Measurement of antibiotic use on poultry farms in Zimbabwe: Evaluation of a tool and procedures

Introduction The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major global threat to human and animal health and development cannot be overemphasised. Since the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials have been identified as the main drivers of AMR globally, Zimbabwe, through a collaboration between the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), developed and piloted an antimicrobial use (AMU) tool in the poultry production sector, to quantify antimicrobial use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tool and procedures used in the pilot survey and its ability to collect quality AMU data. We identified areas of improvement and developed recommendations for implementation in future AMU surveys in the poultry sector in Zimbabwe. Methods This research used mixed methods, involving quantitative and qualitative approaches. This involved initially piloting a predesigned antibiotic use (ABU) data collection tool in practice, then assessing the tool's ability to collect quality data, and finally evaluating the procedures that enabled and limited the collection of ABU data. The tool was assessed by evaluating the completeness of data collected in the pilot survey and its consistency, appraising the items included in the tool, and determining the analysability of data collected. The procedures used were evaluated by observing the tool's administration in the field and through a focus group discussion involving all data collectors of the pilot survey. Findings AMU data was collected from 191 farms, about 50% of the initially targeted 384 broiler farms. There were missing data on various questions in the tool, including farm georeferences, bird populations, and information about the treatment, including the identification of the antibiotic active ingredient and their concentrations, routes of administration, treatment dosage and duration, as well as the age and weight of birds at the time of treatment. Inconsistencies were also noted in the data collected, particularly in the way antibiotics were recorded. The analysability of data collected was negatively affected by the missing data and question phrasing, in particular, those to do with the treatment of birds with antibiotics, which were found to have excluded the majority of survey respondents from further analyses. Broiler farms in communal areas were over-represented in the pilot survey due to most data collectors working in these areas. Various challenges were encountered during the recruitment of participants, including farmers not keeping birds at the time of the survey, farmers declining to participate in the study due to lack of incentives, some farms being in remote locations, and political interference. Most data collectors in the pilot survey, who were recruited from the Agricultural Extension Services (AGRITEX) department within the Ministry of Agriculture, indicated that the timing of the survey (January to May of the calendar year) was not conducive for them since it coincided with the cropping season in Zimbabwe, which induced high workloads, leaving less time to participate in data collection activities. Conclusions and recommendations The pilot AMU survey in broiler production serves as an important milestone in establishing a monitoring system for the use of antimicrobials in food producing animals in Zimbabwe. To a moderate extent, the pilot tool and procedures used in broilers enabled the collection of AMU data, but some key challenges also arose, mainly related to questionnaire design (i.e., question formulation), data collection procedures, participant recruitment, timing of the survey and inadequate training of data collectors, among other issues. Key recommendations made included using the ‘Drug Bag’ method in monitoring the use of antibiotics in poultry, carefully selecting enumerators to ensure representation of different farming scales, adequately training data collectors prior to surveys, and giving them standard operating procedures to use in data collection to ensure consistency. More research needs to be done in this area of monitoring the use of antimicrobials in food producing animals in Zimbabwe and beyond, to strengthen capacities to collect quality AMU data, thereby contributing to antimicrobial stewardship efforts, and in turn with the global fight against AMR

Prevalence and factors associated with metabolic syndrome in an urban population of adults living with HIV in Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome affects 20-25% of the adult population globally. It predisposes to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Studies in other countries suggest a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome among HIV-infected patients but no studies have been reported in Kenya. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with metabolic syndrome in adult HIV-infected patients in an urban population in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: in a cross-sectional study design, conducted at Riruta Health Centre in 2016, 360 adults infected with HIV were recruited. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demography. Blood was collected by finger prick for fasting glucose and venous sampling for lipid profile. Results: Using the harmonized Joint Scientific Statement criteria, metabolic syndrome was present in 19.2%. The prevalence was higher among females than males (20.7% vs. 16.0%). Obesity (AOR = 5.37, P < 0.001), lack of formal education (AOR = 5.20, P = 0.002) and family history of hypertension (AOR = 2.06, P = 0.029) were associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome while physical activity (AOR = 0.28, P = 0.001) was associated with decreased odds. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome is prevalent in this study population. Obesity, lack of formal education, family history of hypertension, and physical inactivity are associated with metabolic syndrome. Screening for risk factors, promotion of healthy lifestyle, and nutrition counselling should be offered routinely in HIV care and treatment clinics

Investigation to determine staff exposure and describe animal bite surveillance after detection of a rabid zebra in a safari lodge in Kenya, 2011

Introduction: Rabies is a fatal viral infection, resulting in >55,000 deaths globally each year. In August 2011, a young orphaned zebra at a Kenyan safari lodge acquired rabies and potentially exposed >150  tourists and local staff. An investigation was initiated to determine exposures among the local staff, and to describe animal bite surveillance in the affected district.Methods: We interviewed lodge staff on circumstances surrounding the zebra's illness and assessed  their exposure status. We reviewed animal bite report forms from the outpatient department at the district hospital. Results: The zebra was reported bitten by a dog on 31st July 2011, became ill on  23rdAugust, and died three days later. There were 22 employees working at the lodge during that time. Six (27%) had high  exposure due to contact with saliva (bottle feeding, veterinary care) and received four doses of rabies  vaccine and one of immune-globulin, and 16 (73%) had low exposure due to casual contact and received only four doses of rabies vaccine. From January 2010 to September 2011, 118 cases of animal bites were reported in the district; 67 (57%) occurred among males, 65 (57%) in children <15 years old, and 61  (52%) were inflicted in a lower extremity. Domestic and stray dogs accounted for 98% of reported bites.Conclusion: Dog bites remains the main source of rabies exposure in the district, but exposure can  result from wildlife. This highlights the importance of a one health approach with strong communication between wildlife, veterinary, and human health sectors to improve rabies prevention and control.Key words: Rabies, outbreak, epidemiology, East Africa 

Outcome of a workshop

International audience; In tackling agricultural challenges, policy-makers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have increasingly considered genetically modified (GM) crops as a potential tool to increase productivity and to improve product quality. Yet, as elsewhere in the world, the adoption of GM crops in SSA has been marked by controversy, encompassing not only the potential risks to animal and human health, and to the environment, but also other concerns such as ethical issues, public participation in decision-making, socio-economic factors and intellectual property rights. With these non-scientific factors complicating an already controversial situation, disseminating credible information to the public as well as facilitating stakeholder input into decision-making is essential. In SSA, there are various and innovative risk communication approaches and strategies being developed, yet a comprehensive analysis of such data is missing. This gap is addressed by giving an overview of current strategies, identifying similarities and differences between various country and institutional approaches and promoting a way forward, building on a recent workshop with risk communicators working in SSA

The Multiple Waves of the African Academic Diaspora’s Engagement with African Universities

This article analyses the various historical phases in the evolution of theAfrican academic diaspora’s engagement to support the development ofhigher education in Africa. It examines the drivers and motivation for suchengagement and its implications for higher education development onthe continent. The data were derived from a critical review of secondarysources, supplemented by primary observations by one of the authors whois engaged in a programme that supports diaspora academics to travel toAfrican universities for engagement, as part of the third wave. The analysisof the secondary material shows that while the first wave of engagement wasdriven by a strong sense of Pan-Africanism at the global level and laid thefoundation for the establishment of universities across the continent, thesecond wave became trapped in Cold War rivalries that limited engagementand drove more academics from African universities into exile, mainly inEurope and North America, thus swelling the ranks of diaspora academics.The third wave has been caught up in a similar situation. While the forcesof globalisation and internationalisation that are driving this wave ofdiaspora engagement have the potential to support African universities toachieve international standards, they can equally undermine and mute thedesire for higher education decolonisation. The article recommends thatAfrican countries and higher education institutions should play a centralrole in designing the broad policy context that drives engagement and thatthe activities undertaken by African diaspora academics should align withnational higher education priorities

Investigation of laboratory confirmed Dengue outbreak in North-eastern Kenya, 2011.

The first laboratory confirmed dengue outbreak in Kenya was reported in coastal towns of Malindi and Kilifi in 1982. Since then, no other outbreak had been confirmed in Kenya. Dengue outbreak was confirmed among African Mission soldiers in Somalia (AMISOM) between May to October 2011. From September 2011, an upsurge of febrile patients who were negative for malaria on microscopy were reported in several health facilities in Mandera town, an adjacent area to Somalia in northern Kenya. We investigated a suspected dengue outbreak in Mandera town from 26th September 2011 to 5th October 2011. A suspected case was defined as acute onset of fever with two or more of the following: headache, arthralgia, myalgia, rash and hemorrhages and negative malaria microscopy results in a person presenting to a health facility in Mandera town from 1st August to 2nd October 2011. We prospectively identified new cases meeting the suspect case definition from 2nd October to 5th October 2011 and we collected blood samples from consenting patients. Blood was collected into plastic vacutainers and stored in dry shipper at -80oc to laboratory for dengue virus testing using real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). We administered a standardized form to obtain clinical information. We calculated descriptive statistics to describe the outbreak. A total of 1,332 patients had been line listed by the district surveillance team, of which 381 (29%) met our suspect case definition of dengue. Cases peaked between 10th September and 1st October 2011 and thereafter declined. We prospectively identified 33 cases meeting the suspect case definition, of whom 30 (91%) were positive for dengue virus serotype 3 by PCR. Among the 30 laboratory confirmed patients, 20 (67%) required hospitalization (Median hospitalization period, two days with a range: 1-4 days)). And of these, 26 (86%) patients reported aches and pain, 16 (53%) reported vomiting, and four (13%) gingival bleeding. Twenty-three (77%) received anti-malarial therapy. Among laboratory-confirmed dengue patients, seven (23%) had malaria co-infection. This was the second confirmed Dengue outbreak in Kenya, and highlighted the need for improved surveillance to better define disease burden and continuous education to medical personnel to improve detection and clinical management. We also recommended enhanced community education for disease prevention

Quantum dots synthesis and biological applications as imaging and drug delivery systems

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) synthesized by metal ions and colloid stabilizers have been explored as promising probes in advanced imaging techniques, tumor diagnostic agents, and drug delivery systems. The ability to modulate QDs surface chemistry through particle—shape control, surface coating, and surface functionalization—has rendered them a valuable tool in biological sciences. The tremendous advances in nanotechnology revealed the unique properties of QD crystals in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. In this review, we summarize the recent trends in QD synthesis, surface modification, and biological applications particularly for cancer targeting and treatment

Results from the initial patients tested for dengue and other arboviruses using RT-PCR, September 2011.

<p>Results from the initial patients tested for dengue and other arboviruses using RT-PCR, September 2011.</p