'aide de trois tests: le Delvotest SP, le Test de diffusion en glose et le Test sur plaque l'agar. Le jour de la visite de la ferme, 25,4% des fermes faisant l'objet d'tudes avaient recours divers mdicaments pour traiter les animaux. Les mdicaments taient classs comme suit: antimicrobiens (54,2%), anthelminthiques (25%), antiprotozoaires (8,3%), pesticides (8,3%) et anti-anmiques (4,2%). Par ailleurs, 25 paysans ont dclar avoir observ la mammite clinique chez les vaches et 84% d'entre eux avaient recours aux infusions intramammaires pour traiter les quartiers infects. Lors de la validation, tous les tests dtectaient la dihydrostresptomycine, l'oxyttracycline et la gentamycine en-dessous de la limite maximum de rsidu recommande par le Codex Alimentarius, mais des disparits ont t notes quant la dtection de rsidus de pnicilline. Le Delvotest SP s'est avr plus fiable que les deux autres tests. Seul 1/59 chantillons de lait (1,7%) examins avait des rsidus antimicrobiens, tel que dtect par le Delvotest® SP, ce qui montre que les rsidus antimicrobiens dans le lait dans les petites fermes laitires dans la municipalit de Morogoro ne constituaient pas un srieux problme. Mots-cls: mdicaments, rsidus, petites exploitations agricoles, Morogoro, TanzanieBulletin of Animal Health and Production Journal Vol. 53(4) 2005: 234-24

Serological And Microbiological Studies Of Contagious Caprine Pleuropenumonia In Selected Districts Of Tanzania

Serological and microbiological studies were carried out to investigate the presence of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in Iringa, Mpwapwa, Kilosa and Morogoro districts, Tanzania. A total of 315 goats were examined clinically and 74 goats were subjected to pathological evaluation. Nasal swabs (175), lungs (74), pleural fluid (35) and lymph nodes (29) were cultured for mycoplasmological examination on Hayflickbased medium and a commercial freeze-dried CCPP diagnostic medium. A total of 1,927 sera were screened serologically using the latex agglutination test. The major clinical features of the sick goats were dyspnoea, coughing, muco-purulent nasal discharge and pyrexia, and 60 of 74 goats had pathological features suggestive of CCPP. The overall seropositivity in all the study districts was 53%. M. capripneumoniae was isolated from 18 of the 74 lungs, 12 of the 35 pleural fluid- and 6 of 31 lymph nodes. Other mycoplasma species were M. mycoides LC and M. ovipneumoniae. The isolation rate of M. capripneumoniae was higher on the CCPP diagnostic medium than on the Hayflick-based medium. This study has confirmed the presence of CCPP in Iringa, Mpwapwa, Kilosa and Morogoro districts of Tanzania thus, indicating that the disease is probably widespread and endemic in the country.Des études sérologiques et microbiologiques ont été menées pour enquêter sur la présence de la pleuropneumonie contagieuse caprine (PPCC) dans les districts d\' Iringa, de Mpwapwa, de Kilosa et de Morogoro en Tanzanie. Au total, 315 chèvres ont fait l\'objet d\'un examen clinique, tandis que 74 chèvres étaient soumises à une évaluation pathologique. Des prélèvements nasaux (175), des poumons (74), du liquide pleural (35) et des ganglions lymphatiques (29) étaient mis en culture pour l\'examen mycoplasmologique sur un milieu de culture à base de Hayflick et un milieu commercial lyophilisé de diagnostic de PPCC. Au total, 1927 sérums ont fait l\'objet d\'un examen sérologique à l\'aide d\'un test d\'agglutination en latex. Les principaux traits cliniques des chèvres malades étaient la dyspnée, la toux, l\'écoulement nasal mucopurulent et la pyrexie ; 60 des 74 chèvres avaient des traits pathologiques de la PPCC. La séropositivité globale dans tous les districts couverts par l\'étude était de 53%. M. capripneumoniae était isolé de 18 poumons sur 74 , de 12 liquides pleuraux sur 35 et de 6 ganglions lymphatiques sur 31. Les autres espèces de mycoplasme rencontrées étaient M. mycoides LC et M. ovipneumoniae. Le taux d\'isolement de M. capripneumoniae était plus élevé sur le milieu de diagnostic de PPCC que sur le milieu à base de Hayflick. Cette étude a confirmé la présence de PPCC dans les districts d\'Iringa, de Mpwapwa, de Kilosa et de Morogoro en Tanzanie, ce qui indique que la maladie est très répandue dans le pays.Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa Vol. 55 (2) 2007: pp. 88-9

Sero-Prevalence Of Brucellosis In Smallholder Dairy, Agropastoral, Pastoral, Beef Ranch And Wildlife Animals In Tanzania

A total of 2738 livestock sera from smallholder dairy, pastoral and agro-pastoral herds were screened for antibodies for Brucella spp using the Rose Bengal Plate test. Screening for Brucella antibodies was also carried out on 403 cattle sera that were purposively collected from one ranch which had a history of abortion and also from 90 wildlife animals that were darted for various purposes. The results of sero-conversion revealed that cattle, small ruminants and wildlife animals were exposed to Brucella infection, with the sero-prevalence of the infection being 6.2%, 6.5% and 13% respectively. Pastoral farming system had significantly higher Brucella antibodies (

Constraints Associated With Production In Smallholder Dairy Farms In The Eastern Coastal Zone Of Tanzania

A study involving 105 smallholder dairy farmers was conducted in Kibaha and Morogoro districts, Tanzania to characterise husbandry practices, milk production constraints; and farmers\' knowledge on milk-borne zoonoses. About 50% of the farmers in Kibaha (n=57) and 60% in Morogoro (n=48) were employed in formal public and private sectors, and hired labour while only 16.5% depended entirely on dairy farming. The average milk production was 5.9 litres/cow/day. Seventy-two percent of the farmers in Kibaha and 83.3% in Morogoro practised stall-feeding while others either tethered or herded the animals. Dairy production constraints included animal diseases; shortage of feeds, water and markets for milk; lack of animal breeding services and shortage of capital. The major cattle diseases were trypanosomosis, East Coast fever, anaplasmosis and mastitis. Only 14% of the farmers were aware of subclinical mastitis, and 67% of them were aware of milk-borne zoonoses especially tuberculosis while only 10% farmers knew about brucellosis.On a mené une étude portant sur 105 petites exploitations laitières dans les districts de Kibaha et Morogoro en Tanzanie, en vue de déterminer les modes d\'élevage, la production laitière, les obstacles rencontrés et la connaissance des éleveurs sur les zoonoses d\'origine laitière. Environ 50% des éleveurs à Kibaha (n = 57) et 60% à Morogoro (n = 48) étaient employés dans les secteurs public et privé ; seuls 16,5% dépendaient entièrement de l\'élevage laitier. La production moyenne de lait était de 5,9 litres/vache/jour. 72% des éleveurs à Kibaha et 83,3% à Morogoro avaient recours à l\'alimentation à l\'étable, tandis que les autres attachaient leur bétail au piquet ou gardaient leurs animaux. Les entraves à la production laitière étaient les suivantes : les maladies animales, la pénurie d\'aliments et d\'eau, l\'absence de marchés pour écouler le lait, l\'absence de services de reproduction et le manque de capital. Les principales maladies bovines étaient : la trypanosomose, la fièvre de la côte-Est, l\'anaplasmose et la mammite. Seuls 14% des éleveurs connaissaient la mammite infraclinique, parmi lesquels 67% étaient au courant des zoonoses d\'origine laitière, notamment la tuberculose, et 10% connaissaient la brucellose.Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa Vol. 54 (4) 2006: pp. 286-29