Study of the seroprevalence, associated risk factors and the haematological values of infected Chlamydia abortus small ruminants in Benin Republic

Chlamydia abortus is one of the causative agents. The aim of this study was to determine for the first time the serological prevalence and hematological parameters in small ruminants positive for Chlamydia abortus in Benin, mainly in the department of Ouémé. It covered five sites, namely Akpro-Missérété, Avrankou, Adjarra, Sèmè-Kpodji and Dangbo in the Ouémé department. A total of 385 sera (200 sheep and 185 goats) from subjects showing signs of reproductive loss were tested using the indirect Elisa method. Of the 385 sera tested, 30 (7,79%) were positive for Chlamydia abortus. Similarly, the blood of animals tested positive was analyzed for hematological parameters using Sysmex XN-Series automated blood analyzer. Different variations with significant differences in some hematological parameters of the red line and those of the white line, depending on the study sites, species, age and physiological stage of the animals (hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume for the red line at the sites, lymphocytes and basophils for the white line at the sites; hemoglobin for the red lineage and lymphocytes for the white lineage at species level; lymphocytes at age level; lymphocytes, monocytes and basophils for the white lineage at physiological stage level) were observed in animals suffering from C. abortus.En la República de Benín, el aborto es uno de los problemas reproductivos de las explotaciones de pequeños rumiantes, y Chlamydia abortus es uno de los agentes causales. El objetivo de este estudio era determinar por primera vez la prevalencia serológica y los parámetros hematológicos en pequeños rumiantes positivos a Chlamydia abortus en Benín, principalmente en el departamento de Ouémé. Abarcó cinco emplazamientos, a saber, Akpro-Missérété, Avrankou, Adjarra, Sèmè-Kpodji y Dangbo, en el departamento de Ouémé. Se analizaron 385 sueros (200 ovejas y 185 cabras) de sujetos que presentaban signos de pérdida reproductiva mediante el método Elisa indirecto. De los 385 sueros analizados, 30 (7,79%) resultaron positivos para Chlamydia abortus. Del mismo modo, se analizó la sangre de los animales con resultados positivos para determinar los parámetros hematológicos utilizando el analizador de sangre automatizado Sysmex XN-Series. Se observaron variaciones con diferencias significativas en algunos parámetros hematológicos de la línea roja y los de la línea blanca, en función de los lugares de estudio, la especie, la edad y el estadio fisiológico de los animales (hemoglobina, volumen corpuscular medio para la línea roja en los lugares, linfocitos y basófilos para la línea blanca en los lugares; hemoglobina para la línea roja y linfocitos para la línea blanca a nivel de especie; linfocitos a nivel de edad; linfocitos, monocitos y basófilos para la línea blanca a nivel de estadio fisiológico) se observaron en los animales afectados por C. abortus

On-farm maize storage systems and rodent postharvest losses in six maize growing agro-ecological zones of Kenya

Rodents are one of the major postharvest pests that affect food security by impacting on both food availability and safety. However, knowledge of the impact of rodents in on-farm maize storage systems in Kenya is limited. A survey was conducted in 2014 to assess magnitudes of postharvest losses in on-farm maize storage systems in Kenya, and the contribution of rodents to the losses. A total of 630 farmers spread across six maize growing agro-ecological zones (AEZs) were interviewed. Insects, rodents and moulds were the main storage problems reported by farmers. Storage losses were highest in the moist transitional and moist mid-altitude zones, and lowest in the dry-transitional zone. Overall, rodents represented the second most important cause of storage losses after insects, and were ranked as the main storage problem in the lowland tropical zone, while insects were the main storage problem in the other AEZs. Where maize was stored on cobs, total farmer perceived (farmer estimation) storage weight losses were 11.1 ± 0.7 %, with rodents causing up to 43 % of these losses. Contrastingly, where maize was stored as shelled grain, the losses were 15.5 ± 0.6 % with rodents accounting for up to 30 %. Regression analysis showed that rodents contributed significantly to total storage losses (p < 0.0001), and identified rodent trapping as the main storage practice that significantly (p = 0.001) lowered the losses. Together with insecticides, rodent traps were found to significantly decrease total losses. Improved awareness and application of these practices could mitigate losses in on farm-stored maize

A comparison of Mini-FLOTAC and McMaster techniques in detecting gastrointestinal parasites in West Africa Dwarf sheep and goats and crossbreed rabbits

McMaster (McM) method is one of the most widely used techniques for the assessment of faecal parasites shedding in veterinary practices because of its simplicity. However, due to its light sensitivity, recently, the Mini-FLOTAC (MF) has been introduced as a possible alternative for faecal worm egg counts. This study aims to compare the diagnosis performance of MF to McM technique. Faecal samples from 40 animals randomly selected in sheep, goats and rabbits’ farms were collected and examined individually using MF and McM techniques. A statistical difference (p 0.05). MF showed better diagnostic performance in term of the prevalence (MF: 32.5–100% vs McM: 7.5–70%) and the precision values (MF: 85.52–90.44% vs McM: 49.52–63.07%). This study demonstrated that MF appears to be the more reliable alternative technique for veterinary practices