Phenotypic Characterization and Temporal Evolution of Cattle Breed Diversity in Djidja, Benin

The duration of the drought in northern Benin favours the transhumance of cattle to central and southern Benin, resulting in the sedentarization of some transhumant pastoralists. The objective of the study was to characterize the different bovine breeds phenotypically and to evaluate the evolution of the diversity of these breeds in Djidja, between 1996 and 2016. A survey was performed on 58 farmers from the 5th of January to the 22nd of February, 2017. The reared breeds and the introduced breeds have been identified and described. It appeared from this study that all breeders used zebus and zebus-taurine crossbred animals. The zebus used were the Yakana (96.5%), Goudali (32.8%), M'Bororo (5.2%) and Djeli (3.4%). The taurines used by some breeders were Borgou (8.6%) and Lagune (5.2%). The breeds that existed 20 years ago were Lagune, Yakana, Borgou, Goudali, Djeli and M'Bororo. The most widely used breeds at that time were the Lagune and Yakana breeds and the least used were the Borgou, Djeli, Goudali and M'Bororo breeds. The breeds most introduced into the herds in the last 20 years were the Goudali breed, the Yakana breed and the M'Bororo breed, then the less introduced breed is the Djeli breed. These breeds were introduced to improve the milk and meat performance of animals. The Goudali, Yakana and M'Bororo breeds have been introduced from Nigeria and Niger. As for Djeli, the breeders imported it from Niger (91.3%) and Burkina (8.7%). The disappeared breed is mainly the Lagune breed and it is necessary to implement conservation strategies for this breed in the farms

Évaluation des bonnes pratiques d’hygiènes et des procédés d’abattage pour la production et la distribution des carcasses de lapin au Sud Bénin

Slaughter is considered as the stage of greatest opportunity for meat contamination. Therefore, hygiene must take priority over economic interests to ensure meat safety and salubrity. This study aimed to evaluate the hygiene practices followed by rabbit carcass producers in Benin. The study was carried out in 24 rabbit carcass production sites. The data collected was analyzed with SAS software and the two-tailed Z-test compared the percentages two by two. The majority of respondents do not have a slaughterhouse and slaughter rabbits in a dirty environment. The carcasses were also processed in less satisfactory conditions. The waste treatment method at production site was unsatisfactory (p<0.05). Storage places for slaughter equipment are mostly inappropriate. Operations such as penetrant testing, ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection are not carried out on slaughter sites. Slaughter conditions for rabbits in South Benin are not satisfactory and producers need to be sensitized on slaughter hygiene. Keywords: Slaughter, good hygienic practices, rabbit carcass, BeninL’abattage est considéré comme l’étape où les plus grandes opportunités de contamination des viandes existent. De ce fait, l’hygiène doit primer sur les intérêts économiques pour assurer la sécurité et la salubrité de la viande. Le but de cette étude a été d’évaluer les pratiques d’hygiènes observées par les producteurs de carcasses de lapins au Bénin. L’étude a été réalisée dans 24 sites de production de carcasses de lapins. Les données collectées ont été analysées avec le logiciel SAS et le test bilatéral de Z a permis de comparer les pourcentages deux à deux. La majorité des personnes enquêtées ne dispose pas de bâtiment et abattent les lapins dans un environnement insalubre. Les carcasses étaient aussi traitées dans des conditions moins satisfaisantes. Le mode de traitement des déchets sur le lieu de productions a été non satisfaisant (p<0,05). Les lieux d’entreposage des matériels d’abattage sont dans la majorité inappropriés. Les opérations telles que le ressuage, l’inspection ante mortem et post mortem ne sont pas réalisées sur les sites d’abattage. Les conditions d’abattage des lapins au Sud Bénin ne sont pas satisfaisantes et les producteurs doivent être sensibilisés sur l’hygiène d’abattage. Mots clés: Abattage, bonnes pratiques d’hygiènes, carcasse de lapin, Béni

Effect of Lyophilized Bovine Colostrum on Growth and Survival of Newborn Piglets From Local Breed, in Benin Republic

In Benin, the effect of supplementation of newborn piglets from local breed with lyophilized bovine colostrum was evaluated over a 49-d trail on the survival, the growth performances and the absorption of bovine and porcine immunoglobulin G (IgGs). Three groups of 24 piglets, stemming from five sows (Parity 2) belonging to a unique traditional farm, were respectively fed for the first 7 d of life with only sow colostrum (SC group n = 9), shea butter in addition to suckling (SCB group; n = 7) and a mixture of lyophilized bovine colostrum and shea butter in addition to suckling (BCB group; n = 8). Risk of diarrhea was not affected by the treatments, but BCB treatment tended to reduce it (P = 0.09). Diarrheal and healthy piglets had similar average levels of serum porcine IgG at 10 d (13.9 ± 1.6 mg/ml vs 14.7 ± 1.4 mg/ml, P > 0.05). No bovine IgG was detected in the piglets serum at 10 d of age. Serum porcine IgG at 10 d was not affected by the treatments (P > 0.05). However, bovine colostrum improved serum IgG at 49 d (P < 0.05). No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed between the three groups for body weight and Average Daily Gain (ADG). By contrast, Relative Average Daily Gain (RADG) was affected by the treatments (P < 0.05). The lyophilized bovine colostrum improved numerically ADG when compared to the piglets fed only with the colostrum from the sow and those fed also shea butter (41g vs 35 and 36 g/d for the first and second groups respectively). A higher RADG was obtained with the piglets from the BCB group (31 ± 1.6 g/d.kg vs 25.3 ± 1.6 g/d.kg and 24.5 ± 1.9 g/d.kg for the SC and SCB groups respectively). Lyophilized bovine colostrum improved RADG, active immunity at weaning and tended to reduce prevalence of diarrhea in newborn piglets

Reproductive Performances of Local Pigs in West African Countries: A Review

The local pig is reared in all West Africa countries, and especially in small farms, playing so an important role in its preservation. This article reviews work done on reproductive performances of local pigs in West Africa. These performances focus on age at puberty, estrus and sex cycle, gestation length, prolificity, viability and growth before piglets weaning. Factors that can influence these parameters are included. Finally, the contribution of animal biotechnology to these performances improvement is discussed

A guinea fowl genome assembly provides new evidence on evolution following domestication and selection in Galliformes

The helmeted guinea fowl Numida meleagris belongs to the order Galliformes. Its natural range includes a large part of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Eritrea and from Chad to South Africa. Archaeozoological and artistic evidence suggest domestication of this species may have occurred about 2,000 years BP in Mali and Sudan primarily as a food resource, although villagers also benefit from its capacity to give loud alarm calls in case of danger, of its ability to consume parasites such as ticks and to hunt snakes, thus suggesting its domestication may have resulted from a commensal association process. Today, it is still farmed in Africa, mainly as a traditional village poultry, and is also bred more intensively in other countries, mainly France and Italy. The lack of available molecular genetic markers has limited the genetic studies conducted to date on guinea fowl. We present here a first-generation whole-genome sequence draft assembly used as a reference for a study by a Pool-seq approach of wild and domestic populations from Europe and Africa. We show that the domestic populations share a higher genetic similarity between each other than they do to wild populations living in the same geographical area. Several genomic regions showing selection signatures putatively related to domestication or importation to Europe were detected, containing candidate genes, most notably EDNRB2, possibly explaining losses in plumage coloration phenotypes in domesticated populations

Prevalence and zoonotic risk factors of Mycobacterium bovis tuberculosis in cattle at the cattle-wildlife-human interface in South and East Cameroon

Background and Aim: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a contagious and notifiable disease, which is prevalent in cattle populations of many countries and in several wildlife species worldwide. However, the role of wildlife in the transmission and/or maintenance of bTB at the human-wild animal-animal interface and the epidemiology of zoonotic disease are poorly understood in Cameroon, where many wildlife species exist. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and zoonotic risk factors of bTB at the cattle-wildlife-human interface in the South and East regions of Cameroon. Materials and Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study from May to October 2022 in the southern region (Vallée du Ntem and Dja et Lobo) and eastern region (Haut Nyong and Lom et Djérem) of Cameroon to determine risk factors for bTB in Zebu Bororo, Goudali, Ndama, and Simmental cattle breeds. A comparative intradermal tuberculin testing (CIDT) was performed on 160 cattle randomly selected from herds using the threshold recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health. An interviewee-administered questionnaire was used to gather epidemiological data on sociodemographics, interaction between cattle and wildlife, and awareness of zoonotic tuberculosis (TB) from 90 cattle professionals. The prevalence of bTB at the herd level and associated risk factors were estimated using multiple logistic regression models. Results: Based on the comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CIDT), the estimated prevalence of bTB in 160 cattle (Zebu Bororo, Goudali, Ndama, and Simmental) in South and East Cameroon was 6.8% (4.35%-9.41%) and 1.8% (0%-3.6%) for threshold values 3 mm and 4 mm, respectively. The prevalence obtained by simple intradermal tuberculin test (IDT) was 0.6% (0%-1.2%) for a threshold value 4 mm. Univariate analysis revealed three risk factors associated with bTB with significant odds ratios (OR; p = 0.05): herd size (OR = 4.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-32.56); cattle aged>10 years (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.05-0.53); and victims of bTB organ seizure (OR = 0.015; 95% CI: 0.002-0.067). Multivariate analysis showed that being a cattle herder and contact between wildlife and livestock due to forage was significantly associated with bTB exposure (adjusted OR = 0.02; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Bovine TB is prevalent in cattle of the South and East Cameroon. Comparative IDT of cattle reared in the epidemiological and environmental context of the study areas yielded better results at a threshold of 3 mm than at a threshold of 4 mm recommended by the World Health Organization. Factors associated with exposure to/appearance of bTB were high herd size, cattle aged >10 years old, seizures of tuberculous organs, shepherding as a profession, and contact between cattle and wildlife can be due to lack of forage

Molecular prevalence, genetic characterization and patterns of Toxoplasma gondii infection in domestic small mammals from Cotonou, Benin

Toxoplasmosis, one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in humans and animals, is caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Small mammals play a key role as intermediate reservoir hosts in the maintenance of the T. gondii life cycle. In this study, we estimated the molecular prevalence and provide genetic diversity data for T. gondii in 632 small mammals sampled in four areas of Cotonou city, Benin. Both the brain and heart of each individual were screened through T. gondii-targeting qPCR, and positive samples were then genotyped using a set of 15 T. gondii-specific microsatellites. Prevalence data were statistically analyzed in order to assess the relative impact of individual host characteristics, spatial distribution, composition of small mammal community, and urban landscape features. An overall T. gondii molecular prevalence of 15.2% was found and seven genotypes, all belonging to the Africa 1 lineage, could be retrieved from the invasive black rat Rattus rattus and the native African giant shrew Crocidura olivieri. Statistical analyses did not suggest any significant influence of the environmental parameters used in this study. Rather, depending on the local context, T. gondii prevalence appeared to be associated either with black rat, shrew, or mouse abundance or with the trapping period. Overall, our results highlight the intricate relationships between biotic and abiotic factors involved in T. gondii epidemiology and suggest that R. rattus and C. olivieri are two competent reservoirs for the Africa 1 lineage, a widespread lineage in tropical Africa and the predominant lineage in Benin

Inventory of medicinal plants used in the treatment of diseases that limit milk production of cow in Benin

Objective: This study aimed to make an inventory of animal diseases that affect milk production and the plants locally used against these diseases. Materials and methods: A survey was carried out from April to August 2013 in 41 farms in department of Collines, 40 in Alibori, 40 in Borgou and 21 in Mono using questionnaires. SAS software was used with Chi-square test and bilateral Z test. Results: The study revealed twelve main pathologies that limit milk production. Among these pathologies, foot-and-mouth disease and trypanosomiasis were the most mentioned pathologies. To fight these pathologies, 60 medicinal plants of 32 families were recorded. The most cited families were Leguminosae (31.67%), Combretaceae (6.67%), Meliaceae (5%) and Rubiaceae (5%), whereas the predominant species used by animal keepers were Khaya senagalensis, Vitellaria paradoxa, Parkia biglobosa and Securidaca longipedunculata. The 60 listed species were used in 85 recipes which varied from one department and farmer to another. The most used organs were plant barks (41.06%) and roots (31.13%), while the most common methods of preparation were decoction (37.5%), maceration (32.5%) and powders (22.5%). Oral route was the main route of administration. Conclusion: The inventory has shown that the important pathologies are foot-and-mouth disease and trypanosomiasis. This needs immediate actions. Barks and roots were the commonly employed plant organs used as infusion (decoction and maceration) and powder that farmers administer orally to animals. The harvest did not require a special season or time. Furthermore, farmers inherited most of these recipes from their parents and they use them because of their effectiveness. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(1.000): 1-14

Sensitivity of Different Cattle Breeds to the Infestation of Cattle Ticks Amblyomma variegatum, Rhipicephalus microplus, and Hyalomma spp. on the Natural Pastures of Opkara Farm, Benin

A study was carried out on the Opkara (Benin) cattle farm on 64 cattle of four different breeds (16 individuals per breed) from June to December 2016. During this study, three tick species were found in different numbers, Amblyomma variegatum (732), Rhipicephalus microplus (8079), and Hyalomma spp. (208), with parasitic intensity of 11.90, 126.23, and 3.25, respectively. The interracial comparison of the tick infestation between the cattle showed a significant difference (P<0.001). However, Girolando was more infested than all the cattle breeds. Infestation of A. variegatum, R. microplus, and Hyalomma spp. on the Girolando was, respectively, 19.43 ± 2.71, 171.25 ± 23.50, and 7.12 ± 0.63, but the Borgou were less infested. Borgou breed females were more infested by A. variegatum (4.41 ± 1.14) than females Girolando (4.20 ± 0.90). The Crossbred and Azawak females were less infested (P<0.01). The mean of A. variegatum on Borgou, Azawak, Crossbred, and Girolando calves was 1.29 ± 0.35, 0.66 ± 0.26, 1.37 ± 0.37, and 2.25 ± 0.48 (P<0.01), respectively. The results of this study can be exploited to include genetic and nongenetic approaches to tick control