Plasmodium falciparum transmission and aridity: a Kenyan experience from the dry lands of Baringo and its implications for Anopheles arabiensis control

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The ecology of malaria vectors particularly in semi-arid areas of Africa is poorly understood. Accurate knowledge on this subject will boost current efforts to reduce the burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to describe the dynamics of malaria transmission in two model semi-arid sites (Kamarimar and Tirion) in Baringo in Kenya.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adult mosquitoes were collected indoors by pyrethrum spray collections (PSC) and outdoors by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) light traps and identified to species by morphological characteristics. Sibling species of <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>complex were further characterized by rDNA. PCR and enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assays (ELISA) were used to test for <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>circumsporozoite proteins and host blood meal sources respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>Anopheles arabiensis </it>was not only the most dominant mosquito species in both study sites but also the only sibling species of <it>An. gambiae s.l. </it>present in the area. Other species identified in the study area were <it>Anopheles funestus</it>, <it>Anopheles pharoensis </it>and <it>Anopheles coustani</it>. For Kamarimar but not Tirion, the human blood index (HBI) for light trap samples was significantly higher than for PSC samples (Kamarimar, 0.63 and 0.11, Tirion, 0.48 and 0.43). The HBI for light trap samples was significantly higher in Kamarimar than in Tirion while that of PSC samples was significantly higher in Tirion than in Kamarimar. Entomological inoculation rates (EIR) were only detected for one month in Kamarimar and 3 months in Tirion. The number of houses in a homestead, number of people sleeping in the house, quality of the house, presence or absence of domestic animals, and distance to the animal shelter and the nearest larval habitat were significant predictors of <it>An. arabiensis </it>occurrence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Malaria transmission in the study area is seasonal with <it>An. arabiensis </it>as the dominant vector. The fact this species feeds readily on humans and domestic animals suggest that zooprophylaxis may be a plausible malaria control strategy in semi-arid areas of Africa. The results also suggest that certain household characteristics may increase the risk of malaria transmission.</p

Impact of routine Newcastle disease vaccination on chicken flock size in smallholder farms in western Kenya.

BackgroundPoultry represent a widely held economic, nutritional, and sociocultural asset in rural communities worldwide. In a recent longitudinal study in western Kenya, the reported mean number of chickens per household was 10, with increases in flock size constrained principally by mortality. Newcastle disease virus is a major cause of chicken mortality globally and hypothesized to be responsible for a large part of mortality in smallholder flocks. Our goal was to determine the impact of routine Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccination on flock size and use this data to guide programs to improve small flock productivity.MethodsWe conducted a factorial randomized controlled trial in 537 households: in 254 households all chickens were vaccinated every 3 months with I-2 NDV vaccine while chickens in 283 households served as unvaccinated controls. In both arms of the trial, all chickens were treated with endo- and ecto parasiticides every 3 months. Data on household chicken numbers and reported gains and losses were collected monthly for 18 months.ResultsConsistent with prior studies, the overall flock size was small but with increases in both arms of the study over time. The mean number of chickens owned at monthly census was 13.06±0.29 in the vaccinated households versus 12.06±0.20 in the control households (p = 0.0026) with significant gains in number of chicks (p = 0.06), growers (p = 0.09), and adults (p = 0.03) in the vaccinated flocks versus the controls. Household reported gains were 4.50±0.12 total chickens per month when vaccinated versus 4.15±0.11 in the non-vaccinated controls (p = 0.03). Gains were balanced by voluntary decreases, reflecting household decision-making for sales or household consumption, which were marginally higher, but not statistically significant, in vaccinated households and by involuntary losses, including mortality and loss due to predation, which were marginally higher in control households.ConclusionQuarterly NDV vaccination and parasiticidal treatment resulted in an increase in flock size by a mean of one bird per household as compared to households where the flock received only parasiticidal treatment. While results suggest that the preventable fraction of mortality attributable to Newcastle disease is comparatively small relatively to all-cause mortality in smallholder households, there was a significant benefit to vaccination in terms of flock size. Comparison with previous flock sizes in the study households indicate a more significant benefit from the combined vaccination and parasiticidal treatment, supporting a comprehensive approach to improving flock health and improving household benefits of production in the smallholder setting