Risk, knowledge and preventive measures of smallholder dairy farmers in northern Malawi with regard to zoonotic brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis

Milk production using local cattle breed-types is an age-old practice in Malawi. Although dairy farming is becoming more common as a result of the increasing population and demand for milk and milk products, there is limited knowledge of the farmers’ awareness of zoonotic disease risks, their preventative practices and the disease burden in animals. This study determined dairy farmers’ general knowledge of zoonoses, assessed their risks for infection with zoonotic bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and brucellosis, and evaluated farm practices to prevent disease transmission. A questionnaire was drawn up and administered by the authors. It was used to collect information about the knowledge and preventive practices of 140 out of 684 registered dairy farmers at Mzuzu Agricultural Development Division, northern Malawi. During a second visit to 60 out of the 140 farms, a total of 156 and 95 cattle were tested for brucellosis and tuberculosis, respectively. Most farmers (77.1%) knew or had heard of zoonotic diseases, whilst 75.0% correctly named at least one zoonotic disease. More survey participants named tuberculosis as a zoonotic disease compared to brucellosis (74.3% versus 2.9%). The most commonly named means of transmission were milk (67.0%) and meat (56.0%). Almost all survey participants (96.4%) practised at least one farm activity that could lead to potential transmission of brucellosis or bTB, including sale (67.0%) and consumption (34.0%) of unpasteurised milk. Antibodies against brucellosis were found in 12 cattle (7.7%), whilst one animal (1.1%) reacted to the tuberculin skin test. General knowledge about possible transmission of diseases between humans and animals was high, although most farmers practised risk behaviours that could potentially expose the public to milk-borne zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis and bTB. Furthermore, some animals had positive results for brucellosis and tuberculosis tests. Therefore, improvement of zoonotic disease prevention programmes, as well as further investigation into the prevalence and risk factors for zoonoses, is recommended

Health constraints and farm management factors influencing udder health of dairy cows in Malawi

The aim of this study was to identify the major health problems and possible farm management practices which could be associated to the prevalence of mastitis in dairy cows kept in smallholder dairy farms in Malawi. A total of 140 randomly selected dairy farms were included in the study. Health problems were assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire and farm records. Physical examination and California Mastitis Tests (CMT) were used to determine the presence of clinical mastitis (CM) and subclinical mastitis (SCM). The most common diseases reported at farm level were mastitis 39.3% (55/140) and East Coast Fever 15.7% (22/140). Mastitis was the major udder disease and 52.0% (93/179) of the cows had at least one case of mastitis in the previous year. The prevalence of mastitis (positive result of physical examination or CMT) was significantly affected (p<0.05) by history of mastitis, floor type, herd size, sanitation of stables and season of the year. Results of the present study suggest a need for targeted control measures against the major diseases identified. In addition, emphasis on management interventions with the aim to improve on the sanitation of stables is recommended in order to alleviate the negative impact of mastitis in dairy farms in Malawi

Smallholder dairy production in Northern Malawi: production practices and constraints

Milk production in Malawi is still unsatisfactory despite efforts by different stakeholders to boost the dairy sector. To investigate the roots of the problem, a survey on the current production practices and constraints on smallholder dairy farming was conducted in the Northern Region of the country. A total of 210 farmers were interviewed. The results revealed that farmers had small herd sizes in the region with an average of 2.2 ± 0.6 cattle per farmer. Average herd size was larger in male-managed farms than in female-managed farms (2.6 ± 2.8 vs. 1.8 ± 1.3), farmers with more than 5 years of dairy farming experience had larger herds than those with less experience (2.6 ± 2.8 vs. 1.9 ± 1. 2) and farmers who grazed their animals tended to have larger herds than those that stall-fed their animals (4.4 ± 5.1 vs. 1.9 ± 1.3). Average milk production was 8.2 ± 6.5 l per cow per day. Higher average daily milk production was observed in farmers with above primary school education (10.3 ± 8.3 vs. 7.7 ± 5.6), those with dairy farming as main activity (9.3 ± 6.6 vs. 6. 5 ± 6.1) and farmers with more than 2 years of experience in dairy farming (9.3 ± 6.3 vs. 6.1 ± 6.4). Unreliable supply of improved animal genetics, poor animal health, feed shortage and poor prices for milk were considered to be the most important constraints to smallholder dairy farming in descending order

Risk, knowledge and preventive measures of smallholder dairy farmers in northern Malawi with regard to zoonotic brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis

Milk production using local cattle breed-types is an age-old practice in Malawi. Although dairy farming is becoming more common as a result of the increasing population and demand for milk and milk products, there is limited knowledge of the farmers’ awareness of zoonotic disease risks, their preventative practices and the disease burden in animals. This study determined dairy farmers’ general knowledge of zoonoses, assessed their risks for infection with zoonotic bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and brucellosis, and evaluated farm practices to prevent disease transmission. A questionnaire was drawn up and administered by the authors. It was used to collect information about the knowledge and preventive practices of 140 out of 684 registered dairy farmers at Mzuzu Agricultural Development Division, northern Malawi. During a second visit to 60 out of the 140 farms, a total of 156 and 95 cattle were tested for brucellosis and tuberculosis, respectively. Most farmers (77.1%) knew or had heard of zoonotic diseases, whilst 75.0% correctly named at least one zoonotic disease. More survey participants named tuberculosis as a zoonotic disease compared to brucellosis (74.3% versus 2.9%). The most commonly named means of transmission were milk (67.0%) and meat (56.0%). Almost all survey participants (96.4%) practised at least one farm activity that could lead to potential transmission of brucellosis or bTB, including sale (67.0%) and consumption (34.0%) of unpasteurised milk. Antibodies against brucellosis were found in 12 cattle (7.7%), whilst one animal (1.1%) reacted to the tuberculin skin test. General knowledge about possible transmission of diseases between humans and animals was high, although most farmers practised risk behaviours that could potentially expose the public to milk-borne zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis and bTB. Furthermore, some animals had positive results for brucellosis and tuberculosis tests. Therefore, improvement of zoonotic disease prevention programmes, as well as further investigation into the prevalence and risk factors for zoonoses, is recommended

Effects of co-administration of vitamin B12 with diminazene aceturate on packed cell volume and weight gain in cattle experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense

The effects of co-administration of cyanocobalamin and/or hydroxocobalamin with diminazene aceturate (DA) on, pack cell volume and weight gain in cattle experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense was studied. Twenty eight young zebu bulls aged 10-16 months with an average weight of 92.02 ± 14.74 kg were randomly distributed into 4 groups. These bulls were infected with Trypanosoma congolense intravenously at a dose rate of 1×105 suspended in 4 ml of phosphate buffered saline per animal. Each group was treated with a commercial medication containing DA ,cyanocobalamin and/or hydroxocobalamin 10 days post-infection. Haematological examination showed no trypanosomes irrespective of the regimen administered 48 hours post-treatment in all infected cattle. Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and weight gain was highest with the regimen containing DA, cyanocobalamin and hydroxocobalamin. The trypanocidal regimens containing DA co-administered with cyanocobalamin and/or hydroxocobalamin enabled a rapid reconstitution of red blood cells and led to improvement in the weight gain of the trypanosome-infected cattle.Keywords: Cattle, diminazene aceturate, packed cell volume,  trypanosomiasis, vitamin B12, weight gain

Genetic admixture and identity by descent in Senegalese dairy cattle.

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Research Article Prevalence of Bovine Tuberculosis in Abattoirs of the Littoral and Western Highland Regions of Cameroon: A Cause for Public Health Concern

Copyright © 2010 J. Awah Ndukum et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is widespread but poorly controlled in Africa and M. bovis is posing threats to human health. The risk of cattle handlers to M. bovis prevalence and public health significance of BTB in Cameroon were assessed. Slaughter inspection records from major cities revealed that BTB detection rates in cattle from 0.18 % to 4.25 % and BTB lesions were most common. Analyses of tissues and sera confirmed BTB in 31 % (Ziehl-Neelsen), 51 % (culture), and 60 % (antibody detection) of test cattle. Among cattle handlers, 81.9 % were aware of BTB, 67.9 % knew that BTB is zoonotic, and 53.8 % knew one mode of transmission but over 27 % consumed raw meat and/or drank unpasteurized milk. Respondents who had encountered tuberculosis cases were more informed about zoonotic BTB (P <.05). Tuberculosis is prevalent in cattle destined for human consumption in Cameroon with serious public health implications. Targeted monitoring of infected animal populations and concerted veterinary/medical efforts are essential for control. 1