A socio-economic approach to One Health policy research in southern Africa

One-health approaches have started being applied to health systems in some countries in controlling infectious diseases in order to reduce the burden of disease in humans, livestock and wild animals collaboratively. However, one wonders whether the problem of lingering and emerging zoonoses is more affected by health policies, low application of one-health approaches, or other factors. As part of efforts to answer this question, the Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS) smart partnership of human health, animal health and socio-economic experts published, in April 2011, a conceptual framework to support One Health research for policy on emerging zoonoses. The main objective of this paper was to identify which factors really affect the burden of disease and how the burden could affect socio-economic well-being. Amongst other issues, the review of literature shows that the occurrence of infectious diseases in humans and animals is driven by many factors, the most important ones being the causative agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc.) and the mediator conditions (social, cultural, economic or climatic) which facilitate the infection to occur and hold. Literature also shows that in many countries there is little collaboration between medical and veterinary services despite the shared underlying science and the increasing infectious disease threat. In view of these findings, a research to inform health policy must walk on two legs: a natural sciences leg and a social sciences one

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

Health-seeking behaviour of human brucellosis cases in rural Tanzania

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Brucellosis is known to cause debilitating conditions if not promptly treated. In some rural areas of Tanzania however, practitioners give evidence of seeing brucellosis cases with symptoms of long duration. The purpose of this study was to establish health-seeking behaviour of human brucellosis cases in rural Tanzania and explore the most feasible ways to improve it.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was designed as a longitudinal study. Socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected from patients who reported to selected hospitals in rural northern Tanzania between June 2002 and April 2003. All patients with conditions suspicious of brucellosis on the basis of preliminary clinical examination and history were enrolled into the study as brucellosis suspects. Blood samples were taken and tested for brucellosis using the Rose-Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and other agglutination tests available at the health facilities and the competitive ELISA (c-ELISA) test at the Veterinary Laboratory Agencies (VLA) in the UK. All suspects who tested positive with the c-ELISA test were regarded as brucellosis cases. A follow-up of 49 cases was made to collect data on health-seeking behaviour of human brucellosis cases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The majority of cases 87.7% gave a history of going to hospital as the first point of care, 10.2% purchased drugs from a nearby drug shop before going to hospital and 2% went to a local traditional healer first. Brucellosis cases delayed going to hospital with a median delay time of 90 days, and with 20% of the cases presenting to hospitals more than a year after the onset of symptoms. Distance to the hospital, keeping animals and knowledge of brucellosis were significantly associated with patient delay to present to hospital.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>More efforts need to be put on improving the accessibility of health facilities to the rural poor people who succumb to most of the diseases including zoonoses. Health education on brucellosis in Tanzania should also stress the importance of early presentation to hospitals for prompt treatment.</p

Characterisation of non-lyphoid cells in the small intestinal lamina propria of the rat and the pig

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX170230 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis in Morogoro, Tanzania

Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 2009, Vol 8 (3): 208-213,The prevalence study of bovine trypanosomosis was conducted in 43 smallholder farms which were randomly selected from 350 cattle farms and seven medium scale farms purposively selected in Morogoro, Tanzania. A total of 509 and 102 cross breed and local cattle, respectively aged six months and above were used in the study. The selected animals were examined for clinical signs of trypanosomosis and thereafter screened for haemoparasites using direct blood smears and micro-centrifugation methods. The overall prevalence of trypanosomosis in cattle was 2.3% (95% CI: 1.4-3.8, n = 691). Infected animals (n = 16) had the mean rectal temperature of 39.1oC±1.03. The mean number of parasites and PCV was 8.6±13.6 and 24.8%±7.9, respectively. Specific infection rates based on trypanosomas species were 0.4%, 0.6%, and 1.3% for T. congolense, T. brucei and T. vivax respectively. A highly significant (P < 0.05) infection rate was found in cattle on farms located in northeastern part of Morogoro town (4.0%, n = 303) than those in the southwest (1.0%, n = 388, RR = 3.84, 95% CI = 1.18 - 16.98). Sex, breed, grazing system, farm size, acaricide application and chemoprophylaxis were not the risk factors for the trypanosomosis infection. It was concluded that, despite a continuous uses of chemoprophylaxis, synthetic pyrethroids, bush clearing and many other methods against tsetse flies, trypanosomosis is still prevalent in cattle in Morogoro. Animals in the livestock-wildlife interphase are at higher risk of infection. It was recommended that trypanosomosis losses due to cattle mortalities, reduced production and reproduction performance, continuous disease treatment and control costs need to be quantified. Knowing the associated losses may call for strengthening the disease surveillance, treatment and control strategies which are aimed at reduction or total elimination of the tsetse flies

Diseases of small ruminants in sub-Saharan Africa A handbook; common diseases of sheep and goats in sub-Saharan Africa

Funded by the Overseas Development Administration, London (GB). Animal Health ProgrammeAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:q97/23897 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Status of helminthosis and coccidiosis in goats and sheep in traditional flocks in Melela Division, Morogoro Region, Tanzania

A cross sectional study was carried out between June and August 2014 to establish the status of helminthosis and coccidiosis in nine purposefully selected small ruminant flocks in Mlandizi village in Melela ward, Mvomero district of Morogoro region, Tanzania. The study aimed at generating baseline information for vaccine trials against Haemonchosis in traditional flock in tropical areas. A total of 131 goats and 118 sheep that were screened for helminth eggs and coccidian oocysts using McMaster flotation techniques. In addition, copro-culture was carried out to obtain third stage larvae for parasite identification to the genus level based on morphological features shown in identification keys. Approximately, 54.2% and 52.7% of the goats (n=131) had helminth and coccidia infestations while, 67.8% and 49.2% of sheep were positive for the two parasite types, respectively. The average number (mean±SD) of eggs per gram (epg) in goats was 276±433 (range =100 to 2,100). In sheep, the average epg was 307±378, with values in individual animals ranging between 100 and 1,900. For the coccidian infestation, the average numbers of oocysts per gram (opg) in goats and sheep were 1180±2663 (range=100 to 100,300) and 1661±9563 (range= 100 to 28,300), respectively. Helminth genera detected in sampled animals were Haemonchus (50.7%), Trichostrongylus (29%), Oesophagostomum (16.4%), Cooperia (5.9%) and Strongyloides (3.4%). Monieza spp. was detected in sheep (5.8%) and goats (0.8%). Coccidial oocysts identified comprised of Eimeria caprina (20.6%), E. granulosa (16.2%), E. marsica (14.3%), E. ovinoidalis (12.4%), E. arloingi, (12.4%), for E. parva (16.2%) and E. christenseni (7.6%). The presence of gastro-intestinal parasites in the study animals calls for formulation of appropriate interventions that hinge on parasite burden profiles as influenced by climatic conditions and variability trends.Keywords: Helminthosis, epg, opg, faecal cultur

Analysis of host genetic factors influencing African trypanosome species infection in a cohort of Tanzanian Bos indicus cattle

Trypanosomosis caused by infection with protozoan parasites of the genus Trypanosoma is a major health constraint to cattle production in many African countries. One hundred and seventy one Bos indicus cattle from traditional pastoral Maasai (87) and more intensively managed Boran (84) animals in Tanzania were screened by PCR for the presence of African animal trypanosomes (Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma brucei), using blood samples archived on ETA cards. All cattle screened for trypanosomes were also genotyped at the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II DRB3 locus to investigate possible associations between host MHC and trypanosome infection. Overall, 23.4% of the 171 cattle tested positive for at least one of the three trypanosome species. The prevalence of individual trypanosome species was 8.8% (T. congolense), 4.7% (T. vivax) and 15.8% (T. brucei). The high prevalence of T. brucei compared with T. congolense and T. vivax was unexpected as this species has previously been considered to be of lesser importance in terms of African bovine trypanosomosis. Significantly higher numbers of Maasai cattle were infected with T. brucei (23.0%, p = 0.009) and T. congolense (13.8%, p = 0.019) compared with Boran cattle (8.3% and 3.6%, respectively). Analysis of BoLA-DRB3 diversity in this cohort identified extensive allelic diversity. Thirty-three BoLA-DRB3 PCR-RFLP defined alleles were identified. One allele (DRB3*15) was significantly associated with an increased risk (odds ratio, OR = 2.71, p = 0.034) of T. brucei infection and three alleles (DRB3*35, *16 and *23) were associated with increased risk of T. congolense infection. While further work is required to dissect the role of these alleles in susceptibility to T. brucei and T. congolense infections, this study demonstrates the utility of FTA archived blood samples in combined molecular analyses of both host and pathogen. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserve