Browsing by Author "Ngowi, H. A."
Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Assessment of veterinary drug use and determination of antimicrobial residues in broiler chicken meat in Urban district, Zanzibar, Tanzania(African Journal Online, 2013-05-15) Nonga, H. E.; Sungura, K. H.; Ngowi, H. A.A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2009 and January 2010 to assess veterinary drug usage by broiler chicken farmers and to determine antimicrobial residues in broiler meat in Urban district, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Fifty five smallholder farmers were interviewed on types of antimicrobials, reasons for use, their awareness on antimicrobial withdrawal periods and effects of antimicrobial residues in humans. Interviews with key informants were used to supplement the information from farmers. Up to 66% of the respondents were aware of drug withdrawal periods, however, only 45.5% reported to comply in fear of losses and limited awareness of health effect associated with antibiotic residues. Key informants reported that there was no inspection of chicken meat for residues and the indiscriminate use of veterinary drugs was fueled by trade liberalization. To determine antibiotic residues, 72 broiler meat samples were analysed by agar well diffusion and Delvo tests. Laboratory results indicated that 76.4% of the broiler meat samples contained antimicrobial residues. High proportion of positive samples in this study suggests that there is high risk of public exposure to antimicrobial residues through consumption of chicken meat in Urban district. Poultry farmers should be educated on the importance of drug withdrawal periods and the possible human health effects associated with consumption of foods with antimicrobial residues. It is further stressed that there is a need for stricter regulation regarding the use of veterinary drugs in particular antimicrobials in the poultry industry as well as the inspection of meat for residues prior to marketingItem Current manure management practices and hygiene aspects of urban and peri-urban livestock farming in Tanzania(Livestock Research for Rural Development,, 2012) Lupindu, A. M.; Ngowi, H. A.; Dalsgaard, A.; Olsen, J. E.; Msoffe, P. L. M.The recent expansion of urban and peri urban livestock farming has resulted in close contact between animals and humans, sometimes with adverse human health effects. A survey involving 119 cattle keeping households in urban and peri-urban settings of Morogoro, Tanzania revealed that manure management practices were different from traditional practices mainly due to lack of land. Manure was collected and conveyed by using tools by 94% of respondents, while others used water or bare hands. Seventy six percent of respondents collected manure from animal houses at least once a day, a feature that was associated with housing characteristics (p<0.05). Heaping was a common manure storage method although other cattle keepers directly spread manure on land. Manure was disposed of within residential area by 70% of respondents and this practice was associated with land area owned by or under control of the households (p<0.05). The current manure management practices did not protect either humans, animals or the environment against the risk of contamination with potential zoonotic pathogens and therefore there is a need for the formulation of guidelines on safe manure management practices.Item Environmental and Health Impacts Associated with Usage of Agrochemicals in Mindu Dam Catchment Area, Morogoro, Tanzania(African Journal Online, 2013-01-19) Mdegela, R. H.; Mosha, R. D.; Ngowi, H. A.; Nonga, H. E.A field based study was conducted during 2004 – 2006 to assess the environmental, human and animal health risks associated with usage of agrochemicals in Mindu dam catchment area (MDCA), in Morogoro, Tanzania. Heads of 268 households were interviewed using a questionnaire with structured and semi-structured questions. Fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides were the most commonly used agrochemicals in tomato production, which was the main crop cultivated. Endosulfan was the only organochlorine pesticide used in vegetable production. The majority of the farmers purchased agrochemicals that were repacked in unlabelled non-original containers, which were later reused for domestic purposes. About 73% of the farmers applied agrochemicals without protective gears. High risk groups to agrochemical exposure in the area were men, retailers and children. Farmers’ perceived impacts of agrochemical usage included getting sick, deaths of people and animals and environmental pollution. Information obtained from this study was used to identify appropriate foci and target groups for interventions to reduce the health risks associated with the usage of agrochemicals in the area. This assessment identified three foci and target groups for interventions: training of farmers on good agricultural practices, strengthening agricultural extension services, and reinforcing regulatory services.Item Knowledge, perceptions and practices regarding brucellosis in pastoral communities of Kagera Region, Tanzania(TANZANIA VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, 2017) Ntirandekura, J. B.; Matemba, L. E.; Ngowi, H. A.; Karimuribo, E. D.; Kimera, S. I.A cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2017 to assess the knowledge, perception and practices of brucellosis by pastoralists of Kagera ecosystem, Tanzania using qualitative methods. Five focus group discussions of six participants were conducted with livestock farmers, administration leaders, religious representatives and youth. In addition, discussions with three key informants were conducted, involving officials of livestock, wildlife and public health department in each district. Data were analyzed using content analysis with inductive and deductive methods. This study revealed low knowledge regarding brucellosis by interviewees. Although participants recognized brucellosis as a zoonotic disease, they seemed to consider it of less importance. In addition, participants had low knowledge on causes, symptoms and mode of transmission of this disease. However, they perceived the interactions between humans, livestock and wildlife together with the neighborhood with other countries to be potential risks for introduction of brucellosis in their communities. Moreover, their habit of drinking unpasteurized milk, the lack of protective gears assisting animals giving birth and poor vaccination program need to be improved by community health education. A coordinated one Health approach is needed and further studies are suggested to reveal the status of brucellosis in Kagera ecosystem to guide its control and prevention.Item Knowledge, perceptions and practices regarding brucellosis in pastoral communities of Kagera Region, Tanzania(TANZANIA VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, 2017) Ntirandekura, J. B.; Matemba, L. E.; Ngowi, H. A.; Kimera, S. I.; Karimuribo, E. D.A cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2017 to assess the knowledge, perception and practices of brucellosis by pastoralists of Kagera ecosystem, Tanzania using qualitative methods. Five focus group discussions of six participants were conducted with livestock farmers, administration leaders, religious representatives and youth. In addition, discussions with three key informants were conducted, involving officials of livestock, wildlife and public health department in each district. Data were analyzed using content analysis with inductive and deductive methods. This study revealed low knowledge regarding brucellosis by interviewees. Although participants recognized brucellosis as a zoonotic disease, they seemed to consider it of less importance. In addition, participants had low knowledge on causes, symptoms and mode of transmission of this disease. However, they perceived the interactions between humans, livestock and wildlife together with the neighborhood with other countries to be potential risks for introduction of brucellosis in their communities. Moreover, their habit of drinking unpasteurized milk, the lack of protective gears assisting animals giving birth and poor vaccination program need to be improved by community health education. A coordinated one Health approach is needed and further studies are suggested to reveal the status of brucellosis in Kagera ecosystem to guide its control and prevention.Item Occurrence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli o157:h7 and other non-sorbitol–fermenting e. coli in cattle and humans in urban areas of Morogoro, Tanzania(Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 2014) Lupindu, A. M.; Olsen, J. E.; Ngowi, H. A.; Msoffe, P. L. M.; Mtambo, M. M.; Scheutz, F.; Dalsgaard, A.Escherichia coli strains such as Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC), enteropathogenic E. coli, enterotoxigenic, attaching, and effacing E. coli, and enteroinvasive E. coli cause diarrhea in humans. Although other serotypes exist, the most commonly reported STEC in outbreaks is O157:H7. A cross-sectional study was conducted to isolate and characterize non-sorbitol–fermenting (NSF) E. coli O157:H7 from urban and periurban livestock settings of Morogoro, Tanzania. Human stool, cattle feces, and soil and water samples were collected. Observations and questionnaire interview studies were used to gather information about cattle and manure management practices in the study area. E. coli were isolated on sorbitol MacConkey agar and characterized by conventional biochemical tests. Out of 1049 samples, 143 (13.7%) yielded NSF E. coli. Serological and antimicrobial tests and molecular typing were performed to NSF E. coli isolates. These procedures detected 10 (7%) pathogenic E. coli including STEC (n=7), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (n=2), and attaching and effacing E. coli (A/EEC) (n=1) strains. The STEC strains had the ability to produce VT1 and different VT2 toxin subtypes that caused cytopathic effects on Vero cells. The prevalence of STEC in cattle was 1.6%, out of which 0.9% was serotype O157:H7 and the overall prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli in cattle was 2.2%. The serotypes O157:H7, O142:H34, O113:H21, O+:H-,O +:H16, and O25:H4 were identified. One ESBLproducing isolate showed the MLST type ST131. To our knowledge, this is the first finding in Tanzania of this recently emerged worldwide pandemic clonal group, causing widespread antimicrobial-resistant infections, and adds knowledge of the geographical distribution of ST131. Cattle manure was indiscriminately deposited within residential areas, and there was direct contact between humans and cattle feces during manure handling. Cattle and manure management practices expose humans, animals, and the environment to pathogenic E. coli and other manure-borne pathogens. Therefore, there is a need to improve manure management practices in urban and periurban areas to prevent pathogen spread and associated human health risks.Item Prevalence and economic significance of bovine fasciolosis in slaughtered cattle at Arusha abattoir, Tanzania(2009) Mwabonimana, M-F; Kassuku, A. A.; Ngowi, H. A.; Mellau, L. S. B.; Nonga, H. E.; Karimuribo, E. D.The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence and economic significance of fasciolosis in cattle slaughtered at Arusha abattoir in Tanzania. A 3-year database (2005-2008) from the abattoir was retrieved and analysed. In addition, meat inspection was carried out for one month (July 2008) with focus on Fasciola infection and its associated economic loss due to liver condemnation. Results from the retrospective study revealed that 8302 (6.7%) livers out of 123790 examined livers were condemned due to fasciolosis. Analysis of primary data (meat inspection) showed that 150 of 469 cattle livers condemned were due to fasciolosis, a relative condemnation rate of 32.0% per month. Based on the current local price of liver, the economic loss per month due to liver condemnation was estimated at Tanzania shillings (TZS) 1,800,000/- (approximately US $1,500), which summed to TZS 21,600,000/- (US $18,000) per annum. The specific cause of liver fasciolosis was Fasciola gigantica. These results indicate that F. gigantica infection is an important condition that leads to high liver condemnation rates in cattle slaughtered, resulting into high financial loss. This merits for more extensive epidemiological investigations to better determine the prevalence, economic impact and public health importance of the disease.Item Prevalence of intestinal parasites in pig manure and the potential for zoonotic transmission in urban/peri-urban areas of Morogoro municipality, Tanzania(Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2017) Ngowi, H. A.; Mushi, P. E.; Lupindu, A. M.; Mtambo, M. M. A.; Muhairwa, A. P.Information on the prevalence and potential health consequences associated with the presence of parasites in livestock manures is lacking in many developing countries. In 2015, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 79 pig farms to estimate farm-level prevalence of helminth eggs using McMaster technique and protozoan parasite oocysts using the Modified Ziehl–Neelsen technique in Morogoro municipality, Tanzania. Farm-level representative samples of manure were collected from pig manure disposal sites in each farm. Pig farmers’ knowledge and practices related to pig husbandry and manure handling were assessed using a structured questionnaire. All pigs were reared indoors and their manures were handled in solid form. Farm-level prevalence of strongyle eggs was 7.6% (95% CI: 1.8, 13.4) and that of Ascaris spp. was 6.3% (95% CI: 0.9, 11.7). Prevalence of acid-fast protozoan oocysts was 6.3% (95% CI: 0.9, 11.7), includingIsospora spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and Eimeria spp. Approximately 27.8% (95% CI: 17.9, 37.7) of the samples had acid-fast objects that resembled microsporidia and other fungal spores. About 94.9% (95% CI: 90.0, 99.8) of the farmers reported to have experienced diseases in their pigs, commonly helminthosis. Only about 42.5% (95% CI: 31.3, 53.9) believed that pig manure could cause some human health problems. Approximately, 65.3% (54.3, 76.3) reported to clean their pig pens daily. About 61.1% (95% CI: 49.9, 72.3) reported to wear special clothing when removing pig manure. Handling of pig manure is associated with potential biological hazards with potential for zoonotic transmission in urban/peri-urban areas of Morogoro municipality, Tanzania. Further studies are needed to measure the actual risks associated with livestock manure handling and utilisation including parasite viability and characterization studies to guide implementation of appropriate bio-security and bio-safety measures in urban/peri-urban livestock farms.Item Prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter infections in humans, chickens and crows in Morogoro, Tanzania(Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 2006-01-01) Mdegela, R. H.; Nonga, H. E.; Ngowi, H. A.; Kazwala, R. R.Prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter infections in humans, chickens and crows was determined in a cross-sectional study that was carried out in urban and rural areas of Morogoro region, Tanzania during the period of January 2003 to December 2004. A total of 632 human stool samples, 536 cloacal swabs from local and broiler chickens and 22 intestinal contents from crows were screened for presence of thermophilic campylobacters using Skirrow’s protocol. Representative Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human and chicken samples were also analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a definitive identification method. The overall prevalence of thermophilic campylobacters was 9.3% (95% CI: 7.2–11.9), 69.8% (95% CI: 65.7–73.6) and 72.7% (95% CI: 49.8–89.3) in humans, chickens and crows respectively. In humans, 59 thermophilic campylobacters were isolated of which 96.6% were C. jejuni and 3.4% Campylobacter coli. There was a significantly (P < 0.001) higher prevalence in young individuals (16%) than in adults (7%). Of 341 isolates from chickens, 91.2% were C. jejuni and 8.8% were C. coli. A significantly (P < 0.05) higher infection rate was observed in rural local chicken (76%) than in broilers (60%). In crows, of 16 isolates, 93.8% were C. jejuni and 6.2% were C. coli. Definitive identification of C. jejuni by PCR revealed positive results in 74.1% of 243 analysed isolates. Findings in this study indicate high prevalence of thermophilic campylobacters in humans, chickens and crows in Morogoro, and a higher infection rate of C. jejuni than that of C. coli in different animal species. Age of humans and location of chickens were identified as risk factors for thermophilic Campylobacter infections. Positive isolates to biochemical tests that indicated negative results on PCR indicates the additional value of PCR for definitive diagnosis of C. jejuni.Item Spatial Clustering of Porcine Cysticercosis in Mbulu District, Northern Tanzania(PLoS, 2010-04-06) Ngowi, H. A.; Kassuku, A. A.; Carabin, H.; Mlangwa, J. E. D.; Mlozi, M. R. S.Background: Porcine cysticercosis is caused by a zoonotic tapeworm, Taenia solium, which causes serious disease syndromes in human. Effective control of the parasite requires knowledge on the burden and pattern of the infections in order to properly direct limited resources. The objective of this study was to establish the spatial distribution of porcine cysticercosis in Mbulu district, northern Tanzania, to guide control strategies. Methodology/Principal Findings: This study is a secondary analysis of data collected during the baseline and follow-up periods of a randomized community trial aiming at reducing the incidence rate of porcine cysticercosis through an educational program. At baseline, 784 randomly selected pig-keeping households located in 42 villages in 14 wards were included. Lingual examination of indigenous pigs aged 2–12 (median 8) months, one randomly selected from each household, were conducted. Data from the control group of the randomized trial that included 21 of the 42 villages were used for the incidence study. A total of 295 pig-keeping households were provided with sentinel pigs (one each) and reassessed for cysticercosis incidence once or twice for 2–9 (median 4) months using lingual examination and antigen ELISA. Prevalence of porcine cysticercosis was computed in Epi Info 3.5. The prevalence and incidence of porcine cysticercosis were mapped at household level using ArcView 3.2. K functions were computed in R software to assess general clustering of porcine cysticercosis. Spatial scan statistics were computed in SatScan to identify local clusters of the infection. The overall prevalence of porcine cysticercosis was 7.3% (95% CI: 5.6, 9.4; n = 784). The K functions revealed a significant overall clustering of porcine cysticercosis incidence for all distances between 600 m and 5 km from a randomly chosen case household based on Ag-ELISA. Lingual examination revealed clustering from 650 m to 6 km and between 7.5 and 10 km. The prevalence study did not reveal any significant clustering by this method. Spatial scan statistics found one significant cluster of porcine cysticercosis prevalence (P = 0.0036; n = 370). In addition, the analysis found one large cluster of porcine cysticercosis incidence based on Ag-ELISA (P = 0.0010; n = 236) and two relatively small clusters of incidence based on lingual examination (P = 0.0012 and P = 0.0026; n = 241). These clusters had similar spatial location and included six wards, four of which were identified as high risk areas of porcine cysticercosis. Conclusion/Significance: This study has identified local clusters of porcine cysticercosis in Mbulu district, northern Tanzania, where limited resources for control of T. solium could be directed. Further studies are needed to establish causes of clustering to institute appropriate interventions.Item Transmission of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli between cattle, humans and the environment in peri-urban livestock keeping communities in Morogoro, Tanzania(ELSEVIER, 2014-07-23) Lupindu, A. M.; Dalsgaard, A.; Msoffe, P. L.; Ngowi, H. A.; Mtambo, M. M.; Olsen, J. E.Urban and peri-urban livestock farming is expanding world-widely because of increased urbanization and demands for food of animal origin. Such farming practices pose a public health risk as livestock are reservoirs of several zoonotic pathogens. In an attempt to determine the fecal transmission between livestock and people, 100 household clusters keeping cattle in close proximity of humans were selected in urban and peri-urban areas of Morogoro in Tanzania. One hundred eighteen ampicillin and tetracycline resistant Escherichia coli (40 from human stool, 50 from cattle feces, 21 from soil and seven from water samples) were isolated from 44 different clusters. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of XbaI digested chromosomal DNA was used to compare the genetic relatedness of the ampicillin- and tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates. Indistinguishable PFGE band patterns of the ampicillin- and tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates were found in samples from 23 (52%) clusters. This suggests that transfer of fecal microorganisms between cattle, humans, water and soils within the farms and from livestock farms to the neighborhood occurred commonly. Logistic regression showed that animal housing infrastructures (Odd Ratio=11.2, 95% CI=1.1-119.3) were associated with E. coli showing identical PFGE types within and between clusters. There is a need to improve animal husbandry and manure management practices to reduce risks of transmission of enteropathogens between livestock and humans in urban and peri-urban farming.