The Prevalence of Haemoparasites in Rodents and Shrews Trapped from Domestic and Peridomestic Houses in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. A Hidden Public Health Threat

A total of 70 small mammals were captured from domestic and peri-domestic houses in Morogoro municipality to determine the prevalence, relative abundance and diversity of haemoparasites. Tramping was carried out using Shermans and locally made live traps bated with a mixture of peanut butter and maize bran. Blood samples were collected from supraorbital vein in the captured animals. Thick and thin smears were made and screened for infectious agents of public health importance that included Babesia spp., Plasmodium spp., Trypanosoma spp. and Bacillus spp.Two rodent species from captured samall mammals were identified as Rattus rattus (Roof rat) being the most dominant specie followed by Mastomys natalensis (Farm rat). Four blood protozoan species were found infecting the rodent population namely, Plasmodium spp. (n=6/70, 8.57%), Babesia spp. (n=5/70, 7.14%), Bacillus spp. (n=2/70, 2.86%) and Trypanosoma spp. (n=3/70, 4.29%). The relative abundance of the Rattus rattus was estimated to be (n=60/70, 85.7%) while that of Mastomys natalensis was (n=10/70, 14.3%). There was no any Shrew spp. that were captured in the trapping sites. The diversity of haemoparasites in the study area was 1.01. Plasmodium spp. infections as well as that of Trypanosoma spp were observed in both sexes; however, infections were higher in sub-adult rats. Malaria and sleeping sickness remain as a serious health threat and yet a vaccine is not yet available. Mosquitoes that are biting rodents also bite humans in their houses. So spreading of Plasmodium spp and Trypanosoma spp fromrodents to humans is inevitable. Every year, many people suffer from malaria and sleeping sickness and die as a consequence of these diseases. In most cases children in Africa under the age of five die from Malaria while people of all ages die from sleeping sickness in the tsetse fly infested areas. The public health implications of these findings require communitywide rodents control strategies with strong emphasis on community participation in order to prevent rapid spread of rodent population. Keywords: Haemoparasites, Rodents, Malaria, Sleeping sickness, Public health, Morogoro Municipalit

Quantification of antibiotic resistance genes in wildlife ungulates in Ngorongoro Conservation area and Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

Wild-animals can act as reservoirs for resistant bacteria and transfer of resistance genes in the environment. These genes can spread to livestock and human either directly by transmission of shared resistant bacteria, or by horizontal gene-transfer to environmental bacteria. To ascertain at what extent wild-animals carry resistance genes, eight faecal samples from buffalo, zebra and wildebeest from Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and Mikumi National Park (MNP), and four control samples from local zebu cattle grazing together with wildlife in NCA. The qPCR was carried on 14 antimicrobial resistance genes including tetracycline (tet(A), tet(B), 93 tet(C), tet(M), tet(O), tet(W), macrolide, lincosamide, streptogramin B (ermB, ermF), sulphonamide (sulI, sulII), beta-lactam (blaCTX-M-1 group, blaCMY-2, blaSHV) and glycopeptide (vanA).  Samples from NCA, both wildlife and cattle were positive for 8 out of 14 resistance genes. The most prevalent genes were tet(W) and blaCMY-2 with the latter being of concern in encoding ESBL-type resistance. Three samples from Buffalo not interacting with cattle in MNP, were positive for tet(W) and blaCMY-2, and in addition for sulI. This suggests that wild ungulates on savannah, irrespective of contact with cattle, may constitute a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance determinants. Further studies are indicated to determine resistance gene-pool among wildlife animal

Substitution of hominy meal with cassava root meal as a source of energy for growing dairy heifers

Proceedings of the 13th ISTRC symposium, Arusha, TanzaniaAn experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta) root meal (CRM) and fish wastes (FW) on the growth of dairy heifers in four rations. The rations were TR1 (66.5 % HM and 31.5 % CSC) TR2 (50 % CRM and 48 % CSC) TR3 (67.5 % HM and 30.5% FW) and TR4 (51.5 % CRM and 46.5 % FW). Twenty Ayrshire heifers (average weight 145±8 kg) were randomly allocated to the four rations in a completely randomized block design. Data was collected on dry matter intake (DMI), weight gain, glucose, Ca, P and protein blood levels. No difference (P>0.05) in weight gain was observed between heifers on TR1 and TR3. Heifers on TR2 showed faster growth rates (P< 0.05) than those in other treatments (i.e. 620 versus 490, 460 and 410 g for TR1, TR3 and TR4 respectively). Correspondingly heifers on TR2 had superior (P< 0.05) feed efficiency (0.116) followed in a descending order by TR1, TR3 and TR4 (0.097, 0.092 and 0.085 kg gain / kg feed. Heifers receiving diets containing FW had higher (P<0.05) Ca and P than those on CSC. Blood glucose and plasma protein were higher (P<0.05) in heifers receiving TR1 (97.07g/l and 3.3 mmol/l) than those on TR2 (94.86 g/l and 3.0 mmol/l). It is concluded that CRM could be used alone as energy source when combined with protein rich feeds like CSC and FW

Effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta) root meal supplemented with Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) fish waste on the rumen environment

Proceedings of the 13th ISTRC symposium 2007, Arusha, TanzaniaAbstract. The supplementary effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta) root meal (CRM) and Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) fish waste (FW) on the rumen environment was compared to that hominy meal (HM) and cotton seed cake (CSC). The feed’s degradability characteristics and chemical contents, rumen pH and rumen ammonia nitrogen (NH3 -N) levels in cows fed on four ration combinations (HM + CSC, CRM +CSC; HM + FW and CRM +FW) denoted as T1, T2, T3, T4, respectively) were determined. Results showed that DM degradability at 48h for CRM was higher (P<0.05) than that of HM (920 vs 835 g/kg). HM had higher (P<0.05) CP content than CRM (946 vs 837 g/kg) respectively. Both DM and CP contents of CSC were higher (P< 0.05) than those of FW (739 and 887 vs 367 and 598 g/kg) respectively. The degradability of DM for the TR1 and TR2 rations was higher (P< 0.05) than that of TR3 and TR4 (801 and 799 vs 727 and 616 g/kg DM respectively. TR2 had higher (P< 0.05) rates of DM degradability than the rest of the rations. The ruminal pH and NH3-N values differed (P< 0.05) between treatments. Treatments containing FW (TR3 and TR4) had higher (P< 0.05) NH3-N than those containing CSC (TR1 and TR2) (284.7 and 203.7 vs 135.8,and 183.9 mg/l). It is concluded that CRM when fed in combination with FW gave higher DMD values and provided a better fermentation environment than HM and CSC. It is further concluded that CRM and FW could be good substitutes for HM and CSC as sources of energy and nitrogen for dairy cattle and other ruminant animal

Effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta) root meal supplemented with Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) fish waste on the rumen environment

Proceedings of the 13th ISTRC symposium 2007, Arusha, TanzaniaAbstract. The supplementary effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta) root meal (CRM) and Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) fish waste (FW) on the rumen environment was compared to that hominy meal (HM) and cotton seed cake (CSC). The feed’s degradability characteristics and chemical contents, rumen pH and rumen ammonia nitrogen (NH3 -N) levels in cows fed on four ration combinations (HM + CSC, CRM +CSC; HM + FW and CRM +FW) denoted as T1, T2, T3, T4, respectively) were determined. Results showed that DM degradability at 48h for CRM was higher (P<0.05) than that of HM (920 vs 835 g/kg). HM had higher (P<0.05) CP content than CRM (946 vs 837 g/kg) respectively. Both DM and CP contents of CSC were higher (P< 0.05) than those of FW (739 and 887 vs 367 and 598 g/kg) respectively. The degradability of DM for the TR1 and TR2 rations was higher (P< 0.05) than that of TR3 and TR4 (801 and 799 vs 727 and 616 g/kg DM respectively. TR2 had higher (P< 0.05) rates of DM degradability than the rest of the rations. The ruminal pH and NH3-N values differed (P< 0.05) between treatments. Treatments containing FW (TR3 and TR4) had higher (P< 0.05) NH3-N than those containing CSC (TR1 and TR2) (284.7 and 203.7 vs 135.8,and 183.9 mg/l). It is concluded that CRM when fed in combination with FW gave higher DMD values and provided a better fermentation environment than HM and CSC. It is further concluded that CRM and FW could be good substitutes for HM and CSC as sources of energy and nitrogen for dairy cattle and other ruminant animal