Environmental and Health Impacts Associated with Usage of Agrochemicals in Mindu Dam Catchment Area, Morogoro, Tanzania

A field based study was conducted during 2004 – 2006 to assess the environmental, human and animal health risks associated with usage of agrochemicals in Mindu dam catchment area (MDCA), in Morogoro,  Tanzania. Heads of 268 households were interviewed using a questionnaire with structured and semi-structured questions. Fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides were the most commonly used agrochemicals in tomato  production, which was the main crop cultivated. Endosulfan was the only organochlorine pesticide used in vegetable production. The majority of the farmers purchased agrochemicals that were repacked in unlabelled  non-original containers, which were later reused for domestic purposes. About 73% of the farmers applied agrochemicals without protective gears. High risk groups to agrochemical exposure in the area were men, retailers and children. Farmers’ perceived impacts of agrochemical usage included getting sick, deaths of people and animals and environmental pollution. Information obtained from this study was used to identify appropriate foci and target groups for interventions to reduce the health risks associated with the usage of agrochemicals in the area. This assessment identified three foci and target groups for interventions: training of farmers on good agricultural practices, strengthening agricultural extension services, and reinforcing regulatory services.Key words: aquatic environment, fertilizers, humans, pollution, pesticide

Molecular identification versus local people’s information for accurate estimates of bushmeat utilization from the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania

Sustainable wildlife management assumes thorough knowledge of the factors of importance for species population dynamics. In this study, we examined the diversity of wildlife species that are illegally harvested in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania. A total of 124 bushmeat samples were obtained from hunters, middlemen and consumers in 79 sub-villages adjacent to the protected areas in western Serengeti. The species identity was verified in 118 bushmeat samples through molecular sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and phylogenetic assignments to established reference sequences of the respective species. The species diversity among the bushmeat samples was high with 15 identified species altogether. Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) was clearly the most common species (n = 52), but also buffalo (Syncerus caffer, n = 15), eland (Tragelaphus oryx, n = 11), zebra (Equus burchelli, n = 10), topi (Damaliscus lunatus, n = 8) and impala (Aepyceros melampus, n = 7) were relatively frequently identified. The correctness of the species identification given by the bushmeat providers was relatively low (59%) with error rates higher in consumers than in hunters and middlemen. This high error rate suggests that care should be taken in relying on local peoples’ information for accurate estimates of biodiversity of bushmeat utilization.Key words: Bushmeat, illegal hunting, species identification, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequencing, western Serengeti

Calf health and management in smallholder dairy farms in Tanzania

Smallholder farmers’ knowledge and practice of dairy calf management on 129 farms with calves less than 10 months of age in Southeastern and Southern Highland areas of Tanzania was assessed. The method of study included both a farm visit and completion of a questionnaire. Most of the farmers were female, with a primary level of education, and majority kept 1–3 milking cows that yielded 6–10 l milk/cow/day. Most of the calves were fed milk using a residual calf suckling system. Weaning age was 3–8 months. Overall, the body condition of the calves was poor, ranged from 1 to 2.5 with a mode of 2. The majority of the farmers believed that helminthosis was the most common disease condition affecting the calves; diarrhea was ranked as the second. Calf death was reported by 20% of the farmers to have occurred in their herd lasting the 2 years prior to the study. Calf body condition score was related to body weight for calves younger than 9 weeks, and older than 23 weeks of age, whereas no such relationship existed in the age group 9 to 23 weeks. The sex distribution was skewed with less male calves being older than 23 weeks. We hypothesize that male calves experience inferior management compared with female calves. This study demonstrates a low level of knowledge on, and poor practices of calf management among the surveyed farmers that suggest the need for educational intervention

Assessment of drug usage and antimicrobial residues in milk on smallholder farms in Morogoro, TanzaniaEvaluation de l'utilisation des medicaments et determination des residus antimicrobiens dans le lait dans les petites exploitations agricoles a Morogoro en Tanzanie

Questionnaire survey and on-farm inspection were used to establish types of drugs used to treat livestock diseases, to collect information on occurrence of clinical mastitis and milk discarding practices on 59 randomly selected smallholder dairy farms in Morogoro municipality, Tanzania. Milk samples were also collected for evaluation of antimicrobial drug residues using three tests; the Delvotest® SP, agar well diffusion and agar plate disc assays. On the day of farm visit, 25.4% of study farms had various drugs used to treat animals, categorised as antimicrobials (54.2%), anthelmintics (25.0%), anti-protozoans (8.3%), pesticides (8.3%) and anti-anaemics (4.2%). In addition, 25 farmers reported to have observed clinical mastitis in cows and 84% of them used intramammary infusions to treat infected quarters. During the validation, all the tests detected dihydrostreptomycin, oxytetracycline and gentamicin below the Codex Alimentarius recommended Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) but disparities were observed with reference to detection of penicillin residues. The DelvotestSP was found to be more reliable than the other two tests. Only 1 (1.7%) of 59 milk samples screened had antimicrobial residues as detected by the Delvotest SP suggesting that antimicrobial residues in milk in the smallholder farms in Morogoro municipality may not be a serious problem. Keywords: drugs, residues, smallholder farms, Morogoro, TanzaniaRsumOn a eu recours une enqute par questionnaire et une inspection au niveau des fermes, en vue de dterminer les types de mdicaments utiliss pour traiter les maladies animales, recueillir des informations sur l'incidence de la mammite clinique et sur les pratiques qui consistent jeter le lait, dans 59 petites fermes laitires choisies au hasard dans la municipalit de Morogoro en Tanzanie. Des chantillons de lait taient galement collects, afin d'valuer les rsidus de mdicaments antimicrobiens l'aide de trois tests: le Delvotest SP, le Test de diffusion en glose et le Test sur plaque l'agar. Le jour de la visite de la ferme, 25,4% des fermes faisant l'objet d'tudes avaient recours divers mdicaments pour traiter les animaux. Les mdicaments taient classs comme suit: antimicrobiens (54,2%), anthelminthiques (25%), antiprotozoaires (8,3%), pesticides (8,3%) et anti-anmiques (4,2%). Par ailleurs, 25 paysans ont dclar avoir observ la mammite clinique chez les vaches et 84% d'entre eux avaient recours aux infusions intramammaires pour traiter les quartiers infects. Lors de la validation, tous les tests dtectaient la dihydrostresptomycine, l'oxyttracycline et la gentamycine en-dessous de la limite maximum de rsidu recommande par le Codex Alimentarius, mais des disparits ont t notes quant la dtection de rsidus de pnicilline. Le Delvotest SP s'est avr plus fiable que les deux autres tests. Seul 1/59 chantillons de lait (1,7%) examins avait des rsidus antimicrobiens, tel que dtect par le Delvotest® SP, ce qui montre que les rsidus antimicrobiens dans le lait dans les petites fermes laitires dans la municipalit de Morogoro ne constituaient pas un srieux problme. Mots-cls: mdicaments, rsidus, petites exploitations agricoles, Morogoro, TanzanieBulletin of Animal Health and Production Journal Vol. 53(4) 2005: 234-24

Constraints Associated With Production In Smallholder Dairy Farms In The Eastern Coastal Zone Of Tanzania

A study involving 105 smallholder dairy farmers was conducted in Kibaha and Morogoro districts, Tanzania to characterise husbandry practices, milk production constraints; and farmers\' knowledge on milk-borne zoonoses. About 50% of the farmers in Kibaha (n=57) and 60% in Morogoro (n=48) were employed in formal public and private sectors, and hired labour while only 16.5% depended entirely on dairy farming. The average milk production was 5.9 litres/cow/day. Seventy-two percent of the farmers in Kibaha and 83.3% in Morogoro practised stall-feeding while others either tethered or herded the animals. Dairy production constraints included animal diseases; shortage of feeds, water and markets for milk; lack of animal breeding services and shortage of capital. The major cattle diseases were trypanosomosis, East Coast fever, anaplasmosis and mastitis. Only 14% of the farmers were aware of subclinical mastitis, and 67% of them were aware of milk-borne zoonoses especially tuberculosis while only 10% farmers knew about brucellosis.On a mené une étude portant sur 105 petites exploitations laitières dans les districts de Kibaha et Morogoro en Tanzanie, en vue de déterminer les modes d\'élevage, la production laitière, les obstacles rencontrés et la connaissance des éleveurs sur les zoonoses d\'origine laitière. Environ 50% des éleveurs à Kibaha (n = 57) et 60% à Morogoro (n = 48) étaient employés dans les secteurs public et privé ; seuls 16,5% dépendaient entièrement de l\'élevage laitier. La production moyenne de lait était de 5,9 litres/vache/jour. 72% des éleveurs à Kibaha et 83,3% à Morogoro avaient recours à l\'alimentation à l\'étable, tandis que les autres attachaient leur bétail au piquet ou gardaient leurs animaux. Les entraves à la production laitière étaient les suivantes : les maladies animales, la pénurie d\'aliments et d\'eau, l\'absence de marchés pour écouler le lait, l\'absence de services de reproduction et le manque de capital. Les principales maladies bovines étaient : la trypanosomose, la fièvre de la côte-Est, l\'anaplasmose et la mammite. Seuls 14% des éleveurs connaissaient la mammite infraclinique, parmi lesquels 67% étaient au courant des zoonoses d\'origine laitière, notamment la tuberculose, et 10% connaissaient la brucellose.Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa Vol. 54 (4) 2006: pp. 286-29

Species diversity of non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated from humans, livestock and wildlife in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), which are ubiquitous micro-organisms occurring in humans, animals and the environment, sometimes receive public health and veterinary attention as opportunistic disease-causing agents. In Tanzania, there is limited information regarding the diversity of NTM species, particularly at the human-livestock-wildlife interface such as the Serengeti ecosystem, where potential for cross species infection or transmission may exist. METHODS: Mycobacterial DNA was extracted from cultured isolates obtained from sputum samples of 472 suspect TB patients and 606 tissues from wildlife species and indigenous cattle. Multiplex PCR was used to differentiate NTM from Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) members. NTM were further identified to species level by nucleotide sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. RESULTS: A total of fifty five (55) NTM isolates representing 16 mycobacterial species and 5 isolates belonging to the MTBC were detected. Overall, Mycobacterium intracellulare which was isolated from human, cattle and wildlife, was the most frequently isolated species (20 isolates, 36.4%) followed by M. lentiflavum (11 isolates, 20%), M. fortuitum (4 isolates, 7.3%) and M. chelonae-abscessus group (3 isolates, 5.5%). In terms of hosts, 36 isolates were from cattle and 12 from humans, the balance being found in various wildlife species. CONCLUSION: This study reveals a diversity of NTM species in the Serengeti ecosystem, some of which have potential for causing disease in animals and humans. The isolation of NTM from tuberculosis-like lesions in the absence of MTBC calls for further research to elucidate their actual role in causing disease. We are also suggesting a one health approach in identifying risk factors for and possible transmission mechanisms of the NTM in the agro-pastoral communities in the Serengeti ecosystem