Stanly Fon Tebug

Cattle farmer awareness and behavior regarding prevention of zoonotic disease transmission in Senegal

ABSTRACT Livestock farmers are known to be at high risk of exposure to zoonosis. A convenience survey to assess Senegalese traditional cattle farmers’ knowledge and attitudes regarding zoonotic diseases with reference to bovine brucellosis was conducted. A total of 222 cattle farmers were interviewed. Just over a quarter (30.1%) of the study participants knew or had heard of zoonotic diseases, whereas 6.8% knew at least one mode of transmission. Rabies was the most named zoonotic disease by farmers who knew zoonosis. Meanwhile, no farmer had heard of bovine brucellosis. Identification of zoonotic disease varied significantly by farmer’s main activity. All farmers reported that they drink milk produced on their cattle farms, and 95.0% drank fresh milk without prior heat treatment. A majority of farmers (70.3%) regularly assist animals during parturition and abortion without protective gloves. Farmers were less likely to assist animals if they had attended formal education. This study reports low knowledge of zoonotic infections and low compliance to control practices. Investigations on possible zoonotic infections, tailored zoonotic disease control programs including disease awareness creation and improved farm management are strongly recommended.

Using body measurements to estimate live weight of dairy cattle in low-input systems in Senegal

ABSTRACT We investigated the prediction of live weight (LW) of dairy cattle in low- to medium-input systems in Senegal, based on measurements of heart girth (HG) and height at the withers (HW). A total of 459 female dairy cattle, mainly comprising indigenous Zebu and their crosses with Guzerat or Bos Taurus, were weighed (kg), and their HG (cm) and HW (cm) determined. Farmers were asked to provide their own weight estimates for each animal. The single explanatory variable that explained the most variation in LW was HG. The best model to predict LW from HG for the overall data was with an adjusted R2 of 0.85 and a root mean square error of 34.25 kg corresponding to 11.10% of the mean LW. This model predicted the LW of 91–100% of cows and 64–100% of heifers within 20% of their true-live weight, in the weight range of about 100–500 kg. In comparison, farmers could only estimate the LW of about a quarter of their animals within 20% of their true LW. This weight prediction equation, when translated into a weigh band, could provide a simple and reliable method for cattle keepers to estimate the weight of studied cattle breed types.