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Muscle tissue from three-spotted tilapia (Oreochromis andersonii) (n = 11), sharp tooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) (n = 14) and tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) (n = 12) were sampled from a market...

Cattle production is the major livestock production activity and the mainstay of Namibia’s economy. Sustained beef exports are contingent on a sound sanitary environment where diseases such as brucellosis are under control. In this retrospective study, 49,718 bovine brucellosis testing results from 2004 to 2018 were analyzed to determine the proportion of sero-positive cattle and herds, and the spatial distribution of positive reactors from commercial and communal areas. In total, 244 positive reactors were identified based on the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and the Complement Fixation Test (CFT) in series, giving an overall proportion of infected animals of 0.49% (244/49,718; 95% CI, 0.43–0.56%) and an overall proportion of infected herds of 9.26% (78/842; 95% CI, 7.49–11.41%). There was a higher proportion of sero-positive communal herds (33.09%) and cattle (10.27%) than commercial herds (4.67%) and cattle (0.24%; p

This study retrospectively investigated the effect of breed and season on the lambing/kidding dynamics, growth performance, neonatal viability, and weaning dynamics of sheep (Damara, Dorper, and Swakara) and goats (Boer goat and Kalahari Red) at a farm in the Khomas Region of Namibia between 2004 and 2015. Litter size was dependent on breed (X2(12, N = 3388) = 796, p

Regression analysis was used to evaluate teeth examination as a tool for estimating age in beef and dairy cattle at Neudamm farm, Namibia, in 2018. There was a significant difference in age (months) between the overall mean actual age (M=60, SD=4.57) and the mean estimated age (M=57, SD=4.52 months) in beef cattle; t(74) = 3.61, p

A retrospective study from 2004 to 2017 investigated the effect of bull age, cow age and breed on conception rates, and calving intervals of beef cattle at Neudamm farm, Khomas region, Namibia. Bulls ranging from 4 to 14 years of age were used to breed cows up to 17 years of age. A total of 1804 pregnancies were diagnosed in Afrikaner (81.8%), Nguni (14.1%), and Simmental (4.1%) cows. The overall conception rate of beef cattle during the study period was 71.7 ± 9.5%. The overall conception rate of the Nguni cows (78.3%) was significantly higher than that of the Afrikaner (70.9%) and the Simmental cows (64.9%) (p 0.05). The age of sires had no effect on overall conception rate in all three breeds (p 0.05). Afrikaner dams more than 10 years old had the least rate of conception (60.4%, p 0.05) within that breed category. Nguni dams between four to 10 years had the greatest conception rate (86.5%, p 0.05). Age of dams had no effect on conception rates in Simmental cattle (p 0.05). The overall mean length of all calving intervals in the Nguni cows (366 ± 35 days) was significantly shorter than those of the Afrikaner cows (487 ± 62 days) and the Simmental cows (484 ± 110 days) (p 0.05). The 2013 breeding season produced the highest overall conception rates (~ 85%), and the 2007 breeding season produced the lowest overall conception rate (~ 51%). From a fertility point of view, the Nguni breed seemed best suited for the semi-arid conditions which are prevalent in most of Namibia.

This study investigated the magnitude of porcine cysticercosis (PC), its risk factors, economic effects and the perceptions of 80 pig farmers from Nyabimata (n = 38) and Muganza (n = 42) and 20 registered butchers in the Nyaruguru district of Rwanda. January to December 2013 slaughter records from Kamirabagenzi market were also analysed for PC diagnoses based on the tongue test and meat inspection. During this period, the responding farmers' records showed a tongue test-based PC magnitude (3.9%, n = 984) which was lower than the collective tongue test-based PC magnitude of 9.2% (n = 1720) at Kamirabagenzi (p .05). The overall magnitude of PC based on routine meat inspection diagnosis at Kamirabagenzi was 4%. The overall magnitude of PC for respondents using Free-range production systems (7.9%) was significantly greater than for those in Semi-intensive (2.1%) and Intensive production systems (1.5%) (p .05). Though most farmers (90%) knew that PC is zoonotic, only 22.5% of the farmers opted for treatment of PC-infected pigs and 52.5% were willing to seek veterinary inspection while the rest (25%) opted to circumvent veterinary inspection (P .05). Most butchers (70%) indicated they would circumvent veterinary inspection and continue to slaughter PC-positive animals whilst the rest (30%) indicated they would resell PC positive animals to defray costs (P .05). The low sensitivity and specificity of methods used for PC detection in the study, implies that this may just be the tip of an iceberg and the actual magnitude is most likely to be much higher. In conclusion, PC is endemic in the Nyaruguru district of Rwanda with a high proportion of positive animals. The condition has public health implications and is worsening the economic plight of the impoverished Nyaruguru community.

There are limited studies on red offal condemnations and their financial implications at high throughput abattoirs in Namibia. Causes of condemnation, temporal distributions and financial losses associated with red offal condemnations at a beef abattoir in Namibia from 2016 to 2018 were determined. A total of 39157 red offal valued at N$6 422 586.00 (US$364 805) were condemned following the slaughter of 251697 cattle. Condemnations were dependent on the year [X 2 (14) = 587.13, p

Background: Meat inspection is one of the essential tools for ensuring good quality and safe meat. The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass condemnation of cattle slaughtered in Oshana region, North of Namibia. Methods: In this 4-year retrospective study, causes, patterns, and economic implications of carcass condemnation of cattle slaughtered in Oshana region, North of Namibia were evaluated based on post-mortem inspection procedure. The SPSS software version 25 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Overall, 0.37% (120 out of 32 648) beef carcasses were condemned during the period of this study. The major causes of condemnation of carcasses were bruising (60 out of 120; 50%), followed by pus contamination. The condemnation rate in female cattle (65%) was significantly (p

This study was designed to investigate the cytotoxicity and haemotoxicity of the Western barred (zebra) spitting cobra (Naja nigricincta nigricincta) venom to help explain atypical and inconsistent reports on syndromes by Namibian physicians treating victims of human ophidian accidents. Freeze-dried venom milked from adult zebra snakes was dissolved in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for use in this study. Haemorrhagic and necrotic activity of venom were studied in New Zealand albino rabbits. Oedema-forming activity was investigated in 10-day-old Cobb500 broiler chicks. Procoagulant and thrombolytic activity was investigated in adult Kalahari red goat blood in vitro. The rabbit skin minimum hemorrhagic dose (MHD) for N. n. nigricincta was 9.8μg. The minimum necrotizing dose (MND) for N. n. nigricincta venom was 12.2μg. The N. n. nigricincta venom showed linear dose-dependent procoagulant activity on goat blood (p N. n. nigricincta venom showed linear dose-dependent thrombolytic activity on goat blood (p N. n. nigricincta venom (25μg, 50μg, 75μg, and 100μg) into chick paw resulted in peak oedema of 35.5%, 38.5%, 42.9%, and 47.5%, respectively, two hours after injection. Paw oedema subsided within five hours to a mean volume ranging from 5% (25μg venom) to 17.6% (100μg venom). In conclusion, though N. n. nigricincta belongs to the genus Elapidae, the current study has shown its venom to possess potent hemorrhagic, necrotic (cytotoxic), and paradoxically, both procoagulant and thrombolytic activity. The authors propose further work to fractionate, isolate, and elucidate the structure of the various N. n. nigricincta venom toxins as a prelude to the development of an antivenom.

Background: This study was undertaken to evaluate the major causes of mortality at different stages of incubation and their economic impact in response to sustainability challenges at the Rwandan National Hatchery.Methods: The study evaluated the fertility, hatchability and embryonic deaths in broiler-producing flocks (B series) and layer-producing flocks (L series) at Rubilizi, a state-owned hatchery in Kigali, Rwanda.Results: Mean fertility in the B series (94.23%) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that of the L series (93.24%). Mean hatchability in the B series (57.39%) was significantly (P 0.05).Conclusions: Low hatchability in the L series possibly resulted from the higher number of embryonic deaths and hatch debris and not from reduced fertility or cull chicks. Total chick losses during the study amounted to US$54 327.00. The hatchery was experiencing more losses in layers than in broilers as emanating from low hatchability of the layers. Further investigations are needed with aim to maximise the hatchery’s capacity.

Trichinellosis is a worldwide zoonosis with genotypes affecting different domestic and wild animals and is widely distributed throughout the world. Species and genotypes of this genus affecting different animals have been identified. Despite its occurrence in Sub-Saharan countries, the presence of trichinellosis in Botswana is yet to be confirmed. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Trichinella infection in domestic pigs slaughtered at an abattoir in Gaborone, Botswana. Of the 111 pig carcasses selected, 5 g of crus of the diaphragm was collected from each carcass, trimmed of all fat and fascia and then cut into 1- to 2-g samples. The muscle samples were pooled into 100-g muscle sample and then processed by the OIE prescribed digestion method. A stereomicroscope was used to examine each grid of the Petri dish for the presence of Trichinella larvae. No Trichinella larvae were found in any digested muscle samples. Future studies should target a wider pig population and other host animals.

Cattle production is the major livestock production activity and the mainstay of Namibia's economy. Sustained beef exports are contingent on a sound sanitary environment where diseases such as brucellosis are under control. In this retrospective study, 49,718 bovine brucellosis testing results from 2004 to 2018 were analyzed to determine the proportion of sero-positive cattle and herds, and the spatial distribution of positive reactors from commercial and communal areas. In total, 244 positive reactors were identified based on the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and the Complement Fixation Test (CFT) in series, giving an overall proportion of infected animals of 0.49% (244/49,718; 95% CI, 0.43-0.56%) and an overall proportion of infected herds of 9.26% (78/842; 95% CI, 7.49-11.41%). There was a higher proportion of sero-positive communal herds (33.09%) and cattle (10.27%) than commercial herds (4.67%) and cattle (0.24%; p 0.05). Annually, the proportion of positive reactors was 0-1.37% in the commercial area and 0-52.38% in the communal areas, with a clear decline in positive reactors in the communal areas. Within the commercial sector, the proportion of positive reactor dairy, beef, and export cattle was 0.19% (51/27,067; 95% CI, 0.14-0.25%), 0.30% (48/16,098; 95% CI, 0.22-0.40%), and 0.33% (16/4811; 95% CI, 0.20-0.54%), respectively. Abortions were found to be the major reason for Brucella testing in the communal areas. About 12.65% (96/759) of abortion-linked sera tested positive in the communal areas, but none were positive in beef or dairy cattle. Widespread vaccination of cattle and robust planned surveillance is recommended to reduce the incidence of the disease, its associated production losses and public health risk.

Introduction: Brachiocephalic artery rupture is a very rare and fatal condition in dogs that is likely to be missed during clinical examination and would normally be diagnosed at post mortem. The aetiology is unknown but is most likely multifactorial and associated with arterial wall degeneration leading to rupture and sudden death due to massive haemorrhage resulting in death from hypovolemic shock. Case Presentation: An intact (unspayed) Boston terrier bitch was admitted into the clinic for sudden onset lethargy. Ante-mortem differential diagnoses which included shocked lung, lung bleeding, diaphragmatic hernia, babesiosis, verminosis and internal bleeding were considered based on history, physical examination, clinical pathology and plain radiography. Conclusions: A definitive diagnosis of fatal brachiocephalic artery rupture was reached at post-mortem examination, performed pro-bono, out of interest with the owner’s permission. Ante-mortem diagnosis of brachiocephalic artery rupture is still an unsolved challenge for the practising veterinarian, notwithstanding the recent advances in diagnostics. Fatal brachiocephalic rupture is a rare condition and only has been reported in dogs twice previously.

A 25-year retrospective study investigated the incidence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in the northern communal regions of Namibia. Throughout the study period, the proportion of bovine animals that clinically recovered following treatment of suspected CBPP infection were greater than those that died from suspected CBPP infection (71.6% and 28.4%, respectively, N=4743; z=42.16, p

A retrospective study to investigate the nature of surgical cases presented to Katima Mulilo State Veterinary Office in Namibia was conducted on 167 small animals between 2011 and 2016. Overall, significantly more dogs (87.4%) than cats (12.6%) were presented for surgical procedures (p

A prospective 27-week study investigated the effect of age, ambient temperature, humidity and photoperiod on egg weight and production in Lohmann Brown layers, and thus the profitability of the egg-producing enterprise at a farm in central Namibia, designated Farm A. Overall, age of birds, average temperature, humidity and photoperiod were strongly correlated with mean egg weight (r=0.84, 0.7, -0.51 and 0.7, respectively; p

This study investigated the overall prevalence of

Male reproductive performance has more impact on overall herd productivity than in the female. In order to assess herd productivity in cattle in Nyagatare, Eastern Rwanda, the proportional distribution of male reproductive organ abnormalities was investigated in 3087 bulls slaughtered over a 4‐year period. The aim of the study was to investigate the proportional distribution of male reproductive organ abnormalities in exotic and indigenous bulls slaughtered over a 4‐year period at Nyagatare abattoir in Eastern Rwanda. Positioning of the testicles was observed and recorded as the animals were assembled before slaughter. After slaughter, the internal and external reproductive organs of all bulls were removed, labelled and analysed for pathology. Significantly more indigenous (79.01%) than exotic (20.99%) animals were slaughtered (P

The article “No evidence of Trichinella spp. in domestic pig carcasses at a selected abattoir in southern Botswana”, written by Basiamisi Ernest Segwagwe et al., was originally published electronically with open access. The authors decided to step back from Open Choice and trasnferred the copyright to the publisher.

A 3-year prospective study investigated the incidence of milk fever in Jersey and Holstein cows at a commercial dairy farm in Beatrice, Zimbabwe. The overall incidence of milk fever at the farm was 7.98%. Incidence of milk fever in Jerseys (14.78%) was significantly higher (p 0.05) than that in Holsteins (4.82%). Incidence of milk fever in Jerseys beyond their fourth parity (24.85%) was significantly higher (p 0.05) than that in Jerseys in their second (5.90%), third (6.49%) and fourth (8.73%) parities. Incidence of milk fever in Holsteins beyond their fourth parity (8.29%) was significantly higher (p 0.05) than that in Holsteins in their second (1.43%), third (1.82%) and fourth (2.91%) parities. No significant difference existed in milk fever incidences between the second, third and fourth parities in either Jersey or Holstein cows. Incidence of milk fever in Jersey cows producing over 6114 litres per 305-day lactation (27.07%) was significantly higher than that in Jerseys producing less than 6114 litres of milk per 305-day lactation (p 0.05). Incidence of milk fever in Holsteins producing more than 9149 litres per 305-day lactation (10.49%) was significantly higher than that in Holsteins producing less than 9149 litres of milk per 305-day lactation (p 0.05). No significant difference existed between incidences of milk fever between the first, second and third quartile producers (p 0.05) in either Jersey or Holstein cows. This study confirms that the risk of developing milk fever is higher in Jerseys and also increases with increasing parity and higher levels of milk production in both breeds, thus advocating for special considerations when dairy cows fit these criteria.

There are no published abattoir bovine hepatic lesion prevalence studies in cattle in Rwanda. This study estimated that 12.3% of the livers (n=4751) examined at Nyabugogo slaughterhouse in Kigali were condemned. Condemnation prejudiced the nation of 3492.00kg of meat with attendant economic losses of US$8932.40 during the study period. Risk factors for these lesions were also assessed. Male and female animals from 11 districts were used in this study. Hepatic lesions were higher in females (14.6%; n=1494) than in males (11.1%; n=3257). About 78.7% of the condemnations were due to fascioliasis, followed by abscesses (5.7%), hepatitis (5.3%), cirrhosis (4%) and other lesions (6.3%). Female animal livers showed more fascioliasis and abscesses (82.2% and 9.5%) than male animal livers (73.3% and 3.3%). The highest rate of condemnation was observed from Kayonza (40.2%; n=413) and the least was from Gakenke district (0.9%; n=1031). Cattle from the Eastern Province showed significantly (P

AIM/BACKGROUND: This retrospective study investigated the causes of beef carcass and organ condemnations and the associated financial losses at a high throughput abattoir in Katima Mulilo, Namibia from 2009 to 2013. METHODS: Post-mortem meat inspection records from September 2009 to July 2013 that were kept at the abattoir were analysed. RESULTS: Of the 26,957 cattle slaughtered during the study period, 59 whole carcasses, 13,884 livers, 13,161 lungs, 406 hearts, 33 kidneys, 265 pluck, 563 spleens, 163 heads, 160 tongues and 79 intestines were condemned. Whole carcasses were condemned mainly due to generalized Cysticercus bovis cysts (40.7%) and cachexia (39%). Among the organs, livers (51.5%) and lungs (48.8%) had the highest levels of condemnation. Liver flukes and hydatid cysts were responsible for most of the liver condemnations (65% and 17.1%, respectively), while hydatid cysts (63.4%) and abscesses (15.4%) were responsible for most of the lung condemnations. Fecal contamination (68.7%) and pericarditis (19.7%) were identified as a major cause of heart condemnations. Fecal contamination (43.6%, 32.5%), abscesses (41.7%, 45%) and C. bovis cysts (14.7%, 15%) were responsible for head and tongue condemnations, respectively. About 7.5% of the tongues were also condemned for floor contamination. Abscesses (49.4%), C. tenuicollis cysts (34.2%), nodular worm (13.9%) and floor contamination (2.5%) were responsible for condemnations of intestines. Fecal contamination (98.4%), floor contamination (0.9%) and splenitis (0.7%) were responsible for condemnations of spleens. Nephritis was the only recorded reason for the condemnation of kidneys. Total monetary losses due to carcass and organ condemnations over the study period were estimated at US$143,711.08. Although there was a 0.2% proportional condemnation of whole carcasses, these were responsible for 17.5% of the revenue losses (US$25,149.44). About 65.0% and 30.5% of the rest of the revenue losses were due to liver and lung condemnations, respectively. The rest of the causes were collectively responsible for only 3.71% of the overall revenue losses. Zoonotic parasites, C. bovis, fasciolosis and hydatid cysts were identified as the major causes of carcass and organ condemnations constituting a major public health concern. CONCLUSION: Considering the size of the local economy, the revenue losses due to carcass and organ condemnations were quite high. This necessitates education of the stakeholders and the general public on the health and economic implications conveyed by this study.

Losses of goats (Boer and Kalahari Red) and sheep (Karakul, Damara and Dorper) reared at Neudamm farm (University of Namibia) were studied retrospectively from March 2002 to December 2015. Significantly (P

A five year-old, 45kg female captive cheetah presented with inappetence, dehydration and a guarded abdominal stance after suspected ingestion of a rubber sandal 24 hours previously. On examination, the animal had normal temperature, pulse and pressure. Abdominal palpation revealed a flatulent stomach with a compacted mass movable within. Upon admission, plain radiographs confirmed the presence of gaseous distention of the stomach around a radio-dense central mass. Exploratory laparotomy was performed to reveal normal intestines but a distended stomach. Gastrotomy was performed parallel to the greater curvature to expose pieces of a rubber sandal that were in a compacted mass within the stomach. Another rubber piece was removed from the pylorus where it was firmly lodged and impeding flow of gastric contents. Gastric and abdominal closure was successfully performed and two weeks later the animal had recovered and was in good health. Individuals owning/handling captive wild felids or other wild animals need to make sure their habitat is free of foreign objects that can possibly be ingested out of boredom or sheer curiosity. Adequate nutrition for these is also advocated to prevent pica which may also result in animals ingesting otherwise inedible or non-digestible materials.

This study was undertaken to characterize and to estimate the level of adoption of artificial insemination (AI) as well as to identify factors determining its adoption by communal farmers of Nyagatare, Rwanda. This followed the launching of the AI programme in the district several years earlier. A survey of the breeding methods used for small scale dairy cows by farmers from five selected sectors of Nyagatare district of the Eastern Province of Rwanda was carried out by means of a questionnaire. Of the 360 respondents, 16.9% primarily used AI, 63.1% used natural service and 20.0% used both methods for breeding. A significant percentage of respondents residing within 5km of the AI centres (79.2%; P