THE 1986 LAKENYOSGAS DISASTER IN CAMEROON:CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS ON SURVIVORS AND THE LIVESTOCK ECONOMY

This paper seeks to examine how the Lake Nyos gas disaster of 21 August 1986 affectedlivestock production and cattle rearing within the environment of Subum, Cha and Nyos. It brings to the forefront, the post-disaster effects onthe pastoral cattle rearing community. Thepolicies and strategies put forth by the various stakeholdersat the national and international levels have partially addressed some of the worries posed by this disaster, even thoughthe area is still in dire need of government and humanitarian support to improve onthe sector.The paper argues that, the resettlement of these livestock breeders could improvethis sector and render the environment sustainable for human habitation. Gleaned from a wide range of primary and secondary sources, the paper concludes that there isabsolute need for the government of Cameroon to tackle these long-term difficulties faced by these communities and to develop an effective livestock policy geared towards improving the livelihoods of the people around Lake Nyos.

THE 1986 LAKENYOSGAS DISASTER IN CAMEROON:CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS ON SURVIVORS AND THE LIVESTOCK ECONOMY

This paper seeks to examine how the Lake Nyos gas disaster of 21 August 1986 affectedlivestock production and cattle rearing within the environment of Subum, Cha and Nyos. It brings to the forefront, the post-disaster effects onthe pastoral cattle rearing community. Thepolicies and strategies put forth by the various stakeholdersat the national and international levels have partially addressed some of the worries posed by this disaster, even thoughthe area is still in dire need of government and humanitarian support to improve onthe sector.The paper argues that, the resettlement of these livestock breeders could improvethis sector and render the environment sustainable for human habitation. Gleaned from a wide range of primary and secondary sources, the paper concludes that there isabsolute need for the government of Cameroon to tackle these long-term difficulties faced by these communities and to develop an effective livestock policy geared towards improving the livelihoods of the people around Lake Nyos.

КАЗАХСКАЯ БЕЛОГОЛОВАЯ — ПЕРВАЯ ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННАЯ СПЕЦИАЛИЗИРОВАННАЯ ПОРОДА МЯСНОГО СКОТА

Кратко представлена история создания породы, утвержденной в 1950 году методом воспроизводительного скрещивания казахского, калмыцкого скота и их помесей с герефордской породой. Животные казахской белоголовой породы отвечают всем требованиям, предъявляемым к специализированным породам мясного направления продуктивности: неприхотливы к кормам и условиям содержания, прекрасно сочетают рост с откормом и нагулом в сухих степях, имеют хорошую воспроизводительную способность, приспособлены к резко континентальному климату и дают говядину с высокими вкусовыми качествами. Порода создана для разведения в зоне сухих степей и полупустынь с целью эффективного использования больших территорий пастбищных угодий. Учеными и специалистами проведена работа по созданию заводских линий и внедрению селекции по интенсивности роста. Казахская белоголовая порода получила широкое распространение в Российской Федерации и Казахстане. Сформулированы промежуточные итоги разведения данной породы и намечены цели дальнейшей работы с ней. Порода оказывает большое влияние на развитие отрасли мясного скотоводства и обеспечение продовольственной независимости России за счет своей роли в производстве высококачественного мяса через малоиспользуемые ресурсы пастбищного скотоводства.The article is presented on the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Kazakh whitehead breed. Here is a brief history of creation. The breed was created in 1950 by the method of reproductive crossing of Kazakh, Kalmyk cattle and their crosses with Hereford breed. Animals of the Kazakh white-headed breed meet all the requirements for specialized poultry of the meat direction of productivity: they are unpretentious to feed and keeping conditions, they perfectly combine growth with fattening and feeding in dry steppes, have good reproductive ability, are adapted to sharply continental climate and give beef high taste . The breed was created for breeding in the zone of dry steppes and semi-deserts, with the aim of efficient use of large areas of pasture land. People who created and worked with the breed and their achievements are noted. Scientists and specialists carried out work on the creation of factory lines and the introduction of selection by growth rate. Kazakh white-headed breed is widespread in the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. The intermediate results of breeding of this breed are formulated and the goals of further work with it are outlined. It is assumed that the breed will continue to have a great influence on the development of the beef cattle breeding industry, ensuring food independence of Russia due to its role in the production of high-quality meat through the underutilized resources of pastoral cattle breeding.

Seropositivity and associated intrinsic and extrinsic factors for Rift Valley fever virus occurrence in pastoral herds of Nigeria: A cross sectional survey

Background: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne emerging zoonotic disease of animals and humans, characterized by major socioeconomic losses to livestock farmers, with potential global public health threat. The study determined RVFV seroprevalence in cattle, as well as assessed pastoralists’ existing knowledge about the diseases, and factors that influence RVFV occurrence in pastoral cattle herds of Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in pastoral herds of North-central Nigeria from 2017 to 2018. Data collections were carried out using serology and questionnaire tools. Descriptive statistics, using frequencies and proportions, were used to analyze data obtained from the survey. Categorical variables were presented as proportions and their associations determined by Chi-square tests. Associations of risk factors were analyzed by univariable and multivariable logistic regressions analyses at 95% confidence level. Results: The overall IgM seropositivity of RVFV in pastoral cattle herds of North-central Nigeria was 5.6%. This was higher in nomadic cattle (7.4%) than agro-pastoral animals (3.8%). All animal demographic characteristics of age, sex and breeds were not significantly (p>0.05) associated with RVFV occurrence in pastoral herds. All the 403 pastoralists selected participated in the study, with the majorities of respondents being male, married and having formal education. Majority of the pastoralists had low knowledge levels about zoonotic RVFV infection. However, all identified socio-ecological factors significantly (p<0.05) influenced RVFV occurrence in pastoral cattle herds. Mosquitoes availability in cattle herds environment (OR=7.81; 95% CI: 4.85, 12.37), presence of rivers and streams at grazing fields (OR=10.80; 95% CI: 6.77, 17.34), high rainfall (OR=4.30; 95% CI: 2.74, 6.59), irrigated rice fields (OR=5.14; 95% CI: 3.21, 7.79) , bushy vegetation (OR=6.11; 95% CI: 3.96, 9.43), animal movement (OR=2.2; 95% CI: 1.45, 3.25), and seasons (OR=2.34; 95% CI: 1.55, 3.51) were more likely to influence RVFV occurrence in pastoral cattle herds. Conclusions: The results of this study illustrated recent circulation of RVFV in pastoral cattle herds of Nigeria and needs urgent interventions. Low levels of knowledge about RVF were also highlighted amongst surveyed pastoralists and identified socio-ecological factors significantly influenced RVFV occurrence in herds. Adequate knowledge about RVF epidemiology will assure food security and public health.

Identifying Age Cohorts Responsible for Peste Des Petits Ruminants Virus Transmission among Sheep, Goats, and Cattle in Northern Tanzania

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) causes a contagious disease of high morbidity and mortality in global sheep and goat populations. To better control this disease and inform eradication strategies, an improved understanding of how PPRV transmission risk varies by age is needed. Our study used a piece-wise catalytic model to estimate the age-specific force of infection (FOI, per capita infection rate of susceptible hosts) among sheep, goats, and cattle from a cross-sectional serosurvey dataset collected in 2016 in Tanzania. Apparent seroprevalence increased with age, reaching 53.6%, 46.8%, and 11.6% (true seroprevalence: 52.7%, 52.8%, 39.2%) for sheep, goats, and cattle, respectively. Seroprevalence was significantly higher among pastoral animals than agropastoral animals across all ages, with pastoral sheep and goat seroprevalence approaching 70% and 80%, respectively, suggesting pastoral endemicity. The best fitting piece-wise catalytic models merged age groups: two for sheep, three for goats, and four for cattle. The signal of these age heterogeneities were weak, except for a significant FOI peak among 2.5–3.5-year-old pastoral cattle. The subtle age-specific heterogeneities identified in this study suggest that targeting control efforts by age may not be as effective as targeting by other risk factors, such as production system type. Further research should investigate how specific husbandry practices affect PPRV transmission.

Identifying age cohorts responsible for Peste des petits ruminants virus transmission among sheep, goats, and cattle in northern Tanzania

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) causes a contagious disease of high morbidity and mortality in global sheep and goat populations and leads to approximately $2 billion USD in global annual losses. PPRV is currently targeted by the Food and Agricultural Organization and World Animal Health Organization for global eradication by 2030. To better control this disease and inform eradication strategies, an improved understanding of how PPRV risk varies by age is needed. Our study used a piece-wise catalytic model to estimate the age-specific force of infection (FOI, per capita infection rate of susceptible hosts) among sheep, goats, and cattle from a cross-sectional serosurvey dataset collected in 2016 in Tanzania. Apparent seroprevalence rose with age, as would be expected if PPRV is a fully-immunizing infection, reaching 53.6%, 46.8%, and 11.6% (true seroprevalence: 52.7%, 52.8%, 39.2%) for sheep, goats, and cattle, respectively. Seroprevalence was significantly higher among pastoral animals than agropastoral animals across all ages, with pastoral sheep and goat seroprevalence approaching 70% and 80%, respectively, suggesting endemicity in pastoral settings. The best fitting piece-wise catalytic models included merged age groups: two age groups for sheep, three age groups for goats, and four age groups for cattle. However, the signal of these age heterogeneities was weak, with overlapping confidence intervals around force of infection estimates from most models with the exception of a significant FOI peak among 2.5-3.5 year old pastoral cattle. Pastoral animals had a higher force of infection overall, and across a wider range of ages than agropastoral animals. The subtle age-specific force of infection heterogeneities identified in this study among sheep, goats, and cattle suggest that targeting control efforts by age may not be as effective as targeting by other risk factors, such as management system type. Further research should investigate how specific husbandry practices affect PPRV transmission.Author SummaryAge differences in transmission are important for many infections, and can help target control programs. We used an age-structured serosurvey of Tanzanian sheep, goats, and cattle to explore peste des petits ruminants virus transmission. We estimated rate at which susceptibles acquire infection (force of infection) to determine which age group(s) had the highest transmission rates. We hypothesized that an age-varying model with multiple age groups would better fit the data than an age constant model and that the highest transmission rates would appear in the youngest age groups. Furthermore, we hypothesized evidence of immunity would increase with age. The data supported our hypothesis at the species level and the best fitting models merged age groups: two, three, and four age group models were best for sheep, goats, and cattle, respectively. The highest rates occurred among younger age groups and evidence of immunity rose with age for all species. In most models, confidence interval estimates overlapped, but there was a significant FOI peak among 2.3-3.5 year old pastoral cattle. Importantly, these data indicate that there is not sufficient evidence to support targeted control by age group, and that targeted control based on production system should be more effective.

Livestock production at the nexus of resources competition and ethno-religious cynicism in Nigeria – implicative analysis on food security

Nigeria is one of the most malnourished and hunger ridden in the league of developing countries; according to reports of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of United Nations estimated daily animal protein intake for developing countries averaged at 4.5 g/head/day at the beginning of this century which has hardly rose to 10 g/head/day into the second decade of the century in Nigeria; a value comparably low to 35 g/head/day global recommendation. Among middle income level countries where animal protein intake is 16 g/head/day; the intake of 10 g/head/day in Nigeria is still low. World Food Programme (WFP) also reported that one third of children less than five (5) years old in Nigeria are stunted due to poor nutrition and this is twice the rate of such incidence in Thailand and three times that of Tunisia which are also developing countries like Nigeria; all these are strong pointers to malnutrition especially inadequate intake of animal proteins. This call for increase supply of animal protein to address the poor intake; but Nigeria animal protein supply depends on pastoral livestock production on extensive natural grassland. This production system is under challenges of climate and poor production techniques; hence government effort towards improvement via establishment of grazing reserve is a way out. This will allow deliberate efforts to improve productivity of the pastoral cattle, encourage corporate investment in livestock production sub-sector, participation of private foreign investors and adaptive climate change management. Unfortunately, these efforts has been under threats of claims which this paper identified as ethno – religious sentiments. Therefore, this paper discussed Nigeria livestock production, Climate change effects on Nigeria livestock production and its social implications, sources of ethno-religious violence linked to livestock production in Nigeria, grazing reserve bills in Nigeria – the proponents, the opponents and what are the pitfalls, food insecurity – the need for modification and re-introduction of grazing reserves bill in Nigeria then suggested Taylor Grazing Reserve Act of United States as a model for re – introduction of grazing reserves bill in Nigeria.