Browsing by Author "Ngongolo, Kelvin"

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Assessing Risk Factors for Trypanosome Infections in Cattle in Wildlife Interface Areas in Northern Tanzania
(Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, 2019-05-04) Ngongolo, Kelvin; Estes, Anna; Hudson, Peter; Gwakisa, Paul
Trypanosomosis is a vector-borne, tropical disease that causes mortality and morbidity in livestock and humans. In this study we investigated the risk factors for trypanosome infection in cattle in the Maasai Steppe of northern Tanzania. We assessed the influence of age, sex, herd size and history of treatment against trypanosomosis as risk factors of trypanosome infection. Cattle blood samples were collected from 150 cattle in three villages in the vicinity of Tarangire National Park, which acts as a reservoir of tsetse flies, the trypanosome vector. Parasite species were identified using a nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (n-PCR). Smaller herd sizes, young age (1-2 years), and male sex significantly increased the risk of trypanosome infections. Efforts to control trypanosome infection should be strategically based on location and season while considering age, treatment and herd size as risk factors.
Ecological Factors and the Prevalence of Trypanosome Infections and Its Economic Implications for Livestock Industry in Simanjiro, Tanzania: A Review
(International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health, 2019-06-13) Ngongolo, Kelvin; Mtoka, Samuel; Rubanza, Chrispinus D.
Aims: Trypanosomosis is among one of the tropical neglected diseases which have impacted on human, livestock and wildlife. Different factors have been discussed by various researchers but ecological factors being considered in nutshell. This paper aimed at reviewing details on how the ecological factors influence the prevalence of trypanosome. Study Design: Literature review where various literatures have been reviewed and the information synthesized. This paper has placed focus on: habitat type, wildlife management type, wildlife abundance and diversity, fire incidence and human activities. Place and Duration of Study: This literature review work focused in Tanzania mainland and specifically on Simanjiro district for economic implication of trypanosomiasis for the period of 2011-2013 years. Methodology: Literature Searching was done using key words in the following search engines Research gate, (https://www.researchgate.net), Google scholar, (https://scholar.google.com/), and PubMed. Manual search in printed documents were done in reports from government, poster, proceedings and publications which were not available in the internet. Results: Variation of habitat types was observed to have impacts on spatial and temporal distribution of various tsetse flies and wildlife species which are vector and reservoirs of the diseases respectively. Incidence of fire affected the distribution of tsetse flies, wildlife and prevalence of trypanosome. For the interval of three years (2011-2013) a loss of more than 1million USD associated with trypanosomiasis is estimated in Simanjiro district. More money is used by pastoralists in treatment of animals than in spraying pesticides. Conclusion: It is recommended that, more work to be done on the impact of ecological factors on trypanosomiasis. Also more effort is required in controlling the disease through collaboration of different stakeholders such as livestock officers, ecologists, veterinarians and other relevant agencies.
Influence of cattle movement, ecological and risk factors on trypanosome infections of cattle in Simanjiro and Monduli districts, Tanzania
(NM-AIST, 2020-03) Ngongolo, Kelvin
African animal trypanosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with significant impacts on pastoral community livelihoods. This study sought to determine the influence of seasonal cattle movements and risk factors including age, sex, and herd size and treatment intervention, in conjunction with studying ecological factors on trypanosome infections in cattle in of the Maasai steppe in northern Tanzania. To identify potential hotspots areas of trypanosome transmission and associated ecological factors, I worked with five pastoralist households in each of three study villages in the Maasai steppe. Consecutively, 10 individual cattle were sampled in three periods, covering both wet and dry months grazing ranges (July, 2017 to January, 2018). Each time a blood sample was collected from the cattle, a prophylactic dose of diminazene aceturate was administered to clear any trypanosome infections acquired in the previous three months. Participatory mapping techniques were then used to identify the areas in which each pastoralist had grazed their herds since the last sampling period. Herders were also interviewed about the presence of cultivated farms and other habitat types observed in grazing areas, the abundance of wild animals per visit, risk factors related to the cattle, previously infected cattle and any disease control methods they had practiced since my last visit. Trypanosome infections in the blood sample were detected using nested polymerase chain reaction with ITS-1 primers. The overall prevalence of trypanosome infections across all sampling periods and villages was 13.1%. Prevalence in July, 2017 (19.3%) was significantly greater than prevalence in October, 2017 (2%) (P<0.05). Cattle acquired trypanosome infection in 21 out of 45 grazing areas identified. Herd sizes between 51-100 cattle were observed to be positively associated with the prevalence of trypanosome infections in different villages. Wild animal abundance particularly buffaloes together with their habitat types, notably woodland, were observed to be positively associated with trypanosome infection while cultivation was negatively associated with trypanosome infections. Targeted awareness on influence of seasonality, hotspot areas, risk factors, ecological factors and cultivation of trypanosome infections will help Maasai pastoralists to plan movement of their cattle strategically, properly controlling and avoiding disease risks.
Influence of Land Cover and Host Species on Trypanosome Infection in Cattle and its Socio-Economic Impacts to Pastoralists of the Maasai Steppe, Tanzania
(Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, 2020-01-27) Ngongolo, Kelvin; Shirima, Gabriel; Mpolya, Emmanuel; Estes, Anna; Hudson, Peter; Gwakisa, Paul
Introduction Trypanosome infections result into trypanosomosis in cattle and this is an infection detrimental to pastoralist income. The patterns of transmission are thought to be influenced by ecological factors including wildlife and land cover. We assessed the influence of the relative abundance of wildlife and land cover (cultivation and habitat type) on the presence of trypanosome infections in replicated cattle herds of the Maasai Steppe. Methodology We undertook a cohort field study in three villages of the Maasai Steppe: Sukuro, Kimotorok and Oltukai. The study took place in July 2017 and October 2017 and utilized 50 cattle from each village. Pastoralists were asked questions during each visit when blood sampled were taken to seek their viewpoint on the relative abundance of wildlife, habitat types and cultivation observed in the areas their cattle grazed. In addition, the percentage cover of cultivated land and habitat types in the grazing areas were determined during field visits and participatory mapping with pastoralists. A systematic review was used to understand the socio-economic importance of trypanosomosis. The species of trypanosomes in cattle were identified using nested Polymerase chain reaction (n-PCR). Results There was a significant and positive association between the presence of trypanosome infection and the abundance of wildlife within grazing areas, in particular the abundance of buffaloes (Odd Ratio > 1, P = 0.038, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.38) when cattle grazed in woodland habitats. Cultivation on grazing areas had a negative association with the presence of trypanosome infections (R < 1, P = 0.001, 95% CI 0.0614 to 0.0986) in cattle but this varied between villages. A systematic review showed that trypanosomosis had socio-economic impacts such as loss of income, reduced quality, and quantity of livestock products, management cost, and inadequate provisions of socio-services and potential zoonotic transmission to humans. Conclusion & recommendations The socio-economic impacts of trypanosomosis will continue to be a challenge to pastoralists when cattle are grazed close to wildlife areas which are infested with tsetse fly habitats. Control strategies for trypanosome infection in cattle on the Maasai Steppe should consider the interaction of cattle with ecological factors.
Influence of Seasonal Cattle Movement on Prevalence of Trypanosome Infections in Cattle in the Maasai Steppe, Tanzania
(Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, 2019) Ngongolo, Kelvin; Estes, Anna B.; Hudson, Peter J.; Gwakisa, Paul S.
Animal African Trypanosomosis is a Neglected Tropical Disease with significant impacts to pastoral community livelihoods. Our study sought to determine the influence of seasonal cattle movements on the prevalence of trypanosome infections in cattle in the pastoral areas of the Maasai Steppe. Identification of spatial and temporal dynamics of trypanosome infections in cattle is essential for designing effective control strategies. To identify potential hotspots of trypanosome transmission, we worked with 5 pastoralists in each of 3 villages in the Maasai Steppe of northern Tanzania, and consecutively sampled 10 of each of their cattle in 3 periods, covering both wet and dry season grazing ranges (July 2017 to January 2018). Each time blood was collected from the cattle, a prophylactic dose of diminazene aceturate was administered to clear any parasites acquired in the previous 3 months. We then used participatory mapping techniques to identify the areas where the pastoralists had grazed their herds since the last sampling period, and interviewed them about any disease control methods they practice. Trypanosome infections in the sampled cattle blood were detected using nested polymerase chain reaction with ITS-1 primers. The overall prevalence of trypanosome infections across all sample periods and villages was 12%, though this varied distinctly by season and grazing area. Prevalence in July 2017 (19.33%) was significantly higher than prevalence in October 2017 (2%) (p < 0.05). A total of 45 grazing areas were identified and cattle acquired trypanosome infections in almost half of these (n = 21). Targeted awareness on seasonality and hotspot areas of trypanosome infections will help Maasai pastoralists to plan movement of their cattle strategically to avoid disease risk. These results also suggest enhanced control strategies for Trypanosomosis during the months of the year when cattle are moved further from homesteads to graze in hot spot areas.
The Prevalence and Determinants of Taenia multiceps Infection (Cerebral Coenurosis) in Small Ruminants in Africa: A Systematic Review
(MDPI, 2022-06-10) Kibona, Tito; Buza, Joram; Shirima, Gabriel; Lankester, Felix; Ngongolo, Kelvin; Hughes, Ellen; Cleaveland, Sarah; Allan, Kathryn
Cerebral coenurosis is a fatal parasitic neurological disease affecting the brain and spinal cord of goats and sheep. Despite the large population of sheep and goats in Africa, there is very little awareness about the scale or effects of the disease. A systematic review was conducted to bridge the gap in the current understanding of the epidemiology of Taenia multiceps coenurosis in Africa. A detailed literature search was conducted in EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, Research4life (AGORA), and PubMed for studies in T. multiceps coenurosis in goats and sheep in Africa for the period spanning January 2000 to December 2019. The search identified 574 publications, of which only 11 studies were eligible, highlighting major gaps in reporting of this disease in Africa. Data were extracted and evidence synthesized in relation to prevalence and determinants for T. multiceps coenurosis. The descriptive summary statistics revealed a median (IQR) prevalence of coenurosis of 22.3% (range: 18.3–26.4 percent) for community based and 14.8% (range: 3.8–45.6) for abattoir-based studies. This high prevalence indicates that Taenia multiceps coenurosis is an important disease for small ruminant productivity in Africa. Knowledge of the determinants of prevalence could be used to inform preventive measures, including behaviour change among livestock keepers and those involved in livestock slaughter to break cycles of transmission between small ruminants and dogs.