Livestock farmers’ perception, perceived impacts, and adaptations to climate change in Koinadugu district, Sierra Leone

Climate change is having a negative influence on agriculture and livestock production systems. This study aims to assess livestock farmers’ perceptions and adaptive responses to climate change in the Koinadugu area of northern Sierra Leone. A sample of 126 livestock farmers was selected from four chiefdoms. The data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and meteorological time series data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 and excel were used to analyze the data. According to the respondents’ socioeco­nomic characteristics, most farmers (93.7%) were males between 46 and 55 years. The majority of the farmers (58.7%) were married, and family sizes ranged from 5-8 individuals per household. Most of the livestock farmers (59.5%) in the study area had no formal education. Farmers attested to their awareness of climate change by essential indications such as increasing heat waves (77.0%), decreased rainfall (54.0%), and an increase in humidity (82.5%). Feed shortages (x̄ = 4.14), water scarcity (x̄ = 4.10), and higher veterinary care expenditures (x̄ = 4.25) are some of the impacts of climate change on livestock production. Numerous adaptation strategies include livestock reduction (87.3%), animal vaccination (95.2%), and Migration along with animals during the adverse climatic condition (75.4%), which the farmers employ. Lack of capital, inadequate information about climate change, and inadequate infrastructure impede adaptation. The study sug­gests that the government pursues strong policies to help livestock farmers adjust to climate unpredictability in the long run

Effect of heat stress on dairy cow production, reproduction, health, and potential mitigation strategies

Extreme weather events are becoming more common and more severe as a result of climate change, and this has serious implications for the future of livestock, farmer income and livelihoods, and food security worldwide. Dairy cattle have become more heat sensitive due to selective breeding for higher production and increased feedlot operations. The harmful effects of heat stress cause hyperthermia, oxidative stress, and other physiological changes in dairy cows. Environmental heat stress causes a decrease in feed intake, leading to a decrease in milk production in dairy cows. The main method to check for reductions in milk production in dairy cows during the summer is an accurate evaluation of heat stress and effective mitigation strategies. Three primary management strategies have been proposed to reduce heat stress and stabilize dairy cattle performance in increasingly hot and humid climates. Short-term management options include physical alteration of the environment and nutritional management, while long-term management strategy includes discovering heat-tolerant genetic traits and genomic selection for heat tolerance. This review looks at how heat stress has affected the dairy industry’s sustainability and elaborates on genomic selection for thermotolerance in dairy cattle as sustainable breeding practices to increase dairy cows’ ability to withstand high temperatures

Gender relations in the livestock production in Koinadugu district, Sierra Leone

Gender relations are how a culture or society defines men’s and women’s rights, obligations, and identities. In rural agricultural contexts, gender dynamics play an integral role in determining who gets what with respect to livestock ownership, decision-making, and distribution of the associated profits. The study aims to assess gender relations in the management, ownership, and decision-making of small-holder livestock in the Koinadugu district, Sierra Leone. Data were collected from six different chiefdoms located within the Koinadugu district. A total of 267 farmers who raised animals participated in the study. Data were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire. A statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the collected data. The study result shows that men mainly own cattle, goats, and sheep, while women own poultry. Men contributed more to the following tasks: vaccination, Harding, and selling live animals. At the same time, women participate largely in the following activities, such as cleaning gutters and shades, milking animals, processing, selling milk, and selling eggs. The results also show that men make decisions mainly about assigning tasks to family members, purchasing livestock, cultivating grain, and building animal shades. At the same time, the decision to breed animals and feed animals is greatly influenced by women. However, the decision about hiring labor, the treatment of animals, the purchase of feed and concentrate, the sale of live animals, and the size of the herd are influenced by both men and women. Therefore, it is vital to create and enact laws and policies that promote equal rights and opportunities for women so that rural women can contribute significantly to inclusive economic development and the long-term success of the Sierra Leonean livestock industry

Wearables as Augmentation Means: Conceptual Definition, Pathways, and Research Framework

Wearables pervade many facets of human endeavor, thanks to their integration into everyday artifacts and activities. From fitness bands to medical patches, to augmented reality glasses, wearables have demonstrated immense potential for intelligence augmentation (IA) through human-machine symbiosis. To advance an understanding of how wearables engender IA and to provide a solid foundation for grounding IS research on wearables and IA, this study draws from Engelbart’s framework for augmenting human intellect to: (1) develop a conceptual definition of wearable technology as a digitally enhanced body-borne device that can augment a human or non-human capability by affording context sensitivity, mobility, hands-free interaction, and constancy of operation, (2) extend Engelbart’s framework to the sociomaterial domain to account for the emergence of augmented capabilities that are neither wholly social nor wholly material, and (3) propose and elaborate four augmentation pathways —complementation, supplementation, mediation, and mutual constitution—to facilitate IA research

Digital Transformation in Police Work: A Sociomaterial Perspective on Police Body Worn Cameras (BWC)

The need to augment human capabilities through computer-based technologies, and a belief in the “objectivity” of data has contributed to the popularity of wearables. Such is the case with BWCs and their proliferation in police organizations. Unfortunately, BWCs have not been studied from an IS perspective, using specific or complementary theories applied in IS. We address this gap with a case study of a mid-sized police department, using a sociomaterial lens. We find that BWCs have triggered significant unanticipated changes in police practice. The impacts of these changes are not uniformly distributed. Rank-and-file patrol officers carry the burden upfront, while evidence technicians are burdened on the backend. We contribute by providing an actual account of the changes and impacts of BWCs in policing; providing initial evidence of how BWCs meet policing goals; and demonstrating the applicability of sociomateriality in explicating wearable technologies in general, and BWCs in particular

Quantitative Outcomes of a One Health Approach to Investigate the First Outbreak of African Swine Fever in the Republic of Sierra Leone

African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks have been reported in Sub-Saharan countries, including West Africa states, but has never been notified in the Republic of Sierra Leone. This is the first report describing field epidemiological and laboratory investigations into the outbreak of fatal pig disease in western rural and urban districts, Freetown. A preliminary finding indicated that pigs exhibited clinical and necropsy signs suggestive of ASF. Serological (ELISA) and molecular (qRT-PCR) methods used to confirm and investigate the outbreak yielded three positive results for the ASF antibody and all negative for Swine flu; thus, confirming ASF as the etiology agent

Translation of genomic epidemiology of infectious pathogens: Enhancing African genomics hubs for outbreaks.

BACKGROUND: Deadly emerging infectious pathogens pose an unprecedented challenge to health systems and economies, especially across Africa, where health care infrastructure is weak, and poverty rates remain high. Genomic technologies are vital for enhancing the understanding and development of intervention approaches against these pathogens, including Ebola and the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). DISCUSSION: Africa has contributed few genomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to the global pool in growing open access repositories. To bridge this gap, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) is coordinating continent-wide initiatives to establish genomic hubs in selected well-resourced African centres of excellence. This will allow for standardisation and efficient and rapid data generation and curation. However, the strategy to ensure capacity for high-throughput genomics at selected hubs should not overshadow the deployment of portable, field-friendly and technically less demanding genomics technologies in all affected countries. This will enhance small-scale local genomic surveillance in outbreaks, leaving validation and large-scale approaches to be taken at central genomic hubs. CONCLUSION: The ACDC needs to scale-up its campaign for government support across African Union countries to ensure the sustainable financing of its strategy for increased pathogen genomic intelligence and other interventions in current and inevitable future epidemics in Africa

Complicated Odontogenic Infections at 2 District Hospitals in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone:Protocol for a Prospective Observational Cohort Study (DELAY)

BACKGROUND: Deficits in global oral health care are paramount, and complications of odontogenic infections constitute a considerable global health problem, particularly in low-income countries. A high mortality rate has been observed for patients who have been admitted with complicated odontogenic infections to our facilities in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, although exact data have not been published yet. Data regarding who in this region is at risk and why are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The Dental Abscess Study (DELAY) aims to prospectively investigate morbidity and mortality from complicated dental abscesses and to analyze patients’ characteristics and microbial findings to examine predisposing factors for poor outcomes. In particular, the incidence and the clinical and microbial characteristics of complicated odontogenic infections, as well as the sociodemographic data and comorbidities of affected patients, will be studied to develop improved management algorithms based on circumstance-specific factors. METHODS: Patients who present with complicated dental infections requiring hospital admission in Masanga Hospital or Lion Heart Medical Centre will be consecutively selected for possible inclusion in the study (starting on September 4, 2021) over a study period of 1 year, and individual routine follow-ups will be conducted at least 3 months after discharge. The results of standardized questionnaires will be obtained, and clinical measurements as well as medical photos will be taken. Standard laboratory tests (eg, full blood count and HIV status tests) will be performed, and pus specimens will be examined. Local treatment guidelines will be adhered to, and data on medical and surgical treatment as well as data on outcomes will be collected. The study results will be reported according to the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) criteria. Routine follow-ups will take place at 1 and 3 months postdischarge. RESULTS: The DELAY protocol was endorsed by the Masanga Medical Research Unit’s Scientific Review Committee on June 16, 2021, and ethical approval was granted on July 5, 2021, by the Sierra Leone National Ethics Committee. The funding of the budgeted study costs was approved by Dental Health International Netherlands in August 2021. The projected start date of data collection was September 4, 2021, and the study period will most likely last for 1 year. As such, data collection is expected to be complete in November 2022. CONCLUSIONS: The aim of our prospective observational cohort study is to gain more knowledge about complicated odontogenic infections in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, to further improve treatment strategies. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/3367

Invasive atypical non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars in The Gambia.

Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease continues to be a significant public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Common clinical misdiagnosis, antimicrobial resistance, high case fatality and lack of a vaccine make iNTS a priority for global health research. Using whole genome sequence analysis of 164 invasive Salmonella isolates obtained through population-based surveillance between 2008 and 2016, we conducted genomic analysis of the serovars causing invasive Salmonella diseases in rural Gambia. The incidence of iNTS varied over time. The proportion of atypical serovars causing disease increased over time from 40 to 65 % compared to the typical serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium that decreased from 30 to 12 %. Overall iNTS case fatality was 10%, but case fatality associated with atypical iNTS alone was 10 %. Genetic virulence factors were identified in 14/70 (20 %) typical serovars and 45/68 (66 %) of the atypical serovars and were associated with: invasion, proliferation and/or translocation (Clade A); and host colonization and immune modulation (Clade G). Among Enteritidis isolates, 33/40 were resistant to four or more of the antimicrobials tested, except ciprofloxacin, to which all isolates were susceptible. Resistance was low in Typhimurium isolates, but all 16 isolates were resistant to gentamicin. The increase in incidence and proportion of iNTS disease caused by atypical serovars is concerning. The increased proportion of atypical serovars and the high associated case fatality may be related to acquisition of specific genetic virulence factors. These factors may provide a selective advantage to the atypical serovars. Investigations should be conducted elsewhere in Africa to identify potential changes in the distribution of iNTS serovars and the extent of these virulence elements