Browsing by Author "Mnyone, Ladslaus L."

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Detection and characterization of zoonotic Bartonella spp. in rodents and shrews ectoparasites from Kigoma and Morogoro Regions, Tanzania
(De Gruyter, 2023) Mhamphi, Ginethon G.; Msoffe, Venance T.; Lyimo, Charles M.; Katakweba, Abdul S.; Massawe, Apia W.; Komba, Erick V. G.; Mnyone, Ladslaus L.
Bartonellosis is a vector-borne disease which is increasingly threatening the health of humans and animals worldwide consequent to the growing wildlife-animals- human interactions. Little is known about the epidemiology of this disease in Tanzania. In this study we investigated and characterized Bartonella species in small mammals’ ectoparasites from potentially high-risk areas in the country. A total of 141 ectoparasites pools of mites, fleas, ticks, and lice were analyzed using conventional PCR and sequencing. Bartonella DNA was detected in 34.8 % of the tested ecto- parasite pools, with mites at 32.9 %, fleas at 40 %, ticks at 12.5 %, and lice at 50 %. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Bartonella spp. genotypes were closely related to those found in Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. Different geno- types with independent haplotypes were observed, although most Bartonella spp. from fleas shared the same haplogroup. The confirmed presence of Bartonella elizabethae and Bar- tonella tribocorum in field and house rodents emphasizes the prevailing transmission risk of zoonotic infections in the study areas and beyond. Screening of humans, companion animals, and livestock in potentially high-risk areas in Tanzania is necessary in order to inform the development of responsive surveillance and control strategies.
Species composition, diversity, abundance, and phylogeny of fleas of small mammals in selected plague-endemic and nonendemic areas of Tanzania
(Wiley, 2025-10-15) Materu, Adrian E.; Mafie, Eliakunda M.; Nzalawahe, Jahashi S.; Mnyone, Ladslaus L.
The remerging nature of plague requires detailed understanding of the plague flea vectors and small mammal reservoir interactions. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing flea vector composition, diversity, prevalence, abundance, and phylogeny in selected villages of Lushoto, Mbulu, and Morogoro Rural districts in Tanzania. Small mammals were captured from households and different habitats, and flea ectoparasites were collected, processed, and identified morphologically. Furthermore, seven specimens of the most collected flea species Ctenophthalmus sp. and Xenopsylla cheopis were submitted for advanced molecular identification and phylogenetic relatedness. The prevalence between predictors such as habitat type, host species, host sex, and locality was compared using chi-square tests, and also, generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to check the variation between flea abundance and different predictors. A total of 302 small mammals were captured with Mastomys natalensis (n = 163, 54.0%), Rattus rattus (n = 41, 13.6%), and Crocidura spp. (n = 31, 10.3%) dominating the total capture. The collected fleas belonged to nine species, and the most prevalent and abundant species were Ctenophthalmus spp. (n = 84, 31.0%), Pulex irritans (n = 82, 30.3%), Dinopsylla lypusus (n = 78, 28.8%), and Nosopsyllus incisus (n = 11, 4.1%) from rodents, and more so on males than females. The highest flea diversity was in crop fields (H ′ = 1 05) followed by near-natural forests (H ′ = 1 03) and fallow land (H ′ = 0 7). Phylogenetic analysis of ITS1 sequences for Ctenophthalmus sp. and Xenopsylla cheopis from Lushoto and Mbulu districts showed strong nucleotide identity. These findings highlight the need for continuous flea and rodent surveillance to mitigate potential plague outbreaks and protect public health in endemic areas.