Major animal health problems of market oriented livestock development in Alamata woreda

An attempt was made to study major health problems of livestock in Alamata Woreda, northern Ethiopia, from December 2006 to April 2007. Questionnaire survey was carried out on 100 livestock owners to collect information on the livestock production system and the major health problems recognized by farmers in the study area and cross sectional study on 841 diseased animals, which constitute 334 cattle, 185 sheep, 173 goats, 56 equines (donkeys and mules) and 93 camels was under taken. During the cross sectional study from the whole diseased animals which were presented to Alamata, Gargelle and Tumga Veterinary clinics, 841 animals were selected randomly from each species and then they diagnosed base on history, general and systemic examinations and laboratory tests to identify diseases (cases) that frequently affect animals in the study area during the study time. The questionnaire survey result revealed that in cattle infectious diseases (47%) is the most important health problem, followed by miscellaneous case (27%) and parasitic problem (26%), in sheep parasitic problems (49%) followed by infectious diseases (27%) and miscellaneous cases (24%) are the common health constraints and similarly in goats the most important health problems were those caused by parasites (42%) followed by infectious cases (38%) and miscellaneous diseases (20%). In equines (donkeys and mules) miscellaneous cases (63%) followed by parasitic diseases (22%) and infectious diseases (15%) were identified. While in the camel the predominant health problems were miscellaneous cases (68%) and parasitic diseases (32%), respectively. In poultry NCD (54%) was the most devastating infectious disease followed by parasites (41%) and predators (5%). Results of the cross sectional study also indicated that septicemic pasteurollosis (19%) in small ruminants, tick challenge (14%) in all species and particularly cattle, traumatic injury/wound (11%) in all species and especially in cattle and camel, LSD (9%) in cattle were the leading cases which were diagnosed from December 2006 to April 2007. During the cross sectional study, it is also pointed out that LSD and pasteurollosis in cattle and small ruminants, respectively occurred as outbreak and resulted in deaths of many animals. The study also addressed that the animal production system in the study area in general is traditional with a number of problems. Most of the respondents complained that animal feed followed by water shortage is serious problem. They also indicated that during animal marketing disease transmission is a big problem

Tropical Splenomegaly Syndrome in a pregnant woman: A good response and prognosis to splenectomy

The tropical splenomegaly syndrome (TSS) is characterized by massive splenomegaly with hypersplenism, moderate hepatomegaly, and lymphocytic infiltration of the hepatic sinusoids. TSS is restricted to native residents of and visitors to the “malaria belt,” which roughly encompasses equatorial regions of South America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. A 24 years old female patient gravida II and para I with gestational age 24 weeks from south west of Eritrea (Shelallo) Gash Barka presented with dizziness, general body weakness, and abdominal discomfort for 3 weeks and left upper quadrant swelling of three years duration. Other associate symptoms were palpitation and dyspnea. She had history of repeated malaria attack. Physical examination revealed massive hepatosplenomegaly and pallor. Hematological studies revealed that severe anemia Hgb 3.8 g/dL, WBC 2.2× 103/mm3, MCV 97.6fl. Platelet 30×103/mm3, and reticulocyte count was 7%. Peripheral smear examination revealed normocytic normochromic red blood cells. Bone marrow examination revealed marked erythroid hyperplasia without sign of malignancy and left shift. The patient received 11 units of blood preoperative but, no improvement Hb remaining 3.7g/dl. Elective splenectomy was done. Intra-operatively and postoperatively she received an additional 5 units of blood. There was no postoperative complication. The patient was discharged with Hb of 6.0g/dl with slight improvement. The response to splenectomy was good. Four months postoperative and 40 days post delivery Hbg 16.3g/dl and platelet 254,000/mm and WBC 5000/ mm3. The outcome and prognosis of splenectomy in this patient was satisfactory

Radiological and clinical details of major adult limb fractures in a teaching hospital, AAU, Ethiopia

Background: This prospective study done at Addis Ababa University, Medical Faculty, Department of Radiology, Tikur Anbessa Hospital was aimed at determining the causes, magnitude, radiological and Clinical patterns of major limb fractures in adults in a half- year period from March to August 2007.In Addis Ababa University, fractures are managed both conservatively and operatively, but for lack of implants or expertise, patient which should have been treated surgically are managed conservatively and stay very long (average hospital stay of 11 days) in the Hospital. Such knowledge helps to plan on the management of the fractures and resource-recruitment. .Methods: This was a half-year cross-sectional higher institution based study of 422 adult patients with major fracture/s on the limbs. The study included all the major limb trauma patients who attended the 'surgical' and orthopedic Emergency department of T.A.U.H and had fracture at the same time. Data collection related to radiological variables was done by the research team to help reduce inter observer measurement variability. “Difficult” patterns were discussed further.Results: During the study period there were a total of 422 orthopedic adult patients who sustained a major fracture of their limbs. Mean age was 35 years with a male to female ratio was 3:1. Pathological fractures were encountered only in two (0.5%) patients. Nearly half (202, 48%) of the traumatic fractures were due to road traffic accidents. The highest frequency of fracture occurred on the femur (68, 15%), tibiofibular bones (63, 14%) and the humerus (61, 13.5%). A little less than half (44.1%) half of the femur fractures were in the proximal one-third and about half of the tibiofibular fractures were in the distal third. Transverse fracture pattern was seen in about half of the fractures. Compound fracture occurred in 90 (21.3%) of the cases. Thirty four (7.6) of the fractures involved the hand and only 13 (2.9%) involved the foot bones.Conclusion: The very high proportion of closed long bone shaft fractures in a center with limited number of beds compels short Hospital stay using efficient operative fixations, including SIGN interlocking nails, plates and other implants.. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were responsible for almost half of the fractures. Machine injuries and fall injuries were second and third respectively. As the proportions and patterns of the leading causes of adult traumatic fractures remained steadily high over the many years (other similar studies published by the author on this journal), due mutisectorial attention should be emphasized once again to dwindle their burde

Seroprevalence of Salmonella Gallinarum Infection in Chicken Population of parts of Tigray and Addis Ababa by Plate Agglutination and Micro-agglutination Tests

Ethiopia owns a large poultry population whose growth is highly constrained by diseases. Fowl typhoid is a serious concern in growing and adult poultry and results from infection by Salmonella Gallinarum (Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Gallinarum biovar Gallinarum). Knowledge of the prevalence of the disease with confirmatory diagnosis is of paramount importance to embark on a control or prevention program. Seroprevalence of this infection in chicken population of Ethiopia has been reported from some parts of this country but in most of the reports it is based exclusively on a rapid slide agglutination test without further confirmation by another specific test. This study screened 279 sera samples of poultry for S. Gallinarum infection by employing plate agglutination test using colored antigen of S. Gallinarum that revealed 125(44.80%) of 279 sera samples positive. However, when plate positive samples were further tested for confirmation by microagglutination test by employing plain antigen of S. Gallinarum, only 55 (19.71%) were serologically positive lowering the prevalence rate from 44.8% to 19, 71%. The study reveals the serological prevalence of Salmonella gallinarum infection in poultry population of the study areas and recommends that the initial screening of this infection by a test like plate agglutination must always be followed by another specific test to get an accurate estimate of this infection.Keywords: Micro-agglutination test, Plate agglutination test, Poultry population, Salmonella gallinarum, Seroprevalence, Addis Ababa, Tigray, Ethiopia

Global governance approaches to addressing illegal logging: Uptake and lessons learned

One of the most challenging tasks facing development agencies, trade ministries, environmental groups, social activists and forest-focused business interests seeking to ameliorate illegal logging and related timber trade is to identify and nurture promising global governance interventions capable of helping improve compliance to governmental policies and laws at national, subnational and local levels. This question is especially acute for developing countries constrained by capacity challenges and “weak states” (Risse, 2011). This chapter seeks to shed light on this task by asking four related questions: How do we understand the emergence of illegal logging as a matter of global interest? What are the types of global interventions designed to improve domestic legal compliance? How have individual states responded to these global efforts? What are the prospects for future impacts and evolution? We proceed in the following steps. Following this introduction, step two reviews how the problem of “illegal logging” emerged on the international agenda. Step three reviews leading policy interventions that resulted from this policy framing. Step four reviews developments in selected countries/regions around the world according to their place on the global forest products supply chain: consumers (United States, Europe and Australia); middle of supply chain manufacturers (China and South Korea) and producers (Russia; Indonesia; Brazil and Peru; Ghana, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo). We conclude by reflecting on key trends that emerge from this review relevant for understanding the conditions through which legality might make a difference in addressing critical challenges

Diagnosis, prevalence estimation and burden measurement in population surveys of headache: presenting the HARDSHIP questionnaire

The global burden of headache is very large, but knowledge of it is far from complete and needs still to be gathered. Published population-based studies have used variable methodology, which has influenced findings and made comparisons difficult. The Global Campaign against Headache is undertaking initiatives to improve and standardize methods in use for cross-sectional studies. One requirement is for a survey instrument with proven cross-cultural validity. This report describes the development of such an instrument. Two of the authors developed the initial version, which was used with adaptations in population-based studies in China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Zambia and 10 countries in the European Union. The resultant evolution of this instrument was reviewed by an expert consensus group drawn from all world regions. The final output was the Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) questionnaire, designed for application by trained lay interviewers. HARDSHIP is a modular instrument incorporating demographic enquiry, diagnostic questions based on ICHD-3 beta criteria, and enquiries into each of the following as components of headache-attributed burden: symptom burden; health-care utilization; disability and productive time losses; impact on education, career and earnings; perception of control; interictal burden; overall individual burden; effects on relationships and family dynamics; effects on others, including household partner and children; quality of life; wellbeing; obesity as a comorbidity. HARDSHIP already has demonstrated validity and acceptability in multiple languages and cultures. Modules may be included or not, and others (eg, on additional comorbidities) added, according to the purpose of the study and resources (especially time) available

The COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare systems in Africa: a scoping review of preparedness, impact and response.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in both developed and developing nations alike. Africa has one of the weakest health systems globally, but there is limited evidence on how the region is prepared for, impacted by and responded to the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL to search peer-reviewed articles and Google, Google Scholar and preprint sites for grey literature. The scoping review captured studies on either preparedness or impacts or responses associated with COVID-19 or covering one or more of the three topics and guided by Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. The extracted information was documented following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension checklist for scoping reviews. Finally, the resulting data were thematically analysed. RESULTS: Twenty-two eligible studies, of which 6 reported on health system preparedness, 19 described the impacts of COVID-19 on access to general and essential health services and 7 focused on responses taken by the healthcare systems were included. The main setbacks in health system preparation included lack of available health services needed for the pandemic, inadequate resources and equipment, and limited testing ability and surge capacity for COVID-19. Reduced flow of patients and missing scheduled appointments were among the most common impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Health system responses identified in this review included the availability of telephone consultations, re-purposing of available services and establishment of isolation centres, and provisions of COVID-19 guidelines in some settings. CONCLUSIONS: The health systems in Africa were inadequately prepared for the pandemic, and its impact was substantial. Responses were slow and did not match the magnitude of the problem. Interventions that will improve and strengthen health system resilience and financing through local, national and global engagement should be prioritised

Genome-wide analysis of ivermectin response by Onchocerca volvulus reveals that genetic drift and soft selective sweeps contribute to loss of drug sensitivity

Treatment of onchocerciasis using mass ivermectin administration has reduced morbidity and transmission throughout Africa and Central/South America. Mass drug administration is likely to exert selection pressure on parasites, and phenotypic and genetic changes in several Onchocerca volvulus populations from Cameroon and Ghana-exposed to more than a decade of regular ivermectin treatment-have raised concern that sub-optimal responses to ivermectin's anti-fecundity effect are becoming more frequent and may spread.Pooled next generation sequencing (Pool-seq) was used to characterise genetic diversity within and between 108 adult female worms differing in ivermectin treatment history and response. Genome-wide analyses revealed genetic variation that significantly differentiated good responder (GR) and sub-optimal responder (SOR) parasites. These variants were not randomly distributed but clustered in ~31 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), with little overlap in putative QTL position and gene content between the two countries. Published candidate ivermectin SOR genes were largely absent in these regions; QTLs differentiating GR and SOR worms were enriched for genes in molecular pathways associated with neurotransmission, development, and stress responses. Finally, single worm genotyping demonstrated that geographic isolation and genetic change over time (in the presence of drug exposure) had a significantly greater role in shaping genetic diversity than the evolution of SOR.This study is one of the first genome-wide association analyses in a parasitic nematode, and provides insight into the genomics of ivermectin response and population structure of O. volvulus. We argue that ivermectin response is a polygenically-determined quantitative trait (QT) whereby identical or related molecular pathways but not necessarily individual genes are likely to determine the extent of ivermectin response in different parasite populations. Furthermore, we propose that genetic drift rather than genetic selection of SOR is the underlying driver of population differentiation, which has significant implications for the emergence and potential spread of SOR within and between these parasite populations