scholarly journals Risk practices for bovine tuberculosis transmission to cattle and livestock farming communities living at wildlife-livestock-human interface in northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petronillah Rudo Sichewo ◽  
Catiane Vander Kelen ◽  
Séverine Thys ◽  
Anita Luise Michel
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
One Health ◽  
Infected Animal ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Traditional Practices ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Contaminated Food ◽  
Risk Practices

AbstractBovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a disease of cattle that is transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal or ingestion of contaminated food or water. This study seeks to explore the local knowledge on the disease and establish the risk practices that lead to its transmission to cattle and humans (zoonotic TB) in a traditional livestock farming community with a history of bTB diagnosis in cattle and wildlife. Information was collected using a qualitative approach of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) targeting household members of livestock farmers that owned either bTB infected or uninfected herds. We conducted fourteen FGDs (150 individuals) across four dip tanks that included the following categories of participants from cattle owning households: heads of households, cattle keepers, dip tank committee members and women. The qualitative data was managed using NVivo Version 12 Pro®software. Social and cultural practices were identified as major risky practices for bTB transmission to people, such as the consumption of undercooked meat, consumption of soured /raw milk and lack of protective measures during slaughtering of cattle. The acceptance of animals into a herd without bTB pre-movement testing following traditional practices (e.g. lobola, ‘bride price’, the temporary introduction of a bull for ‘breeding’), the sharing of grazing and watering points amongst the herds and with wildlife were identified as risky practices for bTB transmission to cattle. Overall, knowledge of bTB in cattle and modes of transmission to people and livestock was found to be high. However, the community was still involved in risky practices that expose people and cattle to bovine TB. An inter-disciplinary ‘One Health’ approach that engages the community is recommended, to provide locally relevant interventions that allows the community to keep their traditional practices and socio-economic systems whilst avoiding disease transmission to cattle and people.Author summaryBovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a respiratory disease of cattle that is transmitted to other animals as well as humans (zoonotic TB) through direct contact with infected animals, and consumption of contaminated food (animal products) or water. The study explains the complexities of human-animal relations, reflects on how people understand and conceptualize risk of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in an endemic area considering the economic value of livestock keeping as well as social and cultural practices of importance to the community. The results of this study identified socio-cultural practices that involved consumption of raw or undercooked animal products and handling of infected animal products during animal slaughter as major risky practices for bTB transmission to people. Introduction of animals into a herd without bTB testing for socio-cultural purposes and sharing of resources amongst the communal herd and with wildlife were identified as risky practices for bTB transmission to cattle. The findings of this study illustrate the need for a One Health strategy that develops appropriate public health policy and related education campaigns for the community as control of zoonotic TB in people depends on the successful control of bovine TB in cattle.

scholarly journals A UniqueCase of Brucellosis with Central Nervous SystemNeurovasculitis

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Contact ◽  
Infected Animal ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Mononuclear Phagocytes ◽  
Zoonotic Transmission ◽  
Unusual Presentation ◽  
Brucella Species ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Brucella Infection ◽  
Contaminated Food

Brucella species are gram-negative, facultative, non-motile intracellular coccobacilli, which replicate inside mononuclear phagocytes. They have zoonotic transmission caused by ingestion of contaminated food, direct contact with an infected animal, or inhalation of aerosols. Albeit brucellosis has various clinical manifestations, neurobrucellosisinvolvement is considered rare, and occurs in 5-10% of cases [1]. Furthermore, CNS brucella infection most often presents as eithermeningitis or meningoencephalitis [2]. In this report, we describe an unusual presentation of neurobrocellosis, where no evidence ofmeningeal

An Ethos of Deconstruction in Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Contexts

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 368-385
Author(s):  
Johann-Albrecht Meylahn
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Traditional Practices ◽  
Ethical Norm ◽  
Ethical Conflicts ◽  
Textual Space ◽  
Alternative Practices ◽  
Dominant Narratives

The essay will focus on the role of Derrida’s différance in opening a space for an alternative ethos in religious or cultural plural contexts. In postcolonial contexts individual human rights, as the universal norm, is challenged by religious and cultural traditional practices. Some of the traditional practices are incompatible with individual rights and this is aggravated in a postmodern context as there is no universal meta-narrative to arbitrate between the conflicting practices. The result of this conflict is often a stalemate between the universal rights of individuals, often marginal individuals (children, homosexuals and women), over against religious and cultural values and traditions of the particular local context or religious or cultural group. The question this article focuses on is how deconstruction can help to move beyond such ethical conflicts. The article proposes that deconstruction can offer a way of reading, interpreting and understanding these cultural practices within their contexts, by taking the various practices (texts) within their contexts seriously as there is no beyond the text. This reading creates an inter-textual space between the various dominant narratives for the emergence of an alternative ethos. This emerging ethos is not presented as the ethical norm, but rather as an open, expectant attitude towards all the texts involved. This attitude can maybe open the space for alternative practices beyond the stalemate in multi-religious and multi-cultural contexts.

scholarly journals BCG vaccination for bovine tuberculosis; conclusions from the Jerusalem One Health workshop

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 1037-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben J. Marais ◽  
Bryce M. Buddle ◽  
Lin‐Mari Klerk‐Lorist ◽  
Patrick Nguipdop‐Djomo ◽  
Frederick Quinn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
One Health ◽  
Bcg Vaccination

scholarly journals Modeling Ebola Virus Transmission Using Ferrets

mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc-Antoine de La Vega ◽  
Geoff Soule ◽  
Kaylie N. Tran ◽  
Kevin Tierney ◽  
Shihua He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Infected Animal ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Metal Mesh ◽  
Indirect Contact ◽  
Specific Antibodies ◽  
Bodily Fluids

ABSTRACT Ebola virus (EBOV) has been responsible for sporadic outbreaks in Central Africa since 1976 and has the potential of causing social disruption and public panic as illustrated by the 2013–2016 epidemic in West Africa. Transmission of EBOV has been described to occur via contact with infected bodily fluids, supported by data indicating that infectious EBOV could be cultured from blood, semen, saliva, urine, and breast milk. Parameters influencing transmission of EBOV are, however, largely undefined in part due to the lack of an established animal model to study mechanisms of pathogen spread. Here, we investigated EBOV transmissibility in male and female ferrets. After intranasal challenge, an infected animal was placed in direct contact with a naive ferret and in contact with another naive ferret (separated from the infected animal by a metal mesh) that served as the indirect-contact animal. All challenged animals, male direct contacts, and one male indirect contact developed disease and died. The remaining animals were not viremic and remained asymptomatic but developed EBOV-glycoprotein IgM and/or IgG specific antibodies—indicative of virus transmission. EBOV transmission via indirect contact was frequently observed in this model but resulted in less-severe disease compared to direct contact. Interestingly, these observations are consistent with the detection of specific antibodies in humans living in areas of EBOV endemicity. IMPORTANCE Our knowledge regarding transmission of EBOV between individuals is vague and is mostly limited to spreading via direct contact with infectious bodily fluids. Studying transmission parameters such as dose and route of infection is nearly impossible in naturally acquired cases—hence the requirement for a laboratory animal model. Here, we show as a proof of concept that ferrets can be used to study EBOV transmission. We also show that transmission in the absence of direct contact is frequent, as all animals with indirect contact with the infected ferrets had detectable antibodies to the virus, and one succumbed to infection. Our report provides a new small-animal model for studying EBOV transmission that does not require adaptation of the virus, providing insight into virus transmission among humans during epidemics.

scholarly journals Mark of the Spirit: Body Marks as Icons of Spirituality among the Dangme in Ghana

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-35
Author(s):  
Alice Korkor Ebeheakey ◽  
Steve Kquofi ◽  
Eric Appau Asante ◽  
Charlotte Buerkie Nubuor
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
The Body ◽  
Traditional Religion ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Higher Power ◽  
The Will

In African traditional religion, priding oneself in the beliefs and practices of one’s culture is intensely essential. The driving force for this is mainly the need to satisfy the will of a higher power. Cultural practices, being a channel between the living, the dead and the spirits is one of the ways in which a group of people satisfy the will of these higher beings. Body marking, among the Dangme, forms a great deal of aspects of cultural practices which connotes spirituality. This study discusses the concept of spirituality as enshrined in the body marks of the Dangme people of Ghana. To obtain the relevant information needed, the qualitative approach to research has been adopted using interviews and observation as the main data collection tools. These give a rich and in-depth understanding of the body marks that are practiced for spiritual purposes among the Dangme. This paper is a collation of findings from studies conducted between February, 2012 and February, 2019. It is evident from the research that, marks for spiritual purposes seemed to be practiced irrespective of the clan individuals hail from. These marks are seen as methods (or modes) of maintaining direct contact and proving allegiance to the spirits that protect them as a people.

One Health and Parasites

2019 ◽  
pp. 82-112
Author(s):  
Said Sajjad Ali Shah ◽  
Adnan Khan
Keyword(s):  
One Health ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Contaminated Food ◽  
Parasitic Zoonoses ◽  
Public Health Workers ◽  
Etiological Agents ◽  
Water Borne

One health is a collective term used to address human and animal health issues under one platform. More than half of the diseases of humans are directly or indirectly related to animal health and spread from animals to humans or vice versa. Etiological agents of zoonotic diseases may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic in origin. Among them, parasitic agents are very important because they are either directly involved as etiological agents or as vectors of other pathogenic organisms. Parasitic zoonoses are transmitted to humans through vectors, food, or drinking water, and thus categorized as vector borne, food borne, and water borne parasitic zoonoses. Food borne and water borne parasitic zoonoses include all those parasitic diseases which are transmitted to humans by consuming contaminated food and water. An extensive alliance is necessary amongst physicians, veterinarians, and public health workers for timely response and approach to guarantee the prevention and management of infections.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Effectiveness of Rhizobium Inoculants and Micronutrients as Technologies for Nepalese Common Bean Smallholder Farmers in the Real-World Context of Highly Variable Hillside Environments and Indigenous Farming Practices

Agriculture ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malinda Thilakarathna ◽  
Tejendra Chapagain ◽  
Bhawana Ghimire ◽  
Roshan Pudasaini ◽  
Bir Tamang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Traditional Practices ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
Vegetative Biomass ◽  
On Farm

Studies have shown the potential of rhizobia and associated micronutrients to enhance symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes. Tens of millions of smallholder farmers, however, farm on mountain hillsides in highly variable soil and microenvironments, with different crop rotations, inputs and cultural practices. Here, on the terraces of the Nepalese Himalayas, we evaluated rhizobium inoculants (local, exotic), micronutrients (molybdenum, boron) and their combinations as technologies for smallholder farmers under highly variable microenvironments and traditional practices. The study was conducted as a series of participatory on-farm trials with 39 terrace farmers in two mid-hill districts of Nepal (Dhading, Kaski) from 2015 to 2017. Plots were measured for relevant agronomic traits. As expected, when comparing treatment plots with adjacent control plots within each farm, the results demonstrated tremendous farm-to-farm variability for nodulation, vegetative biomass, shoot nitrogen content, grain yield, and grain N content. Despite the variation observed, the data showed that the number of farms that showed yield increases from the rhizobium interventions, compared to those that suffered yield losses, was generally 2:1. We discuss potential experimental and socio-agronomic reasons for the variable results, including rainfall, which appeared critical. The results demonstrate the promise of rhizobium interventions for hillside smallholder farmers, even in a highly variable context.

scholarly journals West Nile Virus: An Update on Pathobiology, Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Control and “One Health” Implications

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gervais Habarugira ◽  
Willy W. Suen ◽  
Jody Hobson-Peters ◽  
Roy A. Hall ◽  
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
One Health ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Health Implications ◽  
Natural Hosts ◽  
Control Programmes

West Nile virus (WNV) is an important zoonotic flavivirus responsible for mild fever to severe, lethal neuroinvasive disease in humans, horses, birds, and other wildlife species. Since its discovery, WNV has caused multiple human and animal disease outbreaks in all continents, except Antarctica. Infections are associated with economic losses, mainly due to the cost of treatment of infected patients, control programmes, and loss of animals and animal products. The pathogenesis of WNV has been extensively investigated in natural hosts as well as in several animal models, including rodents, lagomorphs, birds, and reptiles. However, most of the proposed pathogenesis hypotheses remain contentious, and much remains to be elucidated. At the same time, the unavailability of specific antiviral treatment or effective and safe vaccines contribute to the perpetuation of the disease and regular occurrence of outbreaks in both endemic and non-endemic areas. Moreover, globalisation and climate change are also important drivers of the emergence and re-emergence of the virus and disease. Here, we give an update of the pathobiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, control, and “One Health” implications of WNV infection and disease.

Distribution, Prevalence, and Epidemiology of Bovine Tuberculosis in Brushtail Possums, Trichosurus-Vulpecula, in the Hohonu Range, New-Zealand

1988 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 651 ◽  
Author(s):  
JD Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Lymph Node ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Infected Animal ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Autumn And Winter

Over a 12-month period, 1467 brushtail possums were trapped and then killed or were poisoned along sampling lines on pasture-forest margins and in nearby forest. An additional 334 possums were shot on adjacent farm land. All possums were necropsied, and 141 had macroscopic lesions typical of bovine tuberculosis. Infected possums occurred most commonly in small foci of 2-5 individuals along pasture-forest margins; the furthest from pasture that an infected animal was taken was 4050 m. Lesions occurred in possums of all ages in both sexes, but disease prevalence was highest in immature males and during autumn and winter. Infected possums bred as successfully as non-infected individuals, but were of lighter body weight. Macroscopic lesions occurred in a wide range of visceral and lymph node sites. Lesions were most common in the lungs and axillary nodes, and occasionally formed open sinuses from which infected possums could shed M. bovis readily, and thus were likely to be highly infective. Evidence suggested that disease transmission occurs most frequently on pasture-forest margins, where possum numbers are greatest and possum and cattle mix most freely.

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