Musavengana Tivapasi

Acute phase proteins in the domestic fowl

Post-mortem assessment of poultry health requires both identification and classification of the severity and chronicity of lesions. Such assessments are essential for deciding the necessity for treatment or its withdrawal. Poultry meat inspection and routine necropsies are also complicated by subclinical as well as hidden inflammatory processes which result in decreased production. Measurement of changes in the plasma levels of hepatic acute phase proteins in mammalian species is known to give an indication of the stage and severity of inflammatory processes as well as identifying inaccessible lesions. For poultry, several papers have been published on the plasma changes of some acute phase proteins in association with some common poultry diseases and general inflammatory processes. Some have corresponded well with the severity and stages of lesions. It is suggested that measurement of such proteins could be used to complement routine necropsy findings. Understanding the chicken acute phase response, major acute phase proteins present, and their advantages and shortfalls as markers of inflammation, is paramount to the achievement of these goals.

Assessment of community awareness and risk perceptions of zoonotic causes of abortion in cattle at three selected livestock–wildlife interface areas of Zimbabwe

A study was conducted to assess the awareness of cattle abortions due to brucellosis, Rift Valley fever (RVF) and leptospirosis, and to compare frequencies of reported abortions in communities living at the periphery of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area in southeastern Zimbabwe. Three study sites were selected based on the type of livestock-wildlife interface: porous livestock-wildlife interface (unrestricted); non-porous livestock-wildlife interface (restricted by fencing); and livestock-wildlife non-interface (totally absent or control). Respondents randomly selected from a list of potential cattle farmers (N = 379) distributed at porous (40·1%), non-interface (35·5%) and non-porous (26·4%), were interviewed using a combined close- and open-ended questionnaire. Focus group discussions were conducted with 10-12 members of each community. More abortions in the last 5 years were reported from the porous interface (52%) and a significantly higher per cent of respondents from the porous interface (P < 0·05) perceived wildlife as playing a role in livestock abortions compared with the other interface types. The odds of reporting abortions in cattle were higher in large herd sizes (odds ratio (OR) = 2·6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·5-4·3), porous (OR = 1·9; 95% CI 1·0-3·5) and non-porous interface (OR = 2·2; 95% CI 1·1-4·3) compared with livestock-wildlife non-interface areas. About 21·6% of the respondents knew brucellosis as a cause of abortion, compared with RVF (9·8%) and leptospirosis (3·7%). These results explain to some extent, the existence of human/wildlife conflict in the studied livestock-wildlife interface areas of Zimbabwe, which militates against biodiversity conservation efforts. The low awareness of zoonoses means the public is at risk of contracting some of these infections. Thus, further studies should focus on livestock-wildlife interface areas to assess if the increased rates of abortions reported in cattle may be due to exposure to wildlife or other factors. The government of Zimbabwe needs to launch educational programmes on public health awareness in these remote areas at the periphery of transfrontier conservation areas where livestock-wildlife interface exists to help mitigate the morbidity and mortality of people from some of the known zoonotic diseases.

The Effect of Postpartum Rumen Undegradable Protein Supplementation on Hepatic Gluconeogenic Enzyme Activities in Dairy Cows with Fatty Liver

The effect of postpartum supplementation with rumen undegradable protein on the activities of gluconeogenic enzymes was studied in cows with induced fatty liver. Prepartum liver and blood samples were collected at about one week before the expected date of calving and postpartum samples were collected at 10 and 20 days (d) postpartum. At 10 d postpartum, concentrations of serum nonesterified fatty acids and hepatic triacylglycerol levels were higher than at one wk before parturition. The postpartum increases in nonesterified fatty acids and hepatic triacylglycerols were significantly higher in the cows that were fed extra protein than in the control cows. There were no differences between the groups with regard to postpartum changes in the concentrations of plasma glucose, liver glycogen, and serum insulin. The postpartum increase in the activity of fructose 1-6-bisphosphatase was higher in the test group than in the control group, but the increase in the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase was lower. There were no group differences in the postpartum activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, pyruvate carboxylase, and propionyl-CoA carboxylase. Our results suggest that intense lipolysis released more glycerol in the protein-supplemented cows, which stimulated the activity of fructose 1-6-bisphosphatase. However, postpartum rumen undegradable protein supplementation did not affect the activities of the other enzymes of gluconeogenesis, and fatty liver was even exacerbated.

Seroprevalence of brucellosis in cattle and selected wildlife species at selected livestock/wildlife interface areas of the Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

A study was conducted to investigate seroprevalence and risk factors for Brucella species infection in cattle and some wildlife species in communities living at the periphery of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area in south eastern Zimbabwe. Three study sites were selected based on the type of livestock-wildlife interface: porous livestock-wildlife interface (unrestricted); non-porous livestock-wildlife interface (restricted by fencing); and livestock-wildlife non-interface (totally absent or control). Sera were collected from cattle aged≥2years representing both female and intact male animals. Sera were also collected from selected wild ungulates from Mabalauta (porous interface) and Chipinda (non-interface) areas of the Gonarezhou National Park. Samples were screened for Brucellaantibodies using the Rose Bengal plate test and confirmed by the complement fixation test. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression modelling. In cattle, brucellosis seroprevalence from all areas was 16.7% (169/1011; 95% CI: 14.5-19.2%). The porous interface recorded a significantly (p=0.03) higher seroprevalence (19.5%; 95% CI: 16.1-23.4%) compared to the non-interface area (13.0%; 95% CI: 9.2-19.9%).The odds of Brucellaseropositivity increased progressively with parity of animals and were also three times higher (OR=3.0, 2.0<OR<4.6, p<0.0001) in cows with history of abortion compared to those without.Brucella antibodies were detected in buffaloes; 20.7% (95% CI: 13.9-29.7%) form both study sites, but no antibodies were detected from impalas and kudus. These results highlight the importance of porous interface in the interspecies transmission of Brucella species and that independent infections may be maintained in buffalo populations. Thus, brucellosis control aimed at limiting animal inter-species mixing may help reduce the risk of human brucellosis in interface areas. Further studies should aim at establishing subspecies identity and direction of possible transmission of brucellosis between wildlife and livestock.

Serum lipid, enzyme, and hematological responses of broilers fed Acacia angustissima leaf meal-based diets

The objective of the study was to determine serum lipid, enzyme, and hematological responses of broilers to Acacia angustissima leaf meal. Acacia angustissima leaves were harvested at mid maturity, ground into a leaf meal, and included in broiler diets at 0, 5, and 10%. One hundred and fifty-day-old chicks of 41.7u2009±u20091.560xa0g were randomly allocated to 15 groups of the three diets. Feed and water were provided ad libitum throughout the trial. At days 14, 28, and 42, 4xa0ml of blood were collected from the jugular vein in plain vacutainer tubes for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and total cholesterol (TC) analyses. At the end of the experiment, 4xa0ml of blood were collected from two randomly selected birds of each replicate in sterilized bottles containing ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) for full blood count and packed cell volume assessment. Data was tested for normality and analyzed using the General Linear Model Procedure of SAS version 9.3 (SAS 2010). Comparison of means was done using Tukey’s test. A. angustissima had no effect on serum ALP, AST, LDH, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG, full blood count, and packed cell volume. Increasing levels of A. angustissima leaf meal increased the ALT in the serum (pu2009<xa00.05) at 4 and 6xa0weeks. However, serum ALT indices for birds on the control and 5% diet were not different. It was concluded that 5% A. angustissima leaf meal can be included in broiler diets without a negative effect on serum lipid and enzyme profile, production and proportions of white blood cells and packed cell volume.

Sero-prevalence of chlamydiosis in cattle and selected wildlife species at a wildlife/livestock interface area of Zimbabwe

A study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Chlamydia abortus infection in cattle and some selected wildlife species at selected interface areas at the periphery of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area in Zimbabwe. Three study sites were selected based on the type of livestock–wildlife interface, porous livestock–wildlife interface (unrestricted), non-porous livestock–wildlife interface (restricted by fencing), and livestock–wildlife non-interface (totally absent or control). Sera were collected from cattle aged ≥u20092xa0years representing both female and intact male. Sera were also collected from selected wild ungulates from Mabalauta (porous interface) and Chipinda Pools (non-interface) areas of the Gonarezhou National Park. Sera were tested for antibodies to Chlamydia abortus using a CFT. A X2 test was used to assess differences between categories and pu2009<u20090.05 was considered as significant. In cattle, the overall seroprevalence was 32.7% (327/1011; 95% CI 29.5–35.3). A significantly lower seroprevalence was recorded for the porous interface (24.2%) compared to the non-porous (42.5%) (pu2009<u20090.0001) and the non-interface (36.2%) (pu2009=u20090.001). Overall, the wet season recorded a significantly (pu2009=u20090.015) higher seroprevalence than the dry season. In wildlife, antibodies were detected in buffaloes (47.7%) and impalas (43.8%) but not in kudus. Buffaloes from Chipinda Pools (53.4%) had a significantly (pu2009=u20090.036) higher seroprevalence than those from Mabalauta (26.1%). The results established the presence of chlamydiosis in cattle and selected wildlife and that independent infections may be maintained in buffalo populations. Further studies are required to clarify chlamydiae circulating between cattle and wildlife.