Biokemijske promjene u serumu pokusno invadiranih malih istočnoafričkih koza protozoima Trypanosoma congolense i Trypanosoma brucei.

Serum biochemical changes in goats challenged with either Trypanosoma congolense or Trypanosoma brucei and uninfected controls were investigated. Experimental goats received a primary trypanosome challenge on day 0, treated with diminazene aceturate on day 49 and received a secondary trypanosome challenge on day 77 of the 136-day experiment. Infection was associated with development of anaemia, hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, hypocholesteraemia, low density and high density hypolipidaemia. In both the primary and secondary challenges, however, serum free fatty acid concentrations were significantly higher than those of the controls. These changes suggest that the growing numbers of trypanosomes post-infection in goats require some lipids and proteins to support their growth, while the higher free fatty acid concentration observed may directly contribute to the development of anaemia as free fatty acids are known to be potentially cytotoxic and haemolytic in vitro.Istražene su promjene u vrijednostima serumskih biokemijskih odrednica koza invadiranih protozoima Trypanosoma congolense ili Trypanosoma brucei u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu. Koze su bile invadirane tripanosomama nultog dana te liječene 49. dana diminazenovim aceturatom. Reinvazije su uslijedile 77. dana i 136. dana pokusa. U invadiranih koza zabilježena je anemija, hipoproteinemija, hipoalbuminemija, hipolipidemija i hipokolesteremija. Nakon prve i druge invazije u invadiranih koza zabilježene su i više vrijednosti serumskih slobodnih masnih kiselina u odnosu na kontrolu. Dobivene promjene ukazuju da tripanosome za proliferaciju trebaju lipide i proteine. Visoka koncentracija slobodnih masnih kiselina može se dovesti u vezu s razvojem anemije s obzirom da je dobro poznat njihov citotoksični i citolitički učinak in vitro

The prevalence of serum antibodies to tick-borne infections in Mbale District, Uganda: The effect of agro-ecological zone, grazing management and age of cattle

Between August and October 2000, a cross-sectional study was conducted in smallholder dairy farms in Mbale District, Uganda to assess the prevalence of ticks and tick-borne diseases under different grazing systems and agro-ecological zones and understand the circumstances under which farmers operated. A questionnaire was administered to obtain information on dairy farm circumstances and practices. A total of 102 farms were visited and sera and ticks were collected from 478 animals. Sero-prevalence of tick-borne diseases was determined using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Acaricides were used indiscriminately but the intensity of their use varied with the grazing system and zone. Cattle from different farms mixed for various reasons. During the dry seasons farmers have to get additional fodder from outside their farms that can result in importation of ticks. The prevalence of ticks and serum antibodies to tick-borne infections differed across the grazing systems and zones. The highest serum antibody prevalence (>60%) was recorded in the lowland zone under the free range and tethering grazing systems. The lowest tick challenge and serum antibody levels (<50%) were recorded in the midland and upland zones under a zero-grazing system. These findings suggest that endemic stability to East Coast Fever, babesiosis and anaplasmosis is most likely to have existed in the lowland zone, particularly, under the tethering and free-range grazing systems. Also, endemic stability for babesiosis existed in the upland zones. Endemic instability for East Coast Fever existed in the midland and upland zones. These structured observational studies are instrumental in planning of control strategies for ticks and tick borne diseases since production systems and the cattle population at high risk of the diseases in the district have been identified. Abbreviation: / zone: agro-ecological zon

Nature and dynamics of climate variability in the uganda cattle corridor

The study was conducted in the districts of Nakaseke and Nakasongola stratified into four farming systems of crop dominancy, pastoralists, mixed crop and livestock and fishing. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) how do community residents perceive climate change/variability? (2) What is the trend and nature of climate variability and how does it compare with people’s perceptions? Ninety eight percent (98%) of the respondents reported that the routine patterns of weather and climate had changed in the last 5 to 10 years and it has become less predictable with sunshine hours being extended and rainfall amounts being reduced. This compared well with the analyzed secondary data. Over 78% respondents perceived climate change and variability to be caused by tree cutting other than the known scientific reasons like increase in industrial fumes or increased fossil fuel use. Climate data showed that over the period 1961 to 2010 the number of dry spells within a rainfall season had increased with the most significant increase observed in the first rainfall season of March to May as compared to the season of September to November. The first dry season of June/July to August is short while the second dry season of December to February is long during the study period. The two rainfall seasons of March to May and September to November seem to be merging into one major season from May to November. Temperature data shows a significant increasing trend in mean annual temperatures with the most increase observed in the mean annual minimum temperatures than the maximum temperatures.Key words: Climate variability, community perceptions, Uganda cattle corridor, dry spells

Diet diversity in pastoral and agro-pastoral households in Ugandan rangeland ecosystems

We explore how diet diversity differs with agricultural seasons and between households within pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihood systems, using variety of foods consumed as a less complex proxy indicator of food insecurity than benchmark indicators like anthropometry and serum nutrients. The study was in the central part of the rangelands in Uganda. Seventy nine households were monitored for three seasons, and eight food groups consumed during a 24 hour diet recall period used to create a household diet diversity score (HDDS). Mean HDDS was 3.2, varied significantly with gender, age, livelihood system and season (p < .001, F = 15.04), but not with household size or household head’s education level. Agro-pastoralists exhibited lower mean diet diversity than pastoralists (p < .01, F = 7.84) and among agro-pastoralists, households headed by persons over 65 years were most vulnerable (mean HDDS 2.1). This exploratory study raises issues requiring further investigation to inform policies on nutrition security in the two communities

Concepts of Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Livestock Systems

In 2005, The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) developed four new ethical principles of organic agriculture to guide its future development: the principles of health, ecology, care, and fairness. The key distinctive concept of animal welfare in organic agriculture combines naturalness and human care, and can be linked meaningfully with these principles. In practice, a number of challenges are connected with making organic livestock systems work. These challenges are particularly dominant in immature agro-ecological systems, for example those that are characterized by industrialization and monoculture. Some of the current challenges are partly created by shortages of land and manure, which encourage zero-grazing and other confined systems. Other challenges are created in part by the conditions for farming and the way in which global food distribution systems are organized, e.g., how live animals are transported, how feed is traded and transported all over the globe, and the development of infrastructure and large herds. We find that the overall organic principles should be included when formulating guidelines for practical organic animal farming. This article explores how the special organic conceptions of animal welfare are related to the overall principles of organic agriculture. The aim is to identify potential routes for future development of organic livestock systems in different contexts and with reference to the specific understanding of animal welfare in organic agriculture. We include two contrasting cases represented by organic livestock systems in northwestern Europe and farming systems in tropical low-income countries; we use these cases to explore the widely different challenges of organic livestock systems in different parts of the world