Prevalence, characterization and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Salmonella isolates from healthy broiler and free-range chickens in Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract Background: Salmonella enterica is a group of bacteria that cause enteric and systemic infection in animals and human worldwide. Objectives:  The study was conducted to determine prevalence, characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella in indigenous free range and broiler chickens in Morogoro Municipality. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2019 to May 2020 whereby 384 cloaca swab samples from health chickens from Magadu, Mzinga and Bigwa wards were collected. Identification was done by standard bacteriological methods, serotyping and genetically confirmed by PCR using Salmonella specific primers pair and Salmonella enterica primer pair (invA and iroB gene primers). Sensitivity test was done using Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Imipenem, Gentamycin, Ciprofloxacin, Sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim and Cefaclor antimicrobial discs. Descriptive statistic method was used for analysis, and paired t-test assuming unequal variance was used for comparing overall prevalence of Salmonella spp between free range and broiler chickens. Results: Out of 384 samples, 11 (2.9%) samples confirmed to be Salmonella of which 8(4%) were from broilers and 3(1.6%) were from free range chickens. Of the 11 isolates 8 were from group B serotypes and 3 isolates were from group D serotypes. Susceptibility results showed variable level of sensitivity to majority of antibiotics tested however, level of resistance were also found in 7/11 isolates resistant to Ampicillin, 4/11 isolates resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and 3/11 isolates resistant to tetracycline. Three isolates were found to harbor Sulfamethoxazole(sulII) resistant gene.Conclusion: This study revealed the presence of Salmonella carrier among chicken kept in Morogoro with antimicrobial resistances from both free range and broilers chickens. The results underline the importance of the biosecurity measures in the production and processing of chicken for human consumption, similarly improvement of management is recommended to stop transmission of Salmonella from natural carriers to chicken as indicated by fecal carriers found. &nbsp

Detection of peste des petits ruminants and concurrent secondary diseases in sheep and goats in Ngorongoro district, Tanzania

This research article published by Springer, 2018Small ruminants play an important role in the livelihoods of resource-constrained communities. This study was initiated because of a massive outbreak of a respiratory disease in sheep and goats in Loliondo area in Ngorongoro district of Arusha region in Tanzania in 2016. During flock examination, a total of 240 serum samples and 61 nasal swabs were collected. Antibodies to small ruminant morbillivirus, causative agent of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), were detected from sera using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A multiplex reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was used to detect four pathogens: small ruminant morbillivirus, Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, and Capripoxvirus from the nasal swabs. Overall seroprevalence of PPR was 74.6%, with all four pathogens detected from nasal swabs. Co-infections of small ruminant morbillivirus and Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae, small ruminant morbillivirus and Capripoxvirus, small ruminant morbillivirus and Pasteurella multocida, and Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae and Capripoxvirus were also detected. Presence of PPR and the other diseases in this study provided insight into the severity of the outbreak in sheep and goats in Ngorongoro district. Thus, laboratory confirmation is critical for prompt and appropriate interventions to be made for control of diseases in sheep and goats with similar clinical signs. The findings also call for research into development of combined vaccines targeting common diseases of small ruminants in Tanzania

Potential Opportunities and Challenges of Deploying Next Generation Sequencing and CRISPR-Cas Systems to Support Diagnostics and Surveillance Towards Malaria Control and Elimination in Africa

Recent developments in molecular biology and genomics have revolutionized biology and medicine mainly in the developed world. The application of next generation sequencing (NGS) and CRISPR-Cas tools is now poised to support endemic countries in the detection, monitoring and control of endemic diseases and future epidemics, as well as with emerging and re-emerging pathogens. Most low and middle income countries (LMICs) with the highest burden of infectious diseases still largely lack the capacity to generate and perform bioinformatic analysis of genomic data. These countries have also not deployed tools based on CRISPR-Cas technologies. For LMICs including Tanzania, it is critical to focus not only on the process of generation and analysis of data generated using such tools, but also on the utilization of the findings for policy and decision making. Here we discuss the promise and challenges of NGS and CRISPR-Cas in the context of malaria as Africa moves towards malaria elimination. These innovative tools are urgently needed to strengthen the current diagnostic and surveillance systems. We discuss ongoing efforts to deploy these tools for malaria detection and molecular surveillance highlighting potential opportunities presented by these innovative technologies as well as challenges in adopting them. Their deployment will also offer an opportunity to broadly build in-country capacity in pathogen genomics and bioinformatics, and to effectively engage with multiple stakeholders as well as policy makers, overcoming current workforce and infrastructure challenges. Overall, these ongoing initiatives will build the malaria molecular surveillance capacity of African researchers and their institutions, and allow them to generate genomics data and perform bioinformatics analysis in-country in order to provide critical information that will be used for real-time policy and decision-making to support malaria elimination on the continent

Comprehensive transcriptome of the maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca, from multiple tissue types, developmental stages, and parasitoid wasp exposures

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