Comparative evaluation of the immune responses of seven chicken ecotypes to vaccination against Newcastle disease

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious viral disease of poultry with high mortality. The local velogenic viral pool of the ND strains  influences its severity and occurrence. ND vaccination is the most feasible approach to control the disease. However, some ND-vaccinated groups within chicken populations are susceptible to velogenic ND infection developing outbreaks with marked pathological lesions and shedding of the virus. Vaccine strain-related factors as well as inadequate vaccine application and delivery methods during vaccination might explain the suboptimum ND vaccine efficacy. In this study, however, we propose that host factors may contribute to the suboptimal vaccine efficacy in vaccinated chickens. We, therefore, compared the immune response of five Ethiopian chicken ecotypes to ND  immunization in the presence of two reference breeds (Fayoumi and Bovans). All chickens received initial immunization at age of 21 days with HB1 ND vaccine followed by two-times LaSota booster immunization at age 50 and 120 days. Subsequently, serum was collected fortnightly post-vaccination at age 35, 65, and 135 days for immune response analysis using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. HIantibody was significantly higher at days 135 > 65 > 35 in each ecotype following the third, second, and first vaccination, respectively. The different chicken ecotypes had significant differences in HI antibody response to the ND vaccination. Accordingly, the HI titer was  significantly higher in Jarso > Cheffe > Fayoumi > Arsi > Bovans > Tepi > Horro suggesting antibody titer and ND vaccine efficacy of the ND vaccine depends on host factors. Moreover, some chicken groups within each ecotype had low HI titer. Chicken ecotypes with weak immune responses may not completely clear the virus from their body; thus, they can serve as a reservoir host by maintaining the ND  virus. We conclude that herd immunity level and blanket vaccination program based on the results of a single host genetic group can be misleading during developing and recommending a new vaccine. Hence, understanding the host determinant factors in the immune response during vaccination can lead to improved efficacy and protection against ND in chicken populations

Floods and health in Gambella region, Ethiopia: a qualitative assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of coping mechanisms

BACKGROUND: Floods are the most frequent and devastating type of natural disaster worldwide, causing unprecedented deaths, diseases, and destruction of property and crops. Flooding has a greater impact in developing countries due to lack of sufficient disaster management structures and a lack of economic resources. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted with the aim of contributing to the knowledge base of development strategies that reduce flood-related health risks in developing countries. The study focused particularly on assessing the flood risks and health-related issues in the Gambella region of Ethiopia; with the intent of producing relevant information to assist with the improvements in the efficacy of the current flood coping strategies in the region. METHODS: Data were gathered through interviews with 14 officers from different government and non-governmental organizations and a questionnaire survey given to 35 flood victims in Itang woreda. A qualitative approach was applied and the data were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: It was found that flooding is a common problem in Gambella region. The findings also indicate that the flood frequency and magnitude has increased rapidly during the last decade. The increase in floods was driven mainly by climate change and changes in land use, specifically deforestation. The reported main impacts of flooding on human health in Gambella region were deaths, injuries, and diseases such as malaria and diarrhea. Another notable consequence of flooding was crop destruction and subsequent malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Three weaknesses that were identified in the current coping strategies for flood-related health impacts in Gambella region were a lack of flood-specific policy, absence of risk assessment, and weak institutional capacity. This study recommends new policy approaches that will increase the effectiveness of the current flood coping strategies to sustainably address the impact of flooding on human health

Model variations in predicting incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria using 1998-2007 morbidity and meteorological data from south Ethiopia

Background: Malaria transmission is complex and is believed to be associated with local climate changes. However, simple attempts to extrapolate malaria incidence rates from averaged regional meteorological conditions have proven unsuccessful. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if variations in specific meteorological factors are able to consistently predict P. falciparum malaria incidence at different locations in south Ethiopia. Methods: Retrospective data from 42 locations were collected including P. falciparum malaria incidence for the period of 1998-2007 and meteorological variables such as monthly rainfall (all locations), temperature (17 locations), and relative humidity (three locations). Thirty-five data sets qualified for the analysis. Ljung-Box Q statistics was used for model diagnosis, and R squared or stationary R squared was taken as goodness of fit measure. Time series modelling was carried out using Transfer Function (TF) models and univariate auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) when there was no significant predictor meteorological variable. Results: Of 35 models, five were discarded because of the significant value of Ljung-Box Q statistics. Past P. falciparum malaria incidence alone (17 locations) or when coupled with meteorological variables (four locations) was able to predict P. falciparum malaria incidence within statistical significance. All seasonal AIRMA orders were from locations at altitudes above 1742 m. Monthly rainfall, minimum and maximum temperature was able to predict incidence at four, five and two locations, respectively. In contrast, relative humidity was not able to predict P. falciparum malaria incidence. The R squared values for the models ranged from 16% to 97%, with the exception of one model which had a negative value. Models with seasonal ARIMA orders were found to perform better. However, the models for predicting P. falciparum malaria incidence varied from location to location, and among lagged effects, data transformation forms, ARIMA and TF orders. Conclusions: This study describes P. falciparum malaria incidence models linked with meteorological data. Variability in the models was principally attributed to regional differences, and a single model was not found that fits all locations. Past P. falciparum malaria incidence appeared to be a superior predictor than meteorology. Future efforts in malaria modelling may benefit from inclusion of non-meteorological factors

Climatic variables and malaria transmission dynamics in Jimma town, South West Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background:-</p> <p>In Ethiopia, malaria is seasonal and unstable, causing frequent epidemics. It usually occurs at altitudes < 2,000 m above sea level. Occasionally, transmission of malaria occurs in areas previously free of malaria, including areas > 2,000 m above sea level. For transmission of malaria parasite, climatic factors are important determinants as well as non-climatic factors that can negate climatic influences. Indeed, there is a scarcity of information on the correlation between climatic variability and malaria transmission risk in Ethiopia in general and in the study area in particular. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the level of correlation between meteorological variables and malaria cases.</p> <p>Methods: -</p> <p>Time-series analysis was conducted using data on monthly meteorological variables and monthly total malaria in Jimma town, south west Ethiopia, for the period 2000-2009. All the data were entered and analyzed using SPSS-15 database program. Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were used to asses association between the variables.</p> <p>Results: -</p> <p>During last ten years (2000-2009), a fluctuating trend of malaria transmission was observed with <it>P.vivax </it>becoming predominant species. Spearman correlation analysis showed that monthly minimum temperature, total rainfall and two measures of relative humidity were positively related with malaria but monthly maximum temperature negatively related. Also regression analysis suggested that monthly minimum (p = 0.008), monthly maximum temperature (p = 0.013) and monthly total rainfall (p = 0.040), at one month lagged effect, were significant meteorological factors for transmission of malaria in the study area.</p> <p>Conclusion: -</p> <p>Malaria incidences in the last decade seem to have a significant association with meteorological variables. In future, prospective and multidisciplinary cooperative research involving researchers from the fields of parasitology, epidemiology, botany, agriculture and climatology is necessary to identify the real effect of meteorological factors on vector- borne diseases like malaria.</p

The Health Effects of Climate Change: A Survey of Recent Quantitative Research

In recent years there has been a large scientific and public debate on climate change and its direct as well as indirect effects on human health. In particular, a large amount of research on the effects of climate changes on human health has addressed two fundamental questions. First, can historical data be of some help in revealing how short-run or long-run climate variations affect the occurrence of infectious diseases? Second, is it possible to build more accurate quantitative models which are capable of predicting the future effects of different climate conditions on the transmissibility of particularly dangerous infectious diseases? The primary goal of this paper is to review the most relevant contributions which have directly tackled those questions, both with respect to the effects of climate changes on the diffusion of non-infectious and infectious diseases, with malaria as a case study. Specific attention will be drawn on the methodological aspects of each study, which will be classified according to the type of quantitative model considered, namely time series models, panel data and spatial models, and non-statistical approaches. Since many different disciplines and approaches are involved, a broader view is necessary in order to provide a better understanding of the interactions between climate and health. In this respect, our paper also presents a critical summary of the recent literature related to more general aspects of the impacts of climate changes on human health, such as: the economics of climate change; how to manage the health effects of climate change; the establishment of Early Warning Systems for infectious diseases

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HARARI MUSIC: THE CASE OF POP SONGS IN RELATION TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AND CULTURAL POLICIES OF ETHIOPIA

The purpose of this article is to show that cassette and CD recordings of Harari pop songs are significant in that they foster local knowledge of cultural traditions and may be useful in promoting public policies in the education and culture sectors. The method employed for this study is both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study is based on Harari songs released on seventeen cassettes or CDs, and is supplemented by an investigation of objectives set forth in Ethiopia's Culture Policy, and Education and Training Policy. Purposive sampling was considered and categories were delineated for the songs as well as the objectives of the policies. Then the core messages of the songs were compared with the objectives of the policies. The findings of the study indicate that thirty-nine songs reflected the objectives of the Education and Training Policy while eleven songs reflected the Cultural Policy. The core message of these and similar songs may best be evaluated in terms of the overt and subtle contributions of musical expressions in preserving local knowledge; they can be useful in promoting education, protecting cultural heritage, and maintaining societal norms and values

Living with Change Among a Transient Population : Narratives and Practices of Collective Belonging among Swedish Migrants on the Costa del Sol in Spain

The article explores how the Swedish migrants narrate and practice collective belonging as strategies to handle life in a region characterised by a transient and circulating population on the Costa del Sol, Spain. It is based on an ethnographic research within the Swedish infrastructure of organizations, institutions, and private enterprises, in addition to interviews with Swedish migrants who are registered residents and live on a permanent basis along the Spanish southern coast. The wider analytical framework consists of theories of diaspora, transnationality and identification. The article shows how the Swedish migrants are engaged in diasporic and transnational practices, and highlights how they value and attribute meanings to such practices. It also illuminates how internal divisions within the Swedish population are shaped through identification in narrations

Finding One’s Place : An Ethnological Study of Belonging among Swedish Migrants on the Costa del Sol in Spain

This study explores how Swedish migrants on the Costa del Sol in Spain create belonging and how this is expressed in migration stories and practiced in the daily life. The migrants are part of a migration phenomenon that is conceptualized as lifestyle migration, often to destinations in association with tourism and leisure. Based on ethnographical fieldwork carried out among Swedish migrants within the Swedish infrastructure of institutions, organizations and private enterprises on the Costa del Sol, the thesis examines how belonging is created adopting a phenomenological and constructivist perspective on transnational and diasporic practices. This is accomplished through studying migration stories, where the migration experience is being told, structured and made meaningful for the migrants. In addition, it focuses on internal and external identification and positioning on location on the Costa del Sol. Another concern is the study of how the migrants relate to notions and practices of new home, and old home. The thesis presents how belonging is shaped on a collective basis within the Swedish infrastructure, despite the fact that the interviewees make up a diverse group in different ages, with different reasons for dwelling along the coast, with different migrant experiences, with different approaches to living a transnational migrant life in-between the old and the new country, and with different degrees and range of incorporation to the local society. The study shows how a transnational position is created with a plurilocal frame of reference. It is marked by simultaneously expressing attachments and affiliations to several localities and contexts across territorial borders, shaped by past and recurrent travels and communication, and connected to the Swedish diasporic collective that can function as a compensatory source of national affiliation for the Swedish migrants on the Costa del Sol

Transnational Volunarism among Senior Swedish Migrants on Costa del Sol in Spain

"I believe that all people need to move about. Actually, some have difficulties in doing so. They stay in their home neighbourhoods, where they’ve grown up and feel safe. I can understand that, but my wife and I, we didn’t want that. We are more open to new ideas". This anthology is about seniors on the move. In seven chapters, Nordic researchers from various disciplines, by means of ethnographic methods, attempt to comprehend the phenomenon of Nordic seniors who move to leisure areas in their own or in other countries. The number of seniors involved in this kind of migratory movement has grown considerably within the last 20 years. An increase in mass tourism is one explanation, but this may also be the result of generally stronger finances among the age group. Costa del Sol, along the Mediterranean coastline and Österlen in Southern Sweden are two examples of locations that have become attractive to lifestyle migrants. The warmer climate and the expectations of a certain quality of life are recurrent pull factors. The quote above gives voice to one of these seniors, stressing the necessity of moving. In his view, this signifies an open attitude to new ideas – contrary to conventional images of old people as sedentary and disinclined to changes. It is argued in this book that the fact that more people live longer, with better health, leads to a multiplicity of ways of growing old. As a result of this, paradoxes and polarities might arise; seniors cope with their lives all along the scale between fit and frail, weak and wealthy, poor and powerful, conservative, dynamic and unpredictable. This is valid for the Nordic seniors on the move as well. Moving may entail great economic dilemmas and challenges for individuals, social networks, and nation states. As shown here, mobility and migration have implications for identities, traditions, feelings of belonging, family relationships and friendships, health, images of old age, societal planning and policies, and even for religious attachment. The phenomenon of seniors on the move is accompanied by a growing academic interest and incorporates a variety of different perspectives and concepts, such as international retirement migration, rural retirement migration and health migration. This book contributes to the international body of literature about later life migration, specifically representing experiences made by Nordic seniors on the move. The incentive to place the Nordic countries in the limelight derives from the significant point that these countries largely share cultural and societal structures and - not least, the weather. The seven chapters representing experiences from a Nordic perspective are finalised by a chapter including an international perspective of retirement migration by the architect Deane Simpson who has studied and worked with gerotopias around the world. This anthology presents a joint statement, intended for international scholars in the field, but also for Nordic policymakers and practitioners involved in the daily life and needs of the many people who move in later life. If movers and migrants in later life wish for a good read – you are most welcome. The editors Anne Leonora Blaakilde and Gabriella Nilsson are both ethnologists affiliated with the Center for Healthy Ageing, University of Copenhagen, Denmark and the Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund University, Sweden, respectively