The Bat Meat Chain and Perceptions of the risk of contracting Ebola in the Mount Cameroon Region

Abstract Background Local people’s interaction with bats render them vulnerable to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). This paper examines perceptions of risk involved in the hunting, handling, processing and consumption of bat meat in the Mount Cameroon region of Southwest Cameroon. It focuses on the myriad cultural beliefs, gendered patterns of activity and institutional arrangements in which the bat meat production chain is embedded. Methods We conducted 30 ethnographic interviews with a sample of purposively selected men and women involved in the bat meat trade. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and inductive analysis was performed on the data. Findings The findings suggests that more urban men than villagers and hunters consume bat meat. Different practices and behaviours expose the mostly uneducated, young, single men and women to the risk of Ebola infection depending on their differential level of intervention in the human-bat interaction and value chain linking hunters, sellers and customers. The killing of bats with the mouth during hunting expose hunters (young men) while the preparation of bat carcasses for consumption also put women, (mostly young and unmarried) at risk. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the complexity and nuances of gender, poverty and Ebola outcomes predispose some marginal groups to the risk of infection with zoonotic diseases. There is the need to improve public health intervention and health education among the rural masses in the Mount Cameroon region.

Download Full-text

Knowledge, Perceptions and Effects of Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak on the Pig Value Chain in the Agro-pastoralist District of Luwero, Central Uganda

10.21203/rs.3.rs-76238/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Samuel Majalija ◽

Doreen Birungi ◽

Gabriel Tumwine ◽

Charles Drago Kato ◽

Tonny Ssekamatte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care Providers ◽

Value Chain ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Unit Cost ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Traditional Healers ◽

Care Providers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Farming Communities

Abstract Background: Ebola outbreaks have continued to affect the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of communities. In particular, Ebola response interventions affect food value chains, food and income security of pig farming communities. There is paucity of information on the effect of Ebola outbreak on the pig value chain as well there is a gap on the knowledge and perceptions of those engaged in the pig value chain on Ebola. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the knowledge, perceptions on the occurrence of Ebola and its effects on the pig value chain in the agro-pastoral district of Luweero, Central Uganda.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in two parishes of Ssambwe and Ngalonkulu, Luwero district. A total of 229 respondents were included in the study. Structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to collect data. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 22 while qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis.Results: Of the 229 respondents, 95.6% could recall the occurrence of the last Ebola outbreak in their locality. The proportion of respondents that associated touching pigs or eating pork with acquisition of Ebola virus was 24.5%. Ebola was perceived as a spiritual manifestation of witchcraft activities. Traditional healers were among the first line of health care providers to Ebola patients in the outbreak. There was no significant association between the perceived human practices such as bush meat consumption, contact with wild animals and acquiring of Ebola virus. The number of pigs sold during the outbreak was significantly reduced (p= 0.001) and this normalized 2 months after the area was declared Ebola free. There was a significant reduction (p= 0.03) in consumption of pork, as well as the unit cost per kilogram of pork during the Ebola outbreak due to fear of acquiring the disease from pork. Conclusion: The study showed that the pig value chain was negatively affected by Ebola outbreak. Therefore, there is need to sensitize the stakeholders on Ebola in order to minimize the negative economic impacts associated with EVD outbreaks.

Download Full-text

Cell-Based Meat and Firms’ Environmental Strategies: New Rationales as per Available Literature

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12229418 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (22) ◽

pp. 9418

Author(s):

Germano Glufke Reis ◽

Marina Sucha Heidemann ◽

Katherine Helena Oliveira de Matos ◽

Carla Forte Maiolino Molento

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Animal Ethics ◽

Consumer Attitudes ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Meat Production ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Production Chain ◽

Alternative Protein ◽

Environmental Strategies

Higher demand for meat production and limited inputs, as well as environmental and animal ethics issues, are bringing alternative protein sources to the market, such as cell-based meat (CBM), i.e., meat produced through cell culturing, without involving animal raising and killing. Although the potential social and environmental benefits of the technology have been recently addressed in the blossoming CBM literature, little has been discussed about the possible implications for the environmental strategies of firms that are entering the new cell-based production chain. Thus, drawing on the theoretical framework of competitive environmental strategies and a systematic review of the literature, we discuss prospects for cell-based meat regarding the possible adoption of environmental strategies by firms that are entering the CBM chain. The technology may be considered a potential means for mitigating most of the environmental impacts of large-scale meat production, e.g., extensive land use and greenhouse gas emissions. We discuss how such benefits and consumer attitudes towards cultivated meat could encourage the adoption of environmental strategies by firms, and the roles that value chain firms are likely to play in those strategies in the future.

Download Full-text

Rabbit meat sector value chain

World Rabbit Science ◽

10.4995/wrs.2017.6565 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 95 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

A. Baviera-Puig ◽

J. Buitrago-Vera ◽

C. Escriba-Perez ◽

L. Montero-Vicente

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Economies Of Scale ◽

Distribution Channel ◽

Added Value ◽

Meat Production ◽

Chain Model ◽

Production Chain ◽

Self Service ◽

Rabbit Meat

<p>The aim of this research was to study the cuniculture industry in Spain, according to the Food Value Chain model, and analyse what its main operators are. Four components were identified in the rabbit meat production chain: input suppliers, producers, abattoirs and cutting plants and distribution. Distribution can follow 2 paths, the traditional channel and the modern or large-scale distribution channel. Rabbit feed, which represents the main input for producers, is a minority product, especially when compared to feeds formulated for other livestock species, as its manufacture calls for specialist companies. Rabbit production is linked to the rural environment and constitutes a significant economic option, not only for farms but also for the industry around it, such as feed producers and distributors, technicians, slaughterhouses or leather processors, among others. Rabbit farms are generally independent and not usually integrated, as found in other types of livestock. Slaughterhouses currently represent one of the main axes of the rabbit meat production chain and are either focused on traditional or large-scale distribution. The main strategic changes are apparent in slaughterhouses focused on large-scale distribution by seeking cooperative ways of working, using slaughterhouse groupings and vertical integration processes. This way, they manage to adjust margins by working with economies of scale and, ultimately, lower prices. Slaughterhouses whose strategies are based on traditional distribution may achieve higher margins than those focusing their efforts on large-scale distribution, but their growth is limited. In traditional retail premises, the majority of sales consist of whole carcasses in bulk, which are prepared and quartered as per consumer tastes. Large-scale retail distribution outlets sell both cut produce from the meat counters located in their own premises and pre-packaged products, more suited to self-service formulae. Brand presence is minimal, as is that of processed or semiprocessed products. This current situation requires support from the entire sector in order to provide rabbit<br />meat with new features better adapted to consumers’ needs, above and beyond price and with greater added value.</p>

Download Full-text

A qualitative study to understand how Ebola Virus Disease affected nutrition in Sierra Leone—A food value-chain framework for improving future response strategies

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0007645 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. e0007645 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Stephen R. Kodish ◽

Frank Bio ◽

Rachel Oemcke ◽

James Conteh ◽

Jean Max Beauliere ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

Sierra Leone ◽

Value Chain ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

Response Strategies ◽

Food Value

Download Full-text

Knowledge, perceptions and effects of Ebola virus disease outbreak on the pig value chain in the agro-pastoralist district of Luwero, Central Uganda

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-021-06337-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Doreen Birungi ◽

Gabriel Tumwine ◽

Charles Drago Kato ◽

Tonny Ssekamatte ◽

Michael Ocaido ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Public Meetings ◽

Pastoral Communities

Abstract Background Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing, and livelihoods of communities. EVD response interventions particularly affect the food value chain, and income security of pig farmers in agro-pastoral communities. Despite the enormous effort of EVD response interventions, there is paucity of information towards EVD among those involved in the pig value chain, as well as the effect of EVD outbreaks on the pig value chain. This study therefore, assessed the knowledge, perceptions on the occurrence of Ebola and its effects on the pig value chain in the agro-pastoral district of Luweero, Central Uganda. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted in two parishes of Ssambwe and Ngalonkulu, Luwero district. A total of 229 respondents were included in the study. Structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to collect data. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 22 while qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Results Of the 229 respondents, 95.6% could recall the occurrence of the last EVD outbreak in their locality. About 24.5% associated EVD with touching pigs or eating pork. Regarding knowledge, 194 (84.7%) correctly associated EVD with handling Ebola infected persons, 191 (83.4%) with migration of people from endemic areas, 148 (64.9%) eating monkey meat, 127 (55.5%) with eating bats, and 198 (64.9%) with conducting public meetings where there is an Ebola infected person. Out of 142 farmers, 55 (38.7%) believed that Ebola outbreaks affected demand and sale of pigs. The EVD outbreak significantly led to a reduction in the average number of pigs sold (P = 0.001), the average number of pigs bought by traders (P = 0.04), and the number of pigs sold/ slaughtered by butcher men at pork eating places (P = 0.03). Conclusion This study showed that EVD outbreak negatively affected the pig value chain i.e., the demand and supply of pigs and pork. Therefore, there is need to sensitize the stakeholders in the pig value chain on EVD in order to minimize the negative economic impacts associated with EVD outbreaks.

Download Full-text

Treatment of ebola and other infectious diseases: melatonin “goes viral”

Melatonin Research ◽

10.32794/mr11250047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 43-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Russel J Reiter ◽

Qiang Ma ◽

Ramaswamy Sharma

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Hemorrhagic Shock ◽

Safety Profile ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Attractive Potential ◽

Potential Treatment

This review summarizes published reports on the utility of melatonin as a treatment for virus-mediated diseases. Of special note are the data related to the role of melatonin in influencing Ebola virus disease. This infection and deadly condition has no effective treatment and the published works documenting the ability of melatonin to attenuate the severity of viral infections generally and Ebola infection specifically are considered. The capacity of melatonin to prevent one of the major complications of an Ebola infection, i.e., the hemorrhagic shock syndrome, which often contributes to the high mortality rate, is noteworthy. Considering the high safety profile of melatonin, the fact that it is easily produced, inexpensive and can be self-administered makes it an attractive potential treatment for Ebola virus pathology.

Download Full-text