Farmers' willingness to pay for a village poultry vaccine service in Ethiopia: prospect for enhancing rural livelihoods

This research examines farmers’ willingness to pay for village poultry vaccine programmes using data from 400 household heads from two districts in Ethiopia, Horro and Jarso. The study applied a contingent valuation method to elicit farmers’ willingness to pay for village poultry vaccine services. Two hypothetical vaccine programmes were designed for Newcastle disease and Gumboro disease. Both parametric and non-parametric approaches were employed in data analysis. The results show that farmers recognise the benefits of the vaccine programme and that many would be willing to pay for it. Results from non-parametric estimates produced households’ mean willingness to pay Ethiopian Birr (ETB) 80 up to ETB 87 per year based on vaccine programme type. This demonstrates the potential and prospect of reducing the impact of infectious poultry diseases and enhancing rural livelihoods through village poultry. Exponential probit analysis revealed that farmers’ willingness to pay for village poultry vaccine service is influenced by age, education level, and region of respondents. Younger and more-educated farmers were more likely to pay for village poultry vaccine services and farmers from Horro, a relatively food secure and educated area, were more likely to pay than those from the less food secure Jarso district

The Genome Sequences of Three Paraburkholderia sp. Strains Isolated from Wood-Decay Fungi Reveal Them as Novel Species with Antimicrobial Biosynthetic Potential.

Three strains of fungus-associated Burkholderiales bacteria with antagonistic activity against Gram-negative plant pathogens were genome sequenced to investigate their taxonomic placement and potential for antimicrobial specialized metabolite production. The selected strains were identified as novel taxa belonging to the genus Paraburkholderia and carry multiple biosynthetic gene clusters

The influence of migratory Paraburkholderia on growth and competition of wood-decay fungi

Certain bacteria are capable of migrating along fungal hyphae, using them as a dispersal mechanism to cross otherwise-prohibitory distances. Three strains of fungal-migratory Paraburkholderia were isolated from the mycelium of wood-decay fungi, and inoculated onto ten strains of wood-decay fungi growing on solid agar medium. Two of the three bacteria were able to migrate along the hyphae of all fungi, although to differing extents. No bacteria-associated growth inhibition was observed with eight of the ten fungi, but mycelial extension rate of two strains of Phanerochaete was significantly reduced. Bacteria were also introduced into fungus-fungus competitive pairings, and significantly reduced the competitive performance of one of the Phanerochaete strains. Additionally, in several cases, introducing bacteria into competitive interactions made the outcome unpredictable, whereas in the absence of bacteria one fungus was consistently dominant. This is the first time that bacteria have been shown to influence fungal inter-specific competition

Using SNP addresses for Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in routine veterinary outbreak detection

SNP addresses are a pathogen typing method based on whole-genome sequences (WGSs), assigning groups at seven different levels of genetic similarity. Public health surveillance uses it for several gastro-intestinal infections; this work trialled its use in veterinary surveillance for salmonella outbreak detection. Comparisons were made between temporal and spatio-temporal cluster detection models that either defined cases by their SNP address or by phage type, using historical data sets. Clusters of SNP incidents were effectively detected by both methods, but spatio-temporal models consistently detected these clusters earlier than the corresponding temporal models. Unlike phage type, SNP addresses appeared spatially and temporally limited, which facilitated the differentiation of novel, stable, or expanding clusters in spatio-temporal models. Furthermore, these models flagged spatio-temporal clusters containing only two to three cases at first detection, compared with a median of seven cases in phage-type models. The large number of SNP addresses will require automated methods to implement these detection models routinely. Further work is required to explore how temporal changes and different host species may impact the sensitivity and specificity of cluster detection. In conclusion, given validation with more sequencing data, SNP addresses are likely to be a valuable addition to early warning systems in veterinary surveillance

Sleeping Site Selection in the Nocturnal Northern Lesser Galago (Galago senegalensis) Supports Antipredator and Thermoregulatory Hypotheses

© 2019, The Author(s). Sleep is an important and time-consuming activity, during which animals may be particularly vulnerable. Selecting a suitable sleeping site is therefore essential for an individual’s fitness. Here we test the importance of antipredator and thermoregulatory hypotheses for the sleeping site preference of a nocturnal primate, the Northern lesser galago (Galago senegalensis), in Northern Tanzania. During June to August of 2015 and 2016 we conducted daily surveys of sleeping sites to record the number of galagos and their location within the sleeping tree, and used focal follows to record when galagos reached and left sleeping sites. We collected vegetation data for sleeping sites (N = 47) and matched controls, and placed data loggers in sleeping (N = 14) and control locations to compare temperature and humidity. Sleeping group sizes were similar to that of G. senegalensis in The Gambia, and the mean proportion of visits in which galagos were present at each site was 27 ± SD 25%. Galagos slept on branches (N = 29), nests (N = 6), palm leaves (N = 6), and in tree cavities (N = 1). Palm leaves have not been previously recorded as regular sleeping sites for galagos and were overrepresented relative to their occurrence in the habitat. Random forest classification analysis revealed that galagos sleep in areas with greater canopy cover and connectivity, greater mid-level vegetation cover, higher tree density, and a greater number of Acacia trees. Sleeping locations had significantly lower mean temperatures but greater mean humidity than control locations. Our findings support predator avoidance and thermoregulation as drivers of nesting behavior. In particular, the characteristics of galago sleeping sites correspond well to those expected for protection from aerial predators, while those related to protection from terrestrial predators seem to play a minor role

Use of mass-participation outdoor events to assess human exposure to tickborne pathogens

Mapping the public health threat of tickborne pathogens requires quantification of not only the density of infected host-seeking ticks but also the rate of human exposure to these ticks. To efficiently sample a high number of persons in a short time, we used a mass-participation outdoor event. In June 2014, we sampled ≈500 persons competing in a 2-day mountain marathon run across predominantly tick-infested habitat in Scotland. From the number of tick bites recorded and prevalence of tick infection with Borrelia burgdoferi sensu lato and B. miyamotoi, we quantified the frequency of competitor exposure to the pathogens. Mass-participation outdoor events have the potential to serve as excellent windows for epidemiologic study of tickborne pathogens; their concerted use should improve spatial and temporal mapping of human exposure to infected ticks

Epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli carriage in sympatric humans and livestock in a rapidly urbanizing city

There are substantial limitations in understanding of the distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and livestock in developing countries. This papers present the results of an epidemiological study examining patterns of AMR in Escherichia coli isolates circulating in sympatric human (n = 321) and livestock (n = 633) samples from 99 households across Nairobi, Kenya. E. coli isolates were tested for susceptibility to 13 antimicrobial drugs representing nine antibiotic classes. High rates of AMR were detected, with 47.6% and 21.1% of isolates displaying resistance to three or more and five or more antibiotic classes, respectively. Human isolates showed higher levels of resistance to sulfonamides, trimethoprim, aminoglycosides and penicillins compared with livestock (P0.05). These findings revealed a high prevalence of AMR E. coli circulating in healthy humans and livestock in Nairobi, with no evidence to suggest that keeping livestock, when treated as a single risk factor, contributed significantly to the burden of AMR in humans, although the presence of livestock waste was significant. These results provide an understanding of the broader epidemiology of AMR in complex and interconnected urban environments

Changing risk of environmental Campylobacter exposure with emerging poultry production systems in Ethiopia

Campylobacter is a leading cause of diarrhoea, and its presence in chickens is a significant risk for zoonotic infection. Poultry production is becoming increasingly intensive in Ethiopia and is incorporating more high-producing breeds into traditionally managed smallholdings, especially in peri-urban areas. This cross-sectional study sampled 219 household environments in one peri-urban and two rural areas of Ethiopia, and an additional 20 semi-intensive farms in the peri-urban district. Campylobacter was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-specific assays in 44 samples; 16 of which could be identified as C. jejuni. Flocks in the peri-urban area were at significantly greater odds of detection, including those which only kept indigenous birds under a scavenging system. It was also noted that scavenging flocks of exotic high-production birds (Rhode Island Red) were at slightly greater risk, perhaps as exotic birds are under more stress when kept under traditional management systems. We suggest that changes to the system of chicken production may alter the ecology and epidemiology of Campylobacter in the environment, chickens and people, which may drive emergence of new epidemiological patterns of disease. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which the current management intensification and the distribution programmes of exotic and/or improved indigenous birds may alter Campylobacter epidemiology, ecology and public health risk, before their widespread adoption