Comparative Study of Malaria Prevalence among Travellers in Nigeria (West Africa) Using Slide Microscopy and a Rapid Diagnosis Test

Malaria is a major disease in Africa and leads to various public health problems. A study was carried out at the Aviation Medical Clinic Laboratory, Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, in 2014. The work aimed to determine the prevalence of malaria among patients attending the laboratory. Blood samples were therefore collected from 51 patients and subjected to both blood smear microscopy and a rapid immunochromatographic diagnostic test (SD BIOLINE Malaria Ag) for detection of, respectively, malaria parasites and antigens. At the end of the study, 22% of the patients were detected positive by the microscopic examination while 9.8% were tested positive when using SD BIOLINE Malaria Ag. The outcomes of the study show a high prevalence of malaria at the airport. This represents a serious risk factor leading to a high likelihood of spread and occurrence of malaria in other countries including Western countries whereby the disease is nonendemic. It also pointed out that the blood smear microscopy seems to be better than Rapid Diagnosis Test (RDT) for malaria diagnosis

Current situation for antimicrobial use, antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial residues in the food and agriculture sectors in Tanzania: A review

Antimicrobials are used worldwide at sub-therapeutic levels as growth promoters in the agriculture sector. The global consumption of antimicrobials in food animal production was estimated at 63 151±1 560 tons in 2010 and is projected to rise by 67%, to 105 596 ±3,605 tons by 2030. Although limited reports describe the situation in Tanzania, the trend of antimicrobials use in the livestock sector is alarming in the country. In Tanzania, studies have indicated that there are rampant and indiscriminate uses of antibiotics in the Livestock sector fueled by trade liberalization. Antibiotics are openly sold on the streets in Tanzania and are distributed over the counters without prescriptions. Farmers in Tanzania do not observe withdrawal periods as recommended by government policies. Most Tanzanian poultry farmers (up to 90%) treat their chicken by themselves with antibiotics. Inappropriate use of antimicrobials for growth promotion and treatment in the animal sector in Tanzania has contributed significantly to the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in the livestock sector in this country. Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) were also reported in the livestock sector in Tanzania. Antibiotic residues are present at high levels in foods of animal origin in Tanzania. Antibiotic residues have also been detected in egg, chicken meat, ready-to-eat beef and milk samples from different regions in Tanzania. The use of antimicrobials as growth promoters should be terminated and One Health approach should be used to guide policy and effective use of antibiotics.Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; growth promotion; Livestock; food safety; Tanzani

Tilapia lake virus threatens tilapines farming and food security: socio-economic challenges and preventive measures in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tanzania Veterinary Association Proceedings Vol. 35: 19-27Tilapiais a traditional and favorite dish in almost all countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the second most produced fish worldwide. A deadly viral disease caused by Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) currently threatens tilapia production. This study aimed to describe TiLV disease, discuss its related socio-economic impacts in SSA, and envisage preventive measures applicable in SSA countries. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and Research Gate were searched. Results reveal that TiLV is an RNA virus causing the disease of over 90% mortalities in tilapia. It attacks early developmental stages of tilapia, transmitted horizontally between fish, and is a potential trade-influencing transboundary animal disease. It is currently confirmed in six countries: Ecuador, Israel, Colombia, Egypt, Thailand and Taiwan. 10 SSA countries have likely imported TiLV infected tilapia fingerlings from hatcheries in Thailand and Tanzania, Burundi, Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia are suspected infected with TiLV. Approximately 6 Million jobs with subsequent 18 million livelihoods are expected to be affected. Food insecurity is likely to hit over 400 Million lives in the course of TiLV disease. An estimate of US$ 3 billion per year could be lost in SSA countries due to TiLV. In SSA, technologies to achieve effective control of TiLV based on measures suggested by OIE, and FOA do not exist. There is a crucial need for capacity building among farmers and technical personnel on prompt diagnostic procedures and effective remedial action and establishment of outbreak response systems

Genomic analysis of sewage from 101 countries reveals global landscape of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global health. Understanding the emergence, evolution, and transmission of individual antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is essential to develop sustainable strategies combatting this threat. Here, we use metagenomic sequencing to analyse ARGs in 757 sewage samples from 243 cities in 101 countries, collected from 2016 to 2019. We find regional patterns in resistomes, and these differ between subsets corresponding to drug classes and are partly driven by taxonomic variation. The genetic environments of 49 common ARGs are highly diverse, with most common ARGs carried by multiple distinct genomic contexts globally and sometimes on plasmids. Analysis of flanking sequence revealed ARG-specific patterns of dispersal limitation and global transmission. Our data furthermore suggest certain geographies are more prone to transmission events and should receive additional attention