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

Factors Influencing Conception Rates of Cameroonian Zebu Cattle (Bos Indicus) following Oestrus Synchronisation and Artificial Insemination

A study was carried out to identify and evaluate factors affecting variation in conception rate (CR) in Cameroonian Zebu cattle following oestrus synchronisation and artificial insemination (AI). Two hundred and six local female Zebu cattle were evaluated to determine relationship between factors such as lactation number, age, body condition score (BCS), days postpartum and conception rate. Animals received an intravaginal progesterone release device (PRID®) containing 1.55mg of progesterone and a capsule with 10mg estradiol benzonate for 10 days and were treated with luteolytic dose of PGF2α and 1000mg IU PMSG at the time of PRIDt withdrawal. Animals were inseminated 48 hours after PGF2α and PMSG injection. Pregnancy status was assessed by observed non-return to oestrus and confirmed by rectal palpation 55-60 days after insemination. The overall CR was 47.6%. CR was influenced (p< 0.05) by lactation number, age and days postpartum of cows. The multivariate logistic regression model used revealed that CR was optimum in primiparous cows, those between 4.5 -7 years old and 151-300 days postpartum