A five-year survey of African swine fever outbreaks in Plateau State, Nigeria

Reported here is a five-year account of outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) in Plateau state, which devastated swine production and almost threw the whole pig induatry of the state in total disarray. Although veterinary authorities from 15 local government areas (LGA) of the state kreported the lsuspicion of the ldiseas, confirmation by laboratory test was obtained only from 8 LGA.s namely: Jos-North, Jos-South, Mangu, Pankshin, Langtang North, LantangSouth, Shendam and quaan-pan, representing all the three zones of the state (Northern, central and southern zones). Since its initial outbreak in 1999, the disease; has remained enzootic in the state. A control programme ,involving improved management, major surveillance operation, heightened public awareness and a market value compensation scheme for slaughtered pigs is suggested

Understanding the ecological effects of whale-watching on cetaceans

Whale-watching is a potentially sustainable use of cetaceans and an economically viable alternative to whaling and has become a major contributor to the tourism sector of many countries (Hoyt, 2001; O’Connor et al., 2009). Whale-watching also has the potential to improve people's attitude toward the marine environment, and promote public awareness and support for the conservation issues that targeted species face (Duffus & Dearden, 1993). However, whale-watching can put cetaceans at risk of being harassed and injured by an unknown number of unpredictable impacts which can pose a risk to the viability of the targeted population, as well as the whale-watching industry itself. Reported effects of human disturbance on ceta-ceans cover a range of taxa, including many odontocete species and several species of mysticetes (see Chapter 16). Even though many studies have shown that whale-watching can cause both short- (Nowacek et al., 2001; Williams et al., 2002b; Lusseau, 2003a; Christiansen et al., 2010) and long-term negative effects on cetaceans (Bejder et al., 2006; Fortuna, 2006; Lusseau et al., 2006b), few studies have focused on explaining the underlying cause, or ecological and evolutionary mechanisms for these effects (Frid & Dill, 2002). Understanding how human interactions affect wildlife is crucial for the sustainable management of any nature-based tourism activity. This chapter address-es the ecological foundations of whale-watching disturbance on cetaceans. It gives an overview of the documented impacts of whale-watching on cetaceans and compares this to observations of natural predation. It then tries to explain how whale-watching is perceived by the animals to understand the underlying ecological and evolutionary basis for these responses. It goes on to discuss different factors that are likely to influence the response of animals to whale-watching. We then discuss the long-term effects of whale-watching on cetaceans by following the mechanistic link between behavioural effects and vital rates within an energetic framework. Ecological and biological constraints to the ability of cetaceans to cope with disturbance are discussed as well as their implication for long-term vital rates

Comparative Field Evaluation of Combinations of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets and Indoor Residual Spraying, Relative to Either Method Alone, for Malaria Prevention in an Area where the main Vector is Anopheles Arabiensis.

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) are commonly used together in the same households to improve malaria control despite inconsistent evidence on whether such combinations actually offer better protection than nets alone or IRS alone. Comparative tests were conducted using experimental huts fitted with LLINs, untreated nets, IRS plus untreated nets, or combinations of LLINs and IRS, in an area where Anopheles arabiensis is the predominant malaria vector species. Three LLIN types, Olyset®, PermaNet 2.0® and Icon Life® nets and three IRS treatments, pirimiphos-methyl, DDT, and lambda cyhalothrin, were used singly or in combinations. We compared, number of mosquitoes entering huts, proportion and number killed, proportions prevented from blood-feeding, time when mosquitoes exited the huts, and proportions caught exiting. The tests were done for four months in dry season and another six months in wet season, each time using new intact nets. All the net types, used with or without IRS, prevented >99% of indoor mosquito bites. Adding PermaNet 2.0® and Icon Life®, but not Olyset® nets into huts with any IRS increased mortality of malaria vectors relative to IRS alone. However, of all IRS treatments, only pirimiphos-methyl significantly increased vector mortality relative to LLINs alone, though this increase was modest. Overall, median mortality of An. arabiensis caught in huts with any of the treatments did not exceed 29%. No treatment reduced entry of the vectors into huts, except for marginal reductions due to PermaNet 2.0® nets and DDT. More than 95% of all mosquitoes were caught in exit traps rather than inside huts. Where the main malaria vector is An. arabiensis, adding IRS into houses with intact pyrethroid LLINs does not enhance house-hold level protection except where the IRS employs non-pyrethroid insecticides such as pirimiphos-methyl, which can confer modest enhancements. In contrast, adding intact bednets onto IRS enhances protection by preventing mosquito blood-feeding (even if the nets are non-insecticidal) and by slightly increasing mosquito mortality (in case of LLINs). The primary mode of action of intact LLINs against An. arabiensis is clearly bite prevention rather than insecticidal activity. Therefore, where resources are limited, priority should be to ensure that everyone at risk consistently uses LLINs and that the nets are regularly replaced before being excessively torn. Measures that maximize bite prevention (e.g. proper net sizes to effectively cover sleeping spaces, stronger net fibres that resist tears and burns and net use practices that preserve net longevity), should be emphasized

Safety and effectiveness of primary transscleral diode laser cyclophotoablation for glaucoma in Nigeria.

IMPORTANCE: To investigate the safety, effectiveness and follow-up rates after transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation as primary treatment for seeing eyes with primary open angle glaucoma in Bauchi, Nigeria. BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of primary open angle glaucoma in Africa where adherence to medical treatment and acceptance of surgery are poor. DESIGN: Prospective case series. PARTICIPANTS: New glaucoma patients where surgical intervention was recommended. METHODS: A diode 810 nm laser G-probe was used under retrobulbar anaesthesia to deliver approximately 20 shots for 2000 ms, titrating the power. If both eyes were treated the first was the study eye. Repeat treatment offered if the intraocular pressure (IOP) was >21 mmHg on two consecutive visits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: IOP < 22 mmHg, change in ≥2 lines of Snellen visual acuity (VA), and complications. RESULTS: 201 out of 204 eyes with complete data analysed. Mean age 52 years, 17 (8.3%) eyes were re-treated. Mean pre-treatment IOP was 39 (SD 11) mmHg. 106 (53%) attended at 12 months when the mean IOP was 19 (7-45) mmHg; 77 (73%) had IOP < 22 mmHg. VAs were better in 13 (12.3%) and worse in 23 (21.7%) eyes. Postoperative complications included mild uveitis (5.5%), corneal oedema (2.5%), severe uveitis (0.5%) and transient hypotony (2.0%). No hypotony at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation controlled IOP in almost three quarters of eyes at 12 months with short-term preservation of vision and minimal complications. Poor follow-up in this setting highlights the need for an effective, safe and acceptable treatment where regular follow-up is less critical

Mass ivermectin treatment for Onchocerciasis: Lack of evidence for collateral impact on transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti in areas of co-endemicity

There has long been interest in determining if mass ivermectin administration for onchocerciasis has 'unknowingly' interrupted lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmission where the endemicity of the two diseases' overlaps. We studied 11 communities in central Nigeria entomologically for LF by performing mosquito dissections on Anopheline LF vectors. Six of the communities studied were located within an onchocerciasis treatment zone, and five were located outside of that zone. Communities inside the treatment zone had been offered ivermectin treatment for two-five years, with a mean coverage of 81% of the eligible population (range 58–95%). We found 4.9% of mosquitoes were infected with any larval stage of W. bancrofti in the head or thorax in 362 dissections in the untreated villages compared to 4.7% infected in 549 dissections in the ivermectin treated villages (Mantel-Haenszel ChiSquare 0.02, P = 0.9). We concluded that ivermectin annual therapy for onchocerciasis has not interrupted transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti (the causative agent of LF in Nigeria)

Quantification of Salmonella and Yersinia on pork carcasses by simulation modelling

Stagnation in the success of control programmes in pig production in Denmark has led to an increased interest in the development of alternative control strategies such as decontamination of carcasses to further decrease the attribution of pork meat to human foodborne illness. This project sets out to develop a model for quantitative estimation of slaughterhouse output of Salmonella and Yersinia . Distributions of the occurrence of Salmonefla, Yersinia and E. coli on pork carcasses are based on the analysis of paired faecal samples and carcass swabs from 2880 animals originating from four abattoirs. By combining the estimated quantity of faecal contamination of carcasses with a semi-quantitative distribution of the number of Safmoneffa or Yersinia per gram faeces, an output distribution describing the number of Salmonella or Yersinia bacteria per carcass can be established. In order to validate the model, carcass swabs, analysed for Salmonefla and Yersinia serve as control. After the model has been validated, the effect of various decontamination methods on human exposure to foodborne pathogens in pork will be evaluated in both economic terms as well as with regard to public health impact

Oligodendroglia Are Particularly Vulnerable to Oxidative Damage After Neurotrauma In Vivo.

In the paper "Oligodendroglia are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage after neurotrauma in vivo," we determined the extent of oxidative damage to specific cellular subpopulations and structures within regions vulnerable to secondary degeneration and assessed the effect this had on oligodendroglial function. Comparative assessment of oxidative damage demonstrated selective vulnerability of oligodendroglia, specifically oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to DNA oxidation in vivo. Immunohistochemical fate mapping along the oligodendroglial lineage showed a transient susceptibility of these cells to DNA oxidation, protein nitration, and lipid peroxidation, with mature oligodendrocytes derived immediately after injury more vulnerable to DNA oxidation than their counterparts existing at the time of injury or later derived. In situ hybridization demonstrated a reduction in myelin regulatory factor (MyRF) messenger RNA (mRNA) fluorescence in newly derived mature oligodendrocytes, suggesting a compromise in the production and maintenance of the myelin sheath in these cells. The data imply a deficit in the normal differentiation of OPCs to myelinating oligodendrocytes, associated with a transient increase in oxidative damage, which may contribute to the dysmyelinating phenotype seen at chronic time points after injury. Identifying and understanding the sources of this oxidative damage is integral for the development of therapeutic interventions for neurotrauma

Literature as leverage to peace and sustainable development in the african context

Abstract: Peace and sustainable development are hot topics these days. It is nearly impossible to set up a project without including hints of peace and sustainable development. In Africa, governments, Non-Governmental Organizations, International Organizations, investors, etc. all tend to insert some guidelines regarding peace and sustainability in their diverse plans and call upon the expertise of practitioners or scientists. Most set aside is art, mainly literature, which is allegedly deemed less influential than other scientific fields of study. Debunking such a tenet and zooming in on Ernest Hemingway, this essay uses meta- and neo-criticism to exhibit the unchallengeable role literature could play in securing peace and sustainable development in the African context. Keywords: Literature, peace, war, sustainability, global earmin

Quantitative risk assessment of the introduction and transmission of Salmonella infection in the stable-to table chain of pork production

In Denmark, the presence of Salmonella is monitored at various stages of pork production. The main purpose is to identify producers for whom intervention measures are required, due to unacceptable levels of Salmonella. Commonly, the compiling and presentation of data from the monitoring programs is made public in the form of simple descriptive figures in e.g. annual reports. To make more efficient use of this vast source of information, routinely collected data is being utilized to develop a probabilistic risk assessment model to simulate the dynamics of Salmonella contantination throughout the stable-to-table chain of pork production. In addition, results obtained from several national and international research projects, a survey of Danish butchers and relevant literature sources were made available