Awareness, Knowledge and Practice of Pastoralists and Agro-Pastoralists towards Livestock Diseases Affecting Domestic Animals in Arusha, Manyara and Morogoro Regions, Tanzania

The study was carried out to assess pastoralists and agro-pastoralists awareness, knowledge and practice in various livestock diseases affecting domestic animals in Arusha Manyara and Morogoro regions in Tanzania. Closed- and open-ended questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interview techniques were employed. Diseases, drought, lack of dipping tanks, insufficient of livestock experts and drugs are the main constraints in the livestock keeping community in the study area. Nineteen diseases have been reported to affect their animals at one time or the other. East Coast fever (ECF, 79.7%), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP, 60.8%) and Trypanosomosis (50%) have been reported by more than 50% of pastoralists that they affect their animals. ECF and CCPP seem to be the leading diseases with great impact to the pastoralists by causing high mortality rates. Rift valley fever (RVF) and anthrax have been reported by majority to be diseases which appear in form of outbreak in their area. Diseases reported here are said to be controlled primarily by treating with various drugs and Oxytetracycline being a common drug of choice for most unknown diseases. Other control methods include vaccination and deworming, dipping and spray of animals using acariceides. Livestock experts have been reported to play little role in controlling common livestock diseases as majority of livestock keepers tends to treat their animals. Veterinary experts seem to be important during outbreak of diseases or for unknown diseases killing many animals. Eating of dead and improperly cooked meat together with un-boiled milk was found to be common in the pastoral community. This could lead to the spread (if any) of zoonotic diseases easily. Livestock keeping community is aware of most of common diseases circulating in their area but the way they practice to control leads to failure of control of those diseases at individual and national level.  Devising a mechanism to educate them so that they know how to handle some common and reporting outbreak diseases such as use of trained community animal health workers (CAHWs) will help control livestock diseases in Tanzania. Keywords: community animal health workers, livelihood constraints, ECF, CCPP, CBPP, trypanosomosis, control measures

Taenia solium taeniosis and cysticercosis literature in Tanzania provides research evidence justification for control: A scoping review

Research evidence to guide policy and research agenda for Taenia solium taeniosis and cysticercosis (TSTC) in Sub-Saharan Africa is lacking. A scoping review of all TSTC studies undertaken in Tanzania and published up to November 2018 was conducted. The literature were searched from PUBMED, Tanzania Veterinary Journal, Tanzania Journal of Health Research and Google, and extracted to provide evidence on disease burden and potential for control. Fifty (50) articles met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Prevalence of taeniosis of 2.3% - 5.2% was estimated based on copro-antigen ELISA while human cysticercosis of >16% was estimated based on serum antigen ELISA (Ag-ELISA) or IgG Western Blot. Neurocysticercosis contributed significantly to epilepsy in adults. Farm prevalence of porcine cysticercosis were 6.0% - 17.4% (lingual examination), 1.5% - 33.3% (Ag-ELISA) and incidence rates of 25/100 pig-years (lingual examination) and 69/100 pig-years (Ag-ELISA). Slaughter-slab prevalence were 0% - 18.2% (routine meat inspection). Lacking latrines, watering pigs with river or pond waters and feeding pigs with potato peels were associated with high porcine cysticercosis prevalence. Washing hands by dipping method instead of running water increased the risk of human cysticercosis. For the year 2012 the number of DALYs/1000 person-years for NCC-associated epilepsy was 0.7 (95% UI, 0.2–1.6), around 5 million USD (95% UI, 797,535– 16,933,477) were spent due to NCC-associated epilepsy and nearly 3 million USD (95% UI, 1,095,960–5,366,038) were potentially lost due to porcine cysticercosis. Three rounds of annual treatment of school-age children with praziquantel significantly reduced prevalence of taeniosis and porcine cysticercosis. A health education intervention reduced porcine cysticercosis incidence by approximately 43% with no improvement in pig confinement or use of latrines. A single dose of oxfendazole 30 mg/kg body weight eliminated T. solium cysticerci in pig musculature but not in the brain. High prevalence of T. solium infections in humans and pigs have been reported in Tanzania while the parasite accounts for a considerable proportion of epilepsy in humans that could be prevented. A one-health approach is mandatory to elimination of TSTC. There is potential for integrating control of TSTC with schistosomiasis control. Key words: Taeniosis, Cysticercosis, Slaughter-slab, Epilepsy, Public healt

Awareness, knowledge and practice of pastoralists and agro- pastoralists towards livestock diseases affecting domestic animals in Arusha, Manyara and Morogoro Regions, Tanzania

Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing, 2013, Vol.1The study was carried out to assess pastoralists and agro-pastoralists awareness, knowledge and practice in various livestock diseases affecting domestic animals in Arusha Manyara and Morogoro regions in Tanzania. Closed- and open-ended questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interview techniques were employed. Diseases, drought, lack of dipping tanks, insufficient of livestock experts and drugs are the main constraints in the livestock keeping community in the study area. Nineteen diseases have been reported to affect their animals at one time or the other. East Coast fever (ECF, 79.7%), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP, 60.8%) and Trypanosomosis (50%) have been reported by more than 50% of pastoralists that they affect their animals. ECF and CCPP seem to be the leading diseases with great impact to the pastoralists by causing high mortality rates. Rift valley fever (RVF) and anthrax have been reported by majority to be diseases which appear in form of outbreak in their area. Diseases reported here are said to be controlled primarily by treating with various drugs and Oxytetracycline being a common drug of choice for most unknown diseases. Other control methods include vaccination and deworming, dipping and spray of animals using acariceides. Livestock experts have been reported to play little role in controlling common livestock diseases as majority of livestock keepers tends to treat their animals. Veterinary experts seem to be important during outbreak of diseases or for unknown diseases killing many animals. Eating of dead and improperly cooked meat together with un-boiled milk was found to be common in the pastoral community. This could lead to the spread (if any) of zoonotic diseases easily. Livestock keeping community is aware of most of common diseases circulating in their area but the way they practice to control leads to failure of control of those diseases at individual and national level. Devising a mechanism to educate them so that they know how to handle some common and reporting outbreak diseases such as use of trained community animal health workers (CAHWs) will help control livestock diseases in Tanzania

Case report: suspected piscine Chlamydia like infection in Tanzania

Ten moribund fish were received at pathology laboratory to establish the cause of sponteneous mortalities of farmed tilapia recorded in Kilosa District, Morogoro region. Post-mortem examination revealed macroscopic mucous bands connecting gills and operculum; and oval to round grey-white cysts on the gill lamella. Gill samples were collected for microscopic and bacteriological investigation. Histopathological investigation revealed gill epithelial hyperplasia and characteristic enlargement of epithelial cells infected with pale and basophilic cytoplasmic inclusions. The gross pathological changes coupled with histopathological findings recorded in this case are typical features of epitheliocystis. Furthermore, fish mortalities ceased in the farm after water replacement and reconnection of all fish ponds with direct supply of fresh water from the source. This is the first report in Tanzania describing characteristic epitheliocystis lesions. Furthermore, this report re-affirm previous findings that epitheliocystis can be managed through routine management of water quality.Keywords: Chlamydia, Epitheliocystis, Tilapia, Oreochromys niloticus, Tanzani

Awareness, knowledge and practice of pastoralists and agro- pastoralists towards livestock diseases affecting domestic animals in Arusha, Manyara and Morogoro Regions, Tanzania

Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing, 2013, Vol.1The study was carried out to assess pastoralists and agro-pastoralists awareness, knowledge and practice in various livestock diseases affecting domestic animals in Arusha Manyara and Morogoro regions in Tanzania. Closed- and open-ended questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interview techniques were employed. Diseases, drought, lack of dipping tanks, insufficient of livestock experts and drugs are the main constraints in the livestock keeping community in the study area. Nineteen diseases have been reported to affect their animals at one time or the other. East Coast fever (ECF, 79.7%), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP, 60.8%) and Trypanosomosis (50%) have been reported by more than 50% of pastoralists that they affect their animals. ECF and CCPP seem to be the leading diseases with great impact to the pastoralists by causing high mortality rates. Rift valley fever (RVF) and anthrax have been reported by majority to be diseases which appear in form of outbreak in their area. Diseases reported here are said to be controlled primarily by treating with various drugs and Oxytetracycline being a common drug of choice for most unknown diseases. Other control methods include vaccination and deworming, dipping and spray of animals using acariceides. Livestock experts have been reported to play little role in controlling common livestock diseases as majority of livestock keepers tends to treat their animals. Veterinary experts seem to be important during outbreak of diseases or for unknown diseases killing many animals. Eating of dead and improperly cooked meat together with un-boiled milk was found to be common in the pastoral community. This could lead to the spread (if any) of zoonotic diseases easily. Livestock keeping community is aware of most of common diseases circulating in their area but the way they practice to control leads to failure of control of those diseases at individual and national level. Devising a mechanism to educate them so that they know how to handle some common and reporting outbreak diseases such as use of trained community animal health workers (CAHWs) will help control livestock diseases in Tanzania

Association of smallholder dairy farmers management and milking practices with bacterial quality of milk in Mbeya, Tanzania

The study determine the association between some of managements and milking practices with bacterial counts in dairy herd among small holder dairy farmers of Mbeya and Mbozi districts of Mbeya, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was  conducted with the aim of assessing housing structures, condition and management, milking procedure and milk handling in the study area. A total of 192 raw milk samples were collected from farmers herds with at least one lactating dairy cow. Samples were tested for total bacteria count (TBC), total coliform counts (TCC) and total staphylococcus counts (TSC) using standard procedures. All respondents practiced hand milking and 96.9% of the respondents washed hands before milking. About 57.8% of the respondents used same towel to dry the udder of all milking cows in the herd per milking time. Furthermore, 42.2% of the respondents used individual towel for drying udder and teat. None of the respondents used pre milking, post milking dipping or dry cow therapy. Milk from cows kept in barns made from concrete floor had (p<0.001) lower TBC and TSC. Frequency of cleaning of dairy barn (p<0.05) influenced the TBC, TCC and TSC. Lack of fore milking (p<0.05) associated with higher TBC. Furthermore, water source (p<0.05) influenced TBC and TCC. Milking practices which includes washing of hands, udder and teat, dry of teats using individual towel per cow and followed by fore milking yielded (p<0.05) lower bacterial count than other practices. Similarly, cow barns whose floors were made from concrete and cleaned twice or more daily had clean cow which produce milk with lower bacterial counts than cows kept on floors made from timber and soil. The results reveal the need for training farmers in good agricultural practices. This would contribute to achieving better quality milk, and ensure the sustainability of the sector in the study area.Key words: Cow barn, fore milking, post milking, Total bacteria count, Total coliform counts, Total staphylococcus counts Association entre les pratiques de gestion et de traite des petits producteurs laitiers et la qualite du lait sur le plan bacteriologique a Mbeya en TanzanieL’étude détermine l’association entre certaines pratiques de gestion et de traite et les numérations bactériennes dans le troupeau laitier des petits producteurs laitiers des districts de Mbeya et de Mbozi à Mbeya en Tanzanie. Une étude transversale a été menée dans le but d’évaluer les structures, l’état et la gestion des logements, la procédure de traite et la manipulation du lait dans la zone d’étude. Au total, 192 échantillons de lait cru ont été recueillis auprès de troupeaux d’éleveurs ayant au moins une vache laitière en lactation. Les échantillons ont été examinés pour déterminer la numération bactérienne totale (TBC), la numération totale de coliformes (TCC) et la numération totale de staphylocoques (TSC) en utilisant des procédures standard. Tous les répondants pratiquaient la traite manuelle et 96,9% des répondants se lavaient les mains avant la traite. Près de 57,8% des répondants utilisaient la même serviette pour sécher la mamelle de toutes les vaches laitières du troupeau par moment de traite. De plus, 42,2% des répondants utilisaient une serviette individuelle pour sécher la mamelle et le trayon. Aucun des répondants n’utilisait la thérapie de prétraite, de trempage post-traite ou de tarissement. Le lait des vaches gardées dans des étables avec plancher en béton avait (p <0,001) une TBC et une TSC plus faibles. La fréquence du nettoyage de l’étable des vaches laitières (p <0,05) a influé sur la TBC, la TCC et la TSC. L’absence de prétraite (p <0,05) était associée à une TBC plus élevée. De plus, la source d’eau (p <0,05) a influencé la TBC et la TCC. Les pratiques de traite comprenant le lavage des mains, des mamelles et des trayons, le séchage des trayons à l’aide d’une serviette  individuelle par vache et suivi de prétraite ont donné (p <0,05) une numérationbactérienne plus faible par rapport aux autres pratiques. De même, les vaches logées dans les étables dont les planchers étaient en béton et nettoyées deux fois ou plus par jour étaient propres et produisaient du lait dont la numération bactérienne était inférieure à celle des vaches gardées sur des planchers de boiset de terre. Les résultats révèlent la nécessité de former les éleveurs aux bonnes pratiques d’élevage. Ceci contribuera à obtenir du lait de meilleure qualité et à assurer la durabilité du secteur dans la zone d’étude. Mots-clés : étable à vaches, prétraite, post-traite, numération bactérienne totale, numération totale de coliformes, numération totale de staphylocoque

Seroepidemiology, Molecular Detection and Risk Factors Associated with Brucellosis in Goats in Morogoro, Tanzania

Brucellosis is wide spread and an important re-emerging zoonosis causing a great socio-economic and public health concern especially in low  income countries. The present study was performed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with brucellosis transmission in goats  kept in three districts of Morogoro, Tanzania. A total of 478 goats sera were collected using multistage cluster random sampling from different herds. Two hundred and forty nine samples were collected from three wards of agro-pastoral farming system of Mvomero, 178 samples from three wards of Morogoro rural and 51 samples from Morogoro urban districts. Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBPT), indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (iELISA) and real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) were applied for disease diagnosis. Structured questionnaire was used to assess for potential risk factors of the disease in the communities. Out of 478 samples, one serum (0.2%) tested positive to both RBPT and iELISA. Brucella abortus DNA was detected in 6.18% (n=11) and 2.81% (n=7) of investigated goats from Morogoro rural and Mvomero districts, respectively. Consumption of raw milk and/or blood, history of abortion and retained placenta, poor knowledge on brucellosis, and improper  handling and disposal of fetal membranes and aborted foetuses were found to be statistically significant (P<0.05) disease determinant. This study has indicated the presence of B. abortus in goats reared in Morogoro region and risk factors perpetuating its spread. Therefore, there is a need for implementing control measures and raising public awareness to facilitate effective intervention of brucellosis. Keywords: Goats, Brucellosis, Seroprevalence, molecular diagnosis, Risk factors, Morogor

Occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus in fresh Indian Mackerel Fish

Fish provide important protein to human population. The procedures to preserve and maintain quality of fish from fishing until consumption can play a role in contamination with pathogens. Consumption of contaminated sea food products such as fish may lead to food poisoning. Knowledge about the spectrum of fish bacterial contaminants may assist in prevention of contamination and control food poisoning incidences. The present study aimed at characterizing and estimating prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in fresh Indian Mackerel Fish (Rastrelliger kanagurta) from landing sites in Unguja Island. A total of 400 Indian Mackerel Fish were collected from landing sites in Unguja Island and from each fish two samples, skin swab and muscle, were collected. The primary culture was obtained from Mannitol salt agar, Nutrient and Blood agar followed by Gram staining, catalase coagulase tests. PCR targeting 16S rRNA, nuc, mecA, pvl, spa and enterotoxin genes was run to genetically characterize isolates and identify S. aureus. The result indicates that there was growth of bacteria in 359 (89.75%) fish skin swabs and 102 (25.5%) in fish muscle samples. Based on biochemical tests, 27 isolates (6.75%) were confirmed to be Staphylococcus bacteria. Of the 27 isolates, seven (1.75%) were confirmed S. aureus based on PCR. All 27 isolates confirmed to be positive in 16Sr RNA gene, two isolates demonstrated mecA gene and one had SEB and SEC. Detection of S. aureus in fresh Indian Mackerel Fish at landing sites poses a contamination risk to other critical points along the value chain and threatens public healt

Acceptability of wastewater resource and its impact on crop production in Tanzania: the case of Dodoma, Morogoro and Mvomero wastewater stabilization ponds

Kivukoni Journal 2013, 1(2)The study was carried out to assess the views of urban farmers in relation to acceptability of wastewater resource in agriculture and examine its impact for crop production. A total of 200 respondents were involved in this study. The study found that 90% of the 112 households using wastewater and 85% of the 88 households not using the resource indicated effluents from WSPs as main and reliable source of water for irrigation. Wastewater utilization in agriculture was accepted by 97.3% of farmers using wastewater and 64.8% of farmers not using it and the difference was significant (p<0.01). The study found that on average farmers utilizing wastewater produced 4.5 bags of rice per acre more than farmers not utilizing wastewater and the difference was significant (p<0.05). In conclusion, wastewater utilization in agriculture was accepted by both groups of farmers engaging in agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas and that high crop yield was realized by farmers utilizing wastewater in agriculture . Since some respondents indicated that the resource may have health effects to farmers and consumers of the produce, it is recommended that, more research on microbial analysis be carried out to establish evidence of health effects associated with the use of wastewater in agriculture from infectious agent

In ovo antiviral activity of Synadenium glaucescens (pax) crude extracts on Newcastle disease virus

Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 2013, 7(14): 863-870.Investigation on the effect of root bark and wood, stem bark and wood, leaves and sap of Synadenium glaucescens extracts against Newcastle disease (ND) virus was done using an in ovo assay. Viable 9 days embryonated chicken eggs were arranged into 25 treatment groups (n = 5). Groups 1 to 21 were challenged with a 13C/SUA virulent strain of ND virus treated with extract at concentration of 0.2 mg/ml. Un-inoculated group saved as negative control and groups inoculated with virus and diluent saved as positive controls. Haemagglutination test was used to quantify the amount for ND virus units. Embryo survival and embryo weight were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in groups treated with S. glaucescens extracts than the positive control. The root bark demonstrated significantly higher antiviral activities (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, treatments with ethanolic extract SE1 resulted into 100% embryo survival, 91.2% mean embryo weight and reduced viral load by 99.2%. The minimum dose of SE1 with the highest efficacy was 0.2 mg/ml. The percent mean embryo weight and haemagglutination test demonstrated negative correlation (R2 = 0.94). These findings validate the ethnoveterinary potential of S. glaucescens and the feasibility of its use for treatment and control of ND