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Ruminant production systems in the arid and semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa confront severe challenges due to recurring droughts and the intensifying effects of climate change (CC). These systems grapple with numerous stress factors, including poor animal nutrition, water scarcity, gastrointestinal (GIT) parasite burdens, and heat stress, which contribute to below optimal animal productivity and a high environmental footprint. Addressing these issues urgently, by creating livestock systems resilient to CC that also promote better animal health, enhanced productivity, and reduced environmental impact, is paramount to safeguarding the livelihoods of the rural population. This 50-day study aimed to evaluate the effects of improved feeding and nutritional management in sheep, focusing on GIT parasite infections, feed intake and digestibility, liveweight (LW) gain, and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. We investigated the legume forage tree, Calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus), as a high-quality feed source because of its rich crude protein content and its potential as a remedy for gastrointestinal tract (GIT) parasite infections, attributed to its high condensed tannin (CT) content. Twenty-eight Dorper lambs underwent random allocation across four treatments, each consisting of seven lambs. These treatments combined either a trickle infection or no infection with Haemonchus contortus with a supplementation (40% of diet on a dry matter basis or lack thereof) of the basal diet (Rhodes grass hay) with dried Calliandra leaflets. The treatments were: UnHay (uninfected, fed on hay-only), InHay (infected, fed on hay-only), InHay+Cal (infected, fed on hay plus Calliandra), and InHay+Cal+PEG [infected, fed on hay, Calliandra, and polyethylene glycol (PEG)]. The latter was to evaluate the potential effects of Calliandra's condensed tannins. The results show that lambs in the InHay+Cal treatment exhibited a higher packed cell volume (PCV) and lower faecal egg counts (FEC) compared to the InHay group. No effects of infection on the other measured variables were observed in unsupplemented lambs. Calliandra supplementation increased total feed dry matter intake (DMI) by 20% (61.8 vs. 51.7 g DM/kg LW0.75) (InHay+Cal vs. InHay) and enhanced LW gain (7.2 g/d) in the InHay+Cal group, whereas the unsupplemented infected group (InHay) experienced LW loss (-26.6 g/d). Calliandra supplementation to infected lambs reduced daily CH4 emission by 15% (13.9 vs. 16.2 g/d) and CH4 yield (g/kg DMI) by 30% (18.7 vs. 26.5 g/kg DMI), compared to emissions from unsupplemented infected lambs. Nonetheless, Calliandra supplementation decreased the digestibility of crude protein and fibre and raised the faecal nitrogen (N) output to N intake (FN/NI) ratio. The effects of PEG supplementation on CT activity remained inconclusive. The study concludes that a 40% replacement of a protein-deficient basal diet with Calliandra may be excessive. However, the findings underscore the considerable advantages of integrating Calliandra into farming systems. Such nature-based solution control GIT parasite infections and their lifecycle, bolster the nutritional value of a deficient basal diet, improve animal productivity costeffectively, and mitigate enteric methane emissions both in absolute terms and intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide (1). Four HEV genotypes belonging to the species Orthohepevirus A are commonly found in humans (HEV-1 through HEV-4). [...]

Productive global agriculture is under a convergence of pressures, and particularly climate change and population growth. The impact is especially stark in East Africa where crop production is mostly rain-fed and population growth rates are among the highest in the world. Our objective for this study was to understand how climate change and population growth have impacted the size of agropastoral areas across Kenya over 40 years. Climate-suitable areas for all primary crops decreased 28% over the study period. Climate-suitable areas for primary crops increased 3% in highly productive counties, decreased 25% in moderately productive counties, and decreased 62% in low productive counties. Climate-suitable areas over the study period decreased 13% for ranching areas, 21% for dairying areas, 24% for mixed crop and ranching areas, and 28% for mixed crop and dairying areas, while climate-suitable areas for pastoralism increased 12%. Population across Kenya more than tripled over the study period, while population relative to climate-suitable areas for crops increased nearly fourfold, and population relative to climate-suitable areas for pastoralism nearly tripled. Population relative to available climate-suitable areas for crops more than doubled in highly productive counties, increased more than four-fold in moderately productive counties, and was nearly 15 times higher in low productive counties. Examining the cumulative effects of climate change and population growth on agricultural sectors across Kenya can help to develop policies and strategies to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERSCoV) was discovered in a patient from Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since caused ≥ 250 human infections and 93 deaths (1). The evolutionary [...]

Background: Outbreaks of a Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) like disease causing large mortalities in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Asia and in Africa have been reported since 1890. Yet the aetiology of this condition remains elusive. This study is the first to apply state of the art molecular methods to shed light on the nasopharyngeal carrier state of Pasteurellaceae in camels. The study focused on HS causing Pasteurella multocida capsular types B and E. Other Pasteurellaceae, implicated in common respiratory infections of animals, were also investigated. Methods: In 2007 and 2008, 388 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected at 12 locations in North Kenya from 246 clinically healthy camels in 81 herds that had been affected by HS-like disease. Swabs were used to cultivate bacteria on blood agar and to extract DNA for subsequent PCR analysis targeting P. multocida and Mannheimia-specific gene sequences. Results: Forty-five samples were positive for P. multocida genes kmt and psl and for the P. multocida Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) specific sequences KTSP61/KTT72 but lacked HS-associated capsular type B and E genes capB and capE. This indicates circulation of HS strains in camels that lack established capsular types. Sequence analysis of the partial 16S rRNA gene identified 17 nasal swab isolates as 99% identical with Mannheimia granulomatis, demonstrating a hitherto unrecognised active carrier state for M. granulomatis or a closely related Mannheimia sp. in camels. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide evidence for the presence of acapsular P. multocida or of hitherto unknown capsular types of P. multocida in camels, closely related to P. multocida strains causing HS in bovines. Further isolations and molecular studies of camelid P. multocida from healthy carriers and from HS-like disease in camels are necessary to provide conclusive answers. This paper is the first report on the isolation of M. granulomatis or a closely related new Mannheimia species from camelids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) increase, examining the underlying social and environmental conditions that drive EIDs is urgently needed. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) is increasingly employed to predict disease emergence based on the spatial distribution of biotic conditions and interactions, abiotic conditions, and the mobility or dispersal of vector-host species, as well as social factors that modify the host species' spatial distribution. Still, ENM applied to EIDs is relatively new with varying algorithms and data types. We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42021251968) with the research question: What is the state of the science and practice of estimating ecological niches via ENM to predict the emergence and spread of vector-borne and/or zoonotic diseases?, Methods: We searched five research databases and eight widely recognized One Health journals between 1995 and 2020. We screened 383 articles at the abstract level (included if study involved vector-borne or zoonotic disease and applied ENM) and 237 articles at the full-text level (included if study described ENM features and modeling processes). Our objectives were to: (1) describe the growth and distribution of studies across the types of infectious diseases, scientific fields, and geographic regions; (2) evaluate the likely effectiveness of the studies to represent ecological niches based on the biotic, abiotic, and mobility framework; (3) explain some potential pitfalls of ENM algorithms and techniques; and (4) provide specific recommendation for future studies on the analysis of ecological niches to predict EIDs., Results: We show that 99% of studies included mobility factors, 90% modeled abiotic factors with more than half in tropical climate zones, 54% modeled biotic conditions and interactions. Of the 121 studies, 7% include only biotic and mobility factors, 45% include only abiotic and mobility factors, and 45% fully integrated the biotic, abiotic, and mobility data. Only 13% of studies included modifying social factors such as land use. A majority of studies (77%) used well-recognized ENM algorithms (MaxEnt and GARP) and model selection procedures. Most studies (90%) reported model validation procedures, but only 7% reported uncertainty analysis., Discussion: Our findings bolster ENM to predict EIDs that can help inform the prevention of outbreaks and future epidemics., Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier (CRD42021251968)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lawrence, Takenaka, Garg, Tao, Deem, Fèvre, Gluecks, Sagan and Shacham.)

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a highly contagious disease caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae that affects goats in Africa and Asia. Current available methods for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma infection, including cultivation, serological assays, and PCR, are time-consuming and require fully equipped stationary laboratories, which make them incompatible with testing in the resource-poor settings that are most relevant to this disease. We report a rapid, specific, and sensitive assay employing isothermal DNA amplification using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) for the detection of M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae. We developed the assay using a specific target sequence in M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae, as found in the genome sequence of the field strain ILRI181 and the type strain F38 and that was further evidenced in 10 field strains from different geographical regions. Detection limits corresponding to 5 × 10(3) and 5 × 10(4) cells/ml were obtained using genomic DNA and bacterial culture from M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae strain ILRI181, while no amplification was obtained from 71 related Mycoplasma isolates or from the Acholeplasma or the Pasteurella isolates, demonstrating a high degree of specificity. The assay produces a fluorescent signal within 15 to 20 min and worked well using pleural fluid obtained directly from CCPP-positive animals without prior DNA extraction. We demonstrate that the diagnosis of CCPP can be achieved, with a short sample preparation time and a simple read-out device that can be powered by a car battery, in <45 min in a simulated field setting., (Copyright © 2015 Liljander et al.)

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae is a severe epidemic affecting mainly domestic Caprinae species but also affects wild Caprinae species. M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae belongs to the "Mycoplasma mycoides cluster." The disease features prominently in East Africa, in particular Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. CCPP also endangers wildlife and thus affects not only basic nutritional resources of large populations but also expensively built-up game resorts in affected countries. Here, we report the complete sequences of two M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae strains: the type strain F38 and strain ILRI181 isolated druing a recent outbreak in Kenya. Both genomes have a G+C content of 24% with sizes of 1,016,760 bp and 1,017,183 bp for strains F38 and ILRI181, respectively., (Copyright © 2014 Falquet et al.)