Food Security in Crop, Livestock and Mixed Farming Systems in Mali

This study evaluates the food security status, its determinants and the coping strategies in crop, livestock and mixed crop-livestock systems in southern Mali. Interviews were conducted with 258 households that were categorized into the three farming systems based on the revenue from livestock and crop production. A linear mixed model was used to analyse the effects of household characteristics on food security using the food consumption score (FCS), household dietary diversity score (HDDS), a modified household food insecurity access scale (mHFIAS) and coping strategies as indicators. Food consumption score was significantly influenced by the farming system with highest FCS for the livestock system (88) followed by the mixed system (77) and the crop system (69). Moreover, FCS was positively influenced by the number of crops cultivated, total farm milk production, off-farm income and number of raised chickens (p \u3c 0.1). The main difference in food intake between systems was for milk with average daily consumption of 201 ml, 110 ml and 60 ml in the livestock, mixed and crop systems, respectively. HDDS was also significantly influenced by the farming system with highest HDDS values for the livestock system (8.9), followed by the mixed system (8.2) and the crop system (8.0). Further, HDDS was positively influenced by crop diversity and number of chickens, and negatively influenced by the number of family dependents. During the food shortage period of August, households from the crop system were more food insecure than households from the mixed and livestock systems with mHFIAS values of 0.9, 1.5 and 4.3, respectively. Livestock and mixed systems were more resilient to food insecurity situations than the crop system. This study confirms the direct effect of milk production on milk consumption and the importance of livestock for enhancing food security and livelihood resilience

Molecular characterization of extended spectrum beta-lactamase among clinical multidrug resistant Escherichia Coli in two hospitals of Niamey, Niger

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the multiple ESBL genes in Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli isolated in various biological samples in two hospitals of Niamey.Methodology: A total of 195 multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli were included in the study. These isolates were tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of the presence of bla CTX-M, bla TEM, bla SHV and bla OXA-1 beta-lactamase genes.Results: A total of 27.7% of Escherichia coli isolates were ESBL producing strains. Globaly, the bla TEM gene was the most prevalent (70.3%) followed by bla CTX-M (43.1%), bla OXA-1 (31.8%) and bla SHV (4.1%) genes. The four genes type of ESBL were founded simultaneously only in stool samples. Furthermore, none bla SHV gene was found in other samples type.Conclusion: This study showed the presence of various ESBL genes among clinical MDR Escherichia coli. That is why a rational use of antibiotic and appropriate methods of screening ESBL genes in routine laboratories in Niger is needed to control the ESBL genes dissemination.Keywords: MDR ,Escherichia coli, ESBL, bla genes, PCR, Niamey, Niger. Caracterisation moleculaire des betalactamases a spectre etendu chez les souches de Escherichia coli multi resistantes dans deux hopitaux de Niamey, au NigerObjectifs: Le but de cette étude était d'identifier les multiples gènes de BLSE chez les souches de Escherichia coli multi résistantes isolées de différents types d’échantillons biologiques dans deux hôpitaux de Niamey.Méthodologie : Un total de 195 Escherichia coli multi résistants a été inclus dans l'étude. Ces isolats ont été testés par la réaction de polymérase en chaîne (PCR) pour détecter la présence des gènes bla CTX-M, bla TEM, bla SHV et bla OXA-1.Résultats : Au total, 27,7% des isolats de Escherichia coli multi-résistants étaient des souches productrices de BLSE. Globalement le gène bla TEM (70,3%) était le plus détecté suivi des autres gènes bla CTX-M (43,1%), bla OXA-1 (31,8%) et bla SHV (4,1%). Notons que seul dans les échantillons de selles quatre types de gènes de BLSE ont été trouvés simultanément. Par ailleurs notons qu’aucun gène de type bla SHV n'a été trouvé dans les autres types d'échantillons.Conclusion : Cette étude avait montré la présence de divers gènes de BLSE chez les souches cliniques de Escherichia coli. C'est pourquoi une utilisation rationnelle des antibiotiques et des méthodes appropriées de dépistage des gènes de BLSE dans les laboratoires sont nécessaires afin de contrôler la diffusion des gènes de BLSE.Mots clés : Escherichia coli multi résistantes, BLSE, gènes bla, PCR, Niamey, Niger

Distribution of bovine Fasciola gigantica (Cobbold, 1885) in the district des Savanes, northern Côte d'Ivoire

Fascioliasis, caused by an infection with liver flukes of the genus Fasciola, is an important disease of livestock in most parts of the world. However, little is known about the distribution of fascioliasis in sub-Saharan Africa. We report results of a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 in the district des Savanes in the northern part of Cote d'Ivoire. We obtained 275 livers from bovine suspected with fascioliasis and 51 unsuspected livers from 24 slaughterhouses. Livers were dissected using a standard operating procedure and all Fasciola gigantica flukes were removed from the tissues of the liver and the biliary ducts. We found F. gigantica in 125 livers from bovines suspected with fascioliasis (45.5%) in 10 departments of the district des Savanes. Among the unsuspected livers, five were positive for F. gigantica (9.8%). The distribution of fascioliasis showed considerable spatial heterogeneity, both at regional (ranging from 18.0% to 52.3%) and departmental level (ranging from 14.3% to 64.0%). Poro region was the most affected (52.3%) with a relatively homogeneous distribution. The departments most affected by fascioliasis were M'Bengue (64.0%), Sinematiali (62.1%) and Ferkessedougou (52.9%). Our study confirms that fascioliasis is an important veterinary disease in the northern part of Cote d'Ivoire, and hence, high-risk areas need to be targeted for prevention and control measures

Characteristics of Jatropha Oil and Prospective for its Valorization as Feedstock for the Development of Biodiesel Technology in Guinea

The continuous depletion of fossil fuel and petroleum products, their limited resources and environment concerns are a matter of concern. The tendency in energy sector represents a challenge as well as an opportunity to look for alternatives of fossil fuels for sustainable development and environmental benefits. Study of biodiesel has become a key objective in the effort towards energy self-reliance. Since Jatropha oil cannot be used in the food industry, its use as energy source becomes very attractive. Before oil extraction, 1000-seed weight of Jatropha was investigated on the point of view of temperature and rainfalls. Seeds were grounded and defatted by extraction using a Soxhlet device. The lipid fraction of Jatropha oil seed were extracted and analyzed for their chemical composition and properties. The content of fatty acid in the extracted lipid was determined by use of Gas Chromatography (GC). Oleic acid (44.7%) and Oinoleic acid (32.8%) represent the dominant fatty acids while palmitic and stearic ones were the saturated fatty acids in the Jatropha oil. The crude oil from an average sample was transformed into biodiesel by transesterification in which a primary alcohol replaces glycerol from crude oil molecules

In-depth description of Electrohydrodynamic conduction pumping of dielectric liquids: physical model and regime analysis

In this work, we discuss the fundamental aspects of Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping of dielectric liquids. We build a mathematical model of conduction pumping that can be applied to all sizes, down to microsized pumps. In order to do this, we discuss the relevance of the Electrical Double Layer (EDL) that appears naturally on nonmetallic substrates. In the process, we identify a new dimensionless parameter related to the value of the zeta potential of the substrate-liquid pair, which quantifies the influence of these EDLs on the performance of the pump. This parameter also describes the transition from EHD conduction pumping to electro-osmosis. We also discuss in detail the two limiting working regimes in EHD conduction pumping: ohmic and saturation. We introduce a new dimensionless parameter, accounting for the electric field enhanced dissociation that, along with the conduction number, allows us to identify in which regime the pump operates.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PGC2018-099217-B-I0

Livestock keepers’ attitudes: Keystone of effective community-based breeding programs

Livestock keepers in southwestern Burkina Faso hold the local Lobi taurine breed, local Zebu cattle, and their crosses. Some communities in the region have begun to implement community-based cattle breeding programs (CBBPs), which involve animal tagging and recording and, potentially, also bull sharing. Based on the hypothesis that the participation of livestock keepers in CBBPs depends on their attitudes towards these programs, we used questionnaires to survey the attitudes of 125 farmers towards cattle breeding strategies and tools. Results were analyzed using principal component analysis. Farmers showed a highly positive attitude towards maintaining the features of their preferred cattle breed, but their attitudes varied substantially towards crossbreeding for breed improvement. Farmers generally agreed that performance was more important than animal appearance, and most of them were willing to cooperate with breeders’ associations but were skeptical about sharing their bulls with other farmers. The majority was reluctant to record performance data, which may be due to a capacity deficit and their confidence in being able to select the best animals based purely on phenotype. Our analysis suggests that breeders’ associations, as a key component of CBBPs, should lay down clear rules and obligations for their members from the outset. Timely consideration of farmers’ attitudes towards different breeding tools may improve their uptake and guarantee the sustainability of CBBPs

Efficiency of common washing treatments in reducing microbial levels on lettuce in Mali

Lettuce is one of the most cultivated vegetables (eaten raw) in Mali with a percentage of 69.4 amongst leafy vegetables and 30.4 of all vegetables. Vegetables consumed raw, particularly lettuce, are sources of foodborne pathogens. This study was conducted to assess bacterial contamination of unwashed lettuce and the efficiency of disinfecting it with tap water and varying concentrations of some chemical disinfectants: bleach (0.00285, 0.00570 and 0.00855 ppm), potassium permanganate (170, 340 and 510 ppm), vinegar (0.00285, 0.00570 and 0.00855 ppm) and common salt (500, 1000 and 1500 ppm) based on the three consecutive washing protocol recommended for vegetables in Mali. Lettuce samples were randomly selected from farms irrigated with untreated river water within communities five and six in Bamako. Lettuce leaves were exposed to low concentration of the chemical disinfectants at 15 min, intermediate at 10 min and high at 5 min. A bleach (0.00285 ppm)/vinegar (0.00285 ppm) combination disinfection was also tested at 15 min. Tap water, bleach, potassium permanganate, vinegar and common salt reduced faecal coliform populations by 1.3–2.9, 1.5–3.0 and 1.9–3.5 log CFU/100 g, at 5, 10 and 15 min, respectively. Disinfection treatment using bleach (0.00285 ppm) was found to be more effective than other disinfectants at all contact times. All the disinfectants reduced Escherichia coli populations by 2.0–2.8 log CFU/100 g on lettuce and completely eliminated Salmonella spp. at all treatment contact times. Disinfection treatment using bleach/vinegar combination at 15 min also reduced faecal coliform populations on lettuce by 2.8 log CFU/100 g and completely eliminated E. coli and Salmonella spp. All chemical disinfectants including tap water at 15 min reduced faecal coliform populations below the undesirable ICMSF (2011) level (1000 CFU/100 g wet weight). These could contribute to reduce the health risk associated with the consumption of lettuce in Mali