Performances de reproduction et de production laitière des vaches White Fulani et Red Fulani dans les petits élevages traditionnels de la région du nord Cameroun

The present study was carried out on 150 White Fulani (WF) and Red Fulani (RF) zebu cows of small traditional farms in the North region of Cameroon in order to determine their reproductive performance and dairy production. Reproductive performance was assessed by determining the age at first calving and calving interval. Dairy production performance was assessed by obtaining the daily quantity of milk produced by manual milking. The mean age at first calving was 3.59 ± 0.49 years and the calving interval was 1.27 ± 0.33 years. Only teat placement and cow weight had a significant influence on age at first calving while the calving interval was significantly longer in WF cows but short in heavy cows (> 350 kg). The average quantity of milk produced was 1.89 ± 0.59 liters/day and only the width of the ischium had a significant influence on this production. Keywords: Cow zebu, calving, milk, traditional husbandry, North Cameroon.La présente étude a été réalisée sur 150 vaches zébus de races White Fulani (WF) et Red Fulani (RF) des petits élevages traditionnels de la région du Nord du Cameroun dans le but de déterminer leurs performances de reproduction et de production laitière. Les performances de reproduction ont été évaluées par la détermination de l’âge au premier vêlage et l’intervalle inter-vêlage; tandis que les performances de production laitière ont été évaluées par l’obtention de la quantité journalière de lait produite par traite manuelle. L’âge moyen au premier vêlage a été de 3,59 ± 0,49 ans et l’intervalle vêlage-vêlage a été de 1,27 ± 0,33 ans. Seuls le placement des trayons et le poids de vaches ont eu une influence significative sur l’âge au premier vêlage, tandis que l’intervalle vêlage-vêlage a été significativement long chez les vaches WF, mais court chez les vaches de plus de 350 kg. La quantité moyenne de lait produite était de 1,89 ± 0,59 litres/jour et seule la largeur des ischions avait une influence significative sur cette production. Mots-clés: Vache zébu, vêlage, lait, élevage traditionnel, Nord-Cameroun

Reproductive and milk production performance of White Fulani and Red Fulani cows in traditional small scale farms in the Northern Region of Cameroon

The present study was carried out on 150 White Fulani (WF) and Red Fulani (RF) zebu cows of small traditional farms in the North region of Cameroon in order to determine their reproductive performance and dairy production. Reproductive performance was assessed by determining the age at first calving and calving interval. Dairy production performance was assessed by obtaining the daily quantity of milk produced by manual milking. The mean age at first calving was 3.59 ± 0.49 years and the calving interval was 1.27 ± 0.33 years. Only teat placement and cow weight had a significant influence on age at first calving while the calving interval was significantly longer in WF cows but short in heavy cows (> 350 kg). The average quantity of milk produced was 1.89 ± 0.59 liters/day and only the width of the ischium had a significant influence on this production

Zoo-Sanitary Situation Assessment, an Initial Step in Country Disease Prioritization Process: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis from 2000 to 2020 in Cameroon

To prevent and/or control infectious diseases in animal and human health, an appropriate surveillance system based on suitable up-to-date epidemiological data is required. The systematic review protocol was designed according to the PRISMA statement to look at the available data on infectious diseases of livestock in Cameroon from 2000–2020. Data were searched through online databases. Grey literature was comprised of dissertations and theses from veterinary higher education institutions in Cameroon. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled prevalence using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software. Based on disease prevalence, major infectious diseases of livestock in Cameroon were gastrointestinal parasitosis (57.4% in cattle, 67.2% in poultry, 88% in pigs), hemoparasites (21.6% in small ruminants, 19.7% in cattle), bovine pasteurellosis (55.5%), fowl salmonellosis (48.2%), small ruminant plague (39.7%), foot-and-mouth disease (34.5% in cattle), and African swine fever (18.9%). Furthermore, other important endemic zoonoses in the country included: Rift Valley fever (10.9% in cattle, 3.7% in small ruminants), brucellosis (7% in cattle, 8% in pigs), bovine tuberculosis (4.7% in cattle), hepatitis E virus (8.4% in pigs) and bovine leptospirosis (2.5%). Most of the retrieved research were carried out in the Adamawa, Northwest, and West regions of Cameroon. The evaluation of existing data as evidence, albeit publication-specific, is an important step towards the process of prioritizing animal diseases, including zoonoses

Molecular detection of concurrent infections of Anaplasma sp Omatjenne, Theileria mutans, Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale in calves and yearlings in a tick endemic Guinea savannah ecosystem in Cameroon

Ticks play a major role in limiting profitable livestock production in sub-Sahara Africa and the region is beleaguered by a paucity of data on diseases implicated in high young stock morbidity and mortality. In a tick endemic high Guinea savannah ecosystem 20 calves were raised in a traditional grazing system and blood collected from them during their first eighteen months of life. PCR, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and sequencing were applied on DNA of tick-borne pathogens in animal blood buffy coat to amplify and characterize the 16S rRNA genes of Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and 18S rRNA gene for Babesia spp. All animals had different combinations of mixed infections of these haemoparasites. Anaplasma sp. Omatjenne (reported for the first time in this region) and T. mutans infected all and four of these animals, respectively. Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma sp. Omatjenne concurrently occurred in all 20 experimental animals; A marginale in 15 while no Ehrlichia ruminantium was detected. The presence of Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma sp. Omatjenne in the blood significantly reduced haematocrit (p<0.0001) while Babesia bigemina and Theileria mutans had no such effect (P>0.05). The mean first-time contact periods (in weeks) for B. bigemina, T. mutans, Anaplasma sp. Omatjenne and A. marginale were 15 (3-37), 30(9-43), 21(5-55) and 25(7-55) respectively; and they were not significantly different (P>0.05). The sequences for new pathogens we found in the region: Theileria mutans and Ehrlichia Bom Pastor or (Anaplasma sp. Omatjenne) have been deposited in the GenBank database with accession numbers MN719893.1 and MN719091.1. The absence of disease states during the study demonstrates an endemically stable situation in the region for these infections. With no clinical data on A. sp. Omatjenne and T. mutans infections in this area, further insights into their epizootiology should be of interest.DGCD granthttp://garj.org/garjmpm2021Veterinary Tropical Disease

Molecular detection of Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma species and Wolbachia endosymbionts in wild population of tsetse flies collected in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria

Abstract Background Tsetse flies are cyclical vectors of African trypanosomiasis (AT). The flies have established symbiotic associations with different bacteria that influence certain aspects of their physiology. Vector competence of tsetse flies for different trypanosome species is highly variable and is suggested to be affected by bacterial endosymbionts amongst other factors. Symbiotic interactions may provide an avenue for AT control. The current study provided prevalence of three tsetse symbionts in Glossina species from Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria. Results Tsetse flies were collected and dissected from five different locations. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction used to detect presence of Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma species and Wolbachia endosymbionts, using species specific primers. A total of 848 tsetse samples were analysed: Glossina morsitans submorsitans (47.52%), Glossina palpalis palpalis (37.26%), Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (9.08%) and Glossina tachinoides (6.13%). Only 95 (11.20%) were infected with at least one of the three symbionts. Among infected flies, six (6.31%) had Wolbachia and Spiroplasma mixed infection. The overall symbiont prevalence was 0.88, 3.66 and 11.00% respectively, for Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma species and Wolbachia endosymbionts. Prevalence varied between countries and tsetse fly species. Neither Spiroplasma species nor S. glossinidius were detected in samples from Cameroon and Nigeria respectively. Conclusion The present study revealed, for the first time, presence of Spiroplasma species infections in tsetse fly populations in Chad and Nigeria. These findings provide useful information on repertoire of bacterial flora of tsetse flies and incite more investigations to understand their implication in the vector competence of tsetse flies