Suspected sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever in a zero-grazed dairy herd in Kenya

An outbreak of a disease characterised by very high mortality occurred in a group of nine calves (1-4 months old) in a zero-grazing unit 2-3 weeks after an introduction of an apparently healthy alien sheep into the calf pen. Five of the six calves which contracted the disease died. The main clinical signs observed were marked depression, persistently high body temperature (40.5-41.5degreesC), copious mucopurulent nasal and ocular discharges, dyspnoea, bilateral keratoconjunctivitis with corneal opacity, enlargement of the superficial lymph nodes and marked erythema and/or superficial erosions of the buccal mucosae. At necropsy there were lesions in the upper respiratory and digestive tracts, lymph nodes, brain, eyes, liver, kidneys and the urinary bladder. The lesions were histopathologically characterized by fibrinoid vasculitis which was accompanied by lymphocytic infiltration in the parenchyma of the affected tissues. Based on the evidence of contact between the calves and the recently introduced foreign sheep, the characteristic clinical signs and histopathological findings, a diagnosis of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever was made.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat v.9 was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.mn201

Causes of calf mortality in Kabete area of Kenya

A total of 345 calf carcases of mainly dairy breeds from the farms around Kabete area were examined at the post-mortem facility in the Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nairobi, over a 10-year period (1980-1989). About 46,8% of the total deaths took place within the first 2 months, 31,8% of them in the first month and 13,3% in the first 2 weeks. In 23 cases (6,7%) no specific cause of death was determined. The major causes of death were diseases of the alimentary tract (31,3%) - mainly gastroenteritis (76/108) due to colibacillosis, salmonellosis, coccidiosis and helminthiasis, and bloat (20/108). The other major causes of death were diseases of the respiratory tract (16,8 %) mainly pneumonia (42/58), and tick-borne diseases (13,3%) - mainly east coast fever (ECF) (37/46). The alimentary and respiratory diseases were most common in the 1-30 d age group. The other causes of death occurred in the following frequencies: musculoskeletal system (7,0%), septicaemia (6,7%), malnutrition (6,1 %), cardiovascular system (3,7%), nervous system (3,2%), liver (2,6%) and poisoning (2,6%).The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.mn201

Low anti tuberculosis drug resistance despite high rates of recurrent tuberculosis and HIV infection in western Kenya

Background: The high rates of recurrent tuberculosis and HIV in Kenya raised the assumption that anti -tuberculosis drug resistance may be an increasing problem. Objective: To determine whether HIV co infection and TB recurrence are associated with anti TB drug resistance. Methods: Cross sectional study in which sputa from 872 TB suspects underwent ZN smear microscopy and culture. Growth was identified using Hain molecular identification kits. Screening for HIV infection was done using Uni GoldTM rapid test and the positives confirmed with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: A total of 186 M. tuberculosis complex and 15 non tuberculous mycobacteria isolates were obtained. The tuberculosis recurrence and TB HIV co infection rates amounted to 44.8% and 41.8%, respectively. All the 186 M. tuberculosis isolates were susceptible to streptomycin and ethambutol. Only 12 (6.5%) of the isolates were mono drug resistant, nine to isoniazid and three to rifampicin. Only 3/27 isoniazid resistant isolates were from recurrent TB cases. Conclusion and recommendation: No MDR strains of M. tuberculosis were observed in the current study. However, the study suggests an association between HIV co-infection and anti TB mono drug resistance. High TB recurrence observed in the current study was not associated with anti TB drug resistance. What needs to be examined is the cause of this high TB recurrence rate in Western Kenya. Keywords: Recurrent TB; HIV co infection; antiTB drug resistance; prevalenc

A high rate of recurrent tuberculosis in western Kenya independent of human immunodeficiency virus infection

Background: Previous studies have shown that recurrent TB develops in about 2-5% of the patients after curative treatment with short-course anti-TB chemotherapy. With the advent of HIV/AIDS, the rate TB recurrence is anticipated to rise. Objectives: To determine whether HIV infection and TB recurrence are associated with anti-TB drug resistance and the rates of ZN microscopy and culture positivity among the recurrent TB cases in western Kenya. Design and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between 2007 and 2009. Sputa from 872 tuberculosis suspects underwent mycobacteriologic evaluation using Ziehl Neelsen smear microscopy, LowensteinJensen and BACTEC MGIT 960 culturing, and Hain’s GenoType® Mycobacterium CM and GenoType® Mycobacterium AS molecular identification tests. Consenting participants were screened for HIV infection using Uni-Gold TM test and positives were confirmed with the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: In total, 361/872 (41%) of the suspects mycobacterial disease (346 TB, 4.2% non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease). HIV testing was accepted by 695 (79.7%) and 39.1% of these (272/695) were found positive. Recurrence of TB constituted 44.8% (155/346) of the TB cases, with 41.9% (65/155) of them co-infected with HIV. There was nosignificant difference in TB recurrence rates with HIV status [OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.29-1.13; P = 0.10]. Conclusions and recommendations: This study reports a much higher (44.8%) rate of recurrent TB, compared to that of National TB control Programme of 5% in 2008 and a combined retreatment rate of 14% in 2009. The HIV co-infection and TB recurrence were not associated with anti-TB drug resistance. The majority of TB recurrent cases were ZN smear negative (67.7%) and culture negative (80%). The high TB recurrence observed in this study calls for studies to determine the proportions of the disease attributable to endogenous re-activation (relapse) and exogenous re-infection. Keywords: Recurrent tuberculosis; HIV co-infectio

Effect of ruminal plastic bags on wellbeing of goats

Clinical manifestations due to presence of plastic bags in the rumen of goats were studied. Sixteen (16) one year old male (castrate) small East African goats with an average weight of 24.5kg were used for the study. The animals were divided into 4 groups of 4 animals each (n=4). Three of the groups had, 129g, 258g and 387g of plastic bags, respectively, introduced into the rumen through rumenotomy, while the fourth group without implants served as control. All animals in both test and control groups were observed daily for changes in vital parameters and clinical manifestations for a period of 6 weeks following implantation. Presence of plastic bags in the rumen of the goats was clinically characterized by anorexia, severe depression, discomfort (grunting sounds), dehydration, firmness and asymmetrical distention of the abdomen, reduced ruminal movements, diarrhoea with intermittent constipation, recumbency and death. Severity of the observed clinical signs increased with the quantity and duration of the plastic bags in the rumen. The animals lost varying degrees of body weight proportional to the quantity of plastic bags in the rumen. Generally, presence of plastic bags in the rumen imposed a serious health burden on the goats affecting their overall wellbeing and weight gain subsequently leading to mortality of some of the animals. Presence of the plastic bags in the rumen could affect the overall productivity and production of goats. The significance of this research is in its contribution to understanding the effects of ingestion and accumulation of plastic bags in the rumen of goats.Keywords: Clinical signs, goats, plastic bags, rumen, wellbein

Assessment of Possible Sources of Endocrine Disruptors and Microbial Pathogens and their Impacts in the Lake Victoria Basin in the East African Region

Fisheries & Aquaculture Cluster Proceedings 2000This study was conducted from August 2008 to May 2009 in Mwanza (Tanzania), Jinja (Uganda) and Kisumu, Homabay and Suba (Kenya) to establish the sources of pollutants in particular endocrine disruptors and microbial pathogens in water and fish. A sociological study was undertaken using qualitative and quantitative methods. Microbial contamination of water and fish in the lake was assessed in 14 water and 60 fish samples in Mwanza. In Jinja, assessment of microbial contamination was carried out in 100 water and 26 fish samples. A total of 80 Nile tilapia were collected from Kisumu, Homabay and Suba and examined for gross pathological lesions using standard necropsy techniques. Findings from the sociological studies indicated that, the knowledge and awareness on endocrine disruptors in the region is low. Pollutants that find access into the lake and have potential for disrupting the endocrine systems exist in all cities and originate from point and non-point sources. Human, industrial, agricultural, hospital and domestic wastes are the main sources of pollutants likely to contain endocrine disruptors. These pollutants are handled poorly and most of them are disposed off into the lake without treatment. In Mwanza, contamination of water with faecal material at various landing sites was observed in 85.7%, 78.6% and 35.7% of the samples determined using Total Viable Counts, Total Coliform Counts and Total Faecal Coliform Count. All water samples were negative for Salmonella spp, Vibrio spp, Cryptosporidia spp and Giardia spp. In Jinja, microbial contamination was observed in all sampling sites as determined by aerobic plate count (APC), Total Coliform Count (TCC) and Escherichia coli count. There was no significant difference in microbial load between sampling sites (P > 0.05). The gross pathological lesions were generalized hyperemia, liver changes (paleness, grey spots and hemorrhages), cystic urinary bladder, atrophied testis and kidneys, eye opacity, degenerated ovaries, grey patches on the stomach, clear cysts in the testis, deformed dorsal fin and ulcers on the lateral side of the body. Further studies are underway to confirm the likely causes of the observed lesions and the impact of the observed pollutants and microbial pathogens

Gross and histopathologic findings in sheep with plastic bags in the rumen

The objective of this study was to evaluate the gross and histo-pathological lesions caused by plastic bags in the rumen of sheep. Sixteen (16) castrated, one-year old Dorper sheep were used for the study. The animals were divided into 4 groups each consisting of 4 sheep. Three of the groups had 129 g, 258 g and 387 g of plastic bags, respectively, introduced into the rumen through rumenotomy, while the fourth group, without implants served as control. All the animals were observed daily for 6 weeks following implantation. All animals were euthanized on day 42 and subjected to gross and histopathological examination. Gross changes observed at post mortem included; atrophy of the muscle and body fat, atrophy and fibrosis of the spleen, liver, kidneys and hydropericardium. Gross lesions in the rumen included stunting, atrophy, thinning and loss of ruminal papillae, erosion, ulcerations and nodular formation on the ruminal mucosa. Histopathological examination revealed atrophy, ulceration, erosion and disruptions of the stratified epithelial layer of the papillae. Other changes included parakeratosis, hyperkeratosis, prominent rete pegs, oedema and severe hydropic degeneration of different parts of the mucosal layer. There was increased mononuclear cell infiltration, increase in the number of lymphatic vessels and lymphangiectasis in the submucosa and oedema in the muscularis and serosal layers. The pathological changes observed contributed to clinical signs and may interfere with the absorption of nutrients resulting in poor condition of the animal, and loss of production and productivity. Keywords: Pathology, Plastic bags, Rumen, Sheep, Ruminal papillae, Ruminal mucos

Assessment of Possible Sources of Endocrine Disruptors and Microbial Pathogens and their Impacts in the Lake Victoria Basin in the East African Region

Fisheries & Aquaculture Cluster Proceedings 2000This study was conducted from August 2008 to May 2009 in Mwanza (Tanzania), Jinja (Uganda) and Kisumu, Homabay and Suba (Kenya) to establish the sources of pollutants in particular endocrine disruptors and microbial pathogens in water and fish. A sociological study was undertaken using qualitative and quantitative methods. Microbial contamination of water and fish in the lake was assessed in 14 water and 60 fish samples in Mwanza. In Jinja, assessment of microbial contamination was carried out in 100 water and 26 fish samples. A total of 80 Nile tilapia were collected from Kisumu, Homabay and Suba and examined for gross pathological lesions using standard necropsy techniques. Findings from the sociological studies indicated that, the knowledge and awareness on endocrine disruptors in the region is low. Pollutants that find access into the lake and have potential for disrupting the endocrine systems exist in all cities and originate from point and non-point sources. Human, industrial, agricultural, hospital and domestic wastes are the main sources of pollutants likely to contain endocrine disruptors. These pollutants are handled poorly and most of them are disposed off into the lake without treatment. In Mwanza, contamination of water with faecal material at various landing sites was observed in 85.7%, 78.6% and 35.7% of the samples determined using Total Viable Counts, Total Coliform Counts and Total Faecal Coliform Count. All water samples were negative for Salmonella spp, Vibrio spp, Cryptosporidia spp and Giardia spp. In Jinja, microbial contamination was observed in all sampling sites as determined by aerobic plate count (APC), Total Coliform Count (TCC) and Escherichia coli count. There was no significant difference in microbial load between sampling sites (P > 0.05). The gross pathological lesions were generalized hyperemia, liver changes (paleness, grey spots and hemorrhages), cystic urinary bladder, atrophied testis and kidneys, eye opacity, degenerated ovaries, grey patches on the stomach, clear cysts in the testis, deformed dorsal fin and ulcers on the lateral side of the body. Further studies are underway to confirm the likely causes of the observed lesions and the impact of the observed pollutants and microbial pathogens

A Retrospective Study of Factors associated with Newcastle Disease Outbreaks in Village Indigenous Chickens

Although the epidemiology of Newcastle disease in commercial poultry systems is well documented, its ecology in indigenous birds, especially in tropics, is not adequately reported. The objective of this study, therefore, was to determine the risk factors associated with occurrence of Newcastle disease in village indigenous chickens. The study was carried out in five agro –ecological zones and seventy five households keeping indigenous chickens. Farmers were randomly selected and assessed on whether they understood Newcastle disease including knowing its local name and clinical signs manifested by the affected birds. Those who did not fit into the above category were excluded from further interviews. Data on management practices, incidence of diseases and risk factors associated with Newcastle disease outbreaks were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using statistical package. The prevalence rate of Newcastle disease was highest (93.8%) in the dry zone (Low midland 5) and lowest (50%) in cool wet zone (Lower Highland 1). Newcastle disease outbreaks were significantly associated with the following factors namely: confinement of birds in all ecological zones except in lower midland 5 where most cases were reported without confinement; mode of disposal of infected birds, carcasses and poultry faecal matter; dry seasons in the dry zones just before the rains; wind conditions; short intermittent temperature changes and the restocking of farms with chickens from the markets (P0.05) associated with Newcastle disease outbreaks. The responses varied across the seasons and between the agro – ecological zones. In conclusion, the study has shown that several factors namely: confinement; cold or very hot temperatures; winds; introduction of market birds and disposal of manure and sick birds are major risk factors to occurrence of Newcastle disease in indigenous chickens. It is recommended that flock owners be educated on Newcastle disease transmission and prevention.Key – words: risk factors, agro–ecological zones, confinement, hot and cold season