Search

Since centuries, the camel is fascinating scientists over the world. If the first scientific investigations were focused on his remarkable adaptability to desert conditions and to his health management in the context of colonial expansion of European countries in desert areas, recent researches have mobilised several specific disciplines as archaeology, physiology, immunology, breeding and genetics, parasitology, surgery, imaging, diseases, food sciences, economy, or sociology. However, the camel can be regarded as a “full scientific object” legitimising the use of the word “camelology”. Present paper is an overview of chronological development of camel cultures, production and science.

Despite extensive research in recent years on camel milk composition and health benefits, limited scientific data exists on the volatile organic compound profiles of camel milk and its fermented product, shubat. This study analyzed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in raw camel milk and shubat from six Kazakh farms across all seasons. We found that camel milk displayed higher concentrations of aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols with the main two compounds in milk being acetone and (2-Aziridinylethyl) amine. Conversely, the majority of volatile organic compounds in shubat samples belonged to esters, but the predominant compounds by concentration were ethanol, dimethylamine, propanoic acid, and octanoic acid. Seasonality emerged as the primary driver of variation in milk, with heptanal being the most discriminative compound. Fermented milk showcased regional diversity likely driven by distinct microbial communities. Findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of camel milk's aromatic properties, which are influenced by multiple factors that contribute to its distinctive sensory characteristic.

In Africa, camel herding is often viewed as a subsistence or ancient activity restricted to marginal drylands and arid or desert zones. However, camel products are increasingly sold in many cities, and camels are more and more used for tourist purposes. We can also see various public or private interventions in the arid zones aiming to develop processing units for milk or meat based on a business model. This present research aimed to evaluate the multiple economic and non-economic contributions of camel activities in North African drylands through analysis at the household and territorial levels using a multifunctional approach. Based on a study in five provinces of East and South Morocco, this article proposes a framework based on rural livelihoods and ecosystemic services for assessing the contribution of camel rearing to the rural economy and territorial development. It highlighted the multiple economic and non-economic functions of this activity, including domestic, trade, and services, as well as cultural attachment and local knowledge. We conclude by discussing current changes in camel herding, between supporting specialization for value chain participation and maintaining the overall sustainability of the camel systems in dryland areas.

The one-humped camel is well-adapted to low nutritive resources, arid environments and desert ecosystems. Salivary glands have an essential role in moistening and swallowing the ingested food and forestomach digestion regulation and in water body homeostasis. The present study aims to find out the morphological, histological and histochemical characterization of the salivary glands of the dromedary camel concerning the salivation process's role in challenging the arid conditions and to mitigate the climate change impacts. Representative samples of the salivary glands of healthy 16 adult one-humped camel (Camelus dromedaries) of both sexes were tested including mandibular glands, parotid glands, sublingual glands, buccal glands, lingual glands, labial glands and palatine ones. The samples were processed according to the following handling: gross examination, fixation, dehydration, clearing, wax impregnation, embedding, trimming, sectioning, slide mounting, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and a battery of histological and histochemical staining. The salivary glands demonstrated variable types of tubule-acinar and tubule-alveolar secretory portions surrounded by numerous myoepithelial cells and armed with interlobular and intralobular ducts rich with goblet cells. In addition, the glands showed variable secretory cells (mucous, serous, mucoserous and mixed seromucous) with variable secretory products mainly mucusubstances, neutral mucin, acidic mucosubstances, sialomucins, sulphomucins, and29T glycoproteins. Moreover, the glands collectively demonstrated activities for the following enzymes: dehydrogenases, phosphatases, esterases, carboxylases, aminopeptidases, peroxidases, cytochrome oxidases and carbonic anhydrases. furthermore, the glands exhibited alcianophilia and metachromasia. The findings of the present study indicate that the structure and the secretion of the salivary glands of the camel support an efficient salivation process and represent a strong challenge to gro

Le lait de chamelle a longtemps été exclu du marché compte tenu de sa seule disponibilité dans les régions parmi les plus reculées de la planète. Ce contexte est sans doute en partie à l'origine de la conviction qu'avaient les éleveurs chameliers selon laquelle, la vente de lait de chamelle relevait d'un " tabou " à qui on donnait éventuellement une dimension religieuse. Pourtant, associée uniquement à l'économie du don, cette posture a radicalement évolué en quelques décennies vers une économie marchande pour une part capitaliste. Le présent article tente de mobiliser ces concepts d'économie du don et d'économie marchande pour comprendre les mutations en cours et s'appuie sur l'exemple du Sultanat d'Oman pour illustrer ce que peut signifier la marchandisation du lait de chamelle. Le cas du Sultanat d'Oman est emblématique au sens où l'évolution y est récente et extrêmement rapide dans un contexte environnemental et socio-politique tout-à-fait particulier. Si les changements évoqués s'appuient sur l'exemple omanais, ils apparaissent largement universels et expliquent la forte croissance attendue de ce commerce du lait à l'échelle mondiale et pas seulement dans les pays traditionnellement producteurs.

To identify and characterise Mehari farming adopted in the region of Ouargla (Algerian Northern Sahara), 21 farms distributed through four representative zones of the Ouargla region were studied. For this purpose, the methodology embodied a systemic approach with an investigation tool based on interviews conducted through a semi-directive questionnaire. Two homogeneous groups of Mehari farms were identified by multivariate analysis (multiple correspondence factorial analysis (MCFA) and hierarchical ascending classification (HAC)): 67% of the Mehari farms were of a peri- urban and peri-oasis type with a racing vocation and 33% of the systems were of an intra-urban type with a socio-cultural vocation (Fantasia and parade). The study revealed the importance of these types of farming to the local populations, which still anchored in the daily life of local customs and have proven to be a real cultural heritage.

This study examines the occurrence of Surra, a disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi, in camels in the Canary Islands. The 1997 detection of T. evansi in camels in the Canary Islands led to the implementation of an initial control program, resulting in a decrease in prevalence. Following an outbreak in 2014, and due to the impossibility of eradicating it using the conventional measures, a lazaret was set up to separate positive and suspicious animals, in addition to the control measures previously implemented. Stomoxys calcitrans was the only vector captured, and no other animals tested were found to be positive for T. evansi. In November 2019, the last camels that tested serologically positive were detected; however, since February 2018, no camels that tested positive for PCR have been found in the farms were the outbreak was detected, suggesting that the sanitary measures implemented are adequate. The duration of the outbreak control and potential eradication for the disease has yet to be established. This study provides evidence to facilitate the control of African Animal Trypanosomosis in endemic areas of the world, which may contribute to revise the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) protocol to implement recommendations of surveillance and control strategies for animal Trypanosomosis in camels.

Increasing demand for camel's milk worldwide occurred in the context of the development of the organic sector in agriculture. The implementation of an organic label for camel milk has never been established. However, the creation of such a label faces to important challenges that are investigated in the present paper. Indeed, although camel milk conveys the image of a “natural product” issued from remote places, the risk of being produced in contaminated areas (mining activities, oil extraction) cannot be neglected for grazing animals. Moreover, the management of veterinary drugs for prevention or curative treatment can lead to the presence of residues in milk, especially in camel species with different pharmacokinetics, although similar instructions than for cow milk are used. Moreover, the lack of international standards regarding both composition and hygienic rules, the risks of adulteration, and the necessity to use specific indicators or analytical procedures adapted to the behavior of camel milk, have to be taken in account in the establishment of the specifications for the camel milk producers through the world.

Being in an advanced stage of domestication is a newly proposed requirement to decide which animals can be safely kept by humans. Dutch legislators were the first to apply it and other European countries may be tempted to adopt a similar approach. Unexpectedly, the Dutch assessors considered the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) as being insufficiently domesticated and this species will therefore no longer be able to be kept as a production animal from 2024 onwards. In a recent publication on this topic, we showed that the domestication of the dromedary is actually very advanced. In this paper, we apply the same criteria that were used by the Dutch assessors to determine the degree of domestication, taking into account the most recent scientific developments in this area, even though it should be noted that these criteria have neither been peer-reviewed, nor published in an international scientific journal. For the sake of comparison, and in order to validate the procedure, we also applied these criteria to the house cat. The results confirm that the dromedary is highly domesticated, but also that the house cat (Felis silvestris catus) is at most semi-domesticated. Obviously, we agree with the decision of the Dutch legislators to place the house cat on the positive list, but our analysis demonstrates that this was decided on false grounds. Our analysis makes it clear that the requirement of being in an advanced stage of domestication is not suitable. Instead of maintaining this requirement, we recommend implementing evidence-based, peer-reviewed methods to decide which animals can be kept by humans, and to include species specific-guidelines in the legislation on how this can be achieved safely.

The worldwide dromedary milk production has increased sharply since the beginning of this century due to prolonged shelf life, improved food-safety and perceived health benefits. Scientific confirmation of health claims will expand the market of dromedary milk further. As a result, more and more dromedaries will be bred for one purpose only: the highest possible milk production. However, intensive dromedary farming systems have consequences for animal welfare and may lead to genetic changes. Tighter regulations will be implemented to restrict commercialization of raw milk. Protocols controlling welfare of dromedaries and gene databases of milk-dromedaries will prevent negative consequences of intensive farming. In countries where dromedaries have only recently been introduced as production animal, legislators have limited expertise on this species. This is exemplified by an assessment on behalf of the Dutch government, recommending prohibiting keeping this species from 2024 onwards because the dromedary was deemed to be insufficiently domesticated. Implementation of this recommendation in Dutch law would have devastating effects on existing dromedary farms and could also pave the way for adopting similar measures in other European countries. In this paper it is shown that the Dutch assessment lacks scientific rigor. Awareness of breeders and legislators for the increasing knowledge about dromedaries and their products would strengthen the position of dromedaries as one of the most adapted and sustainable animals.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an infectious viral disease, primarily of small ruminants such as sheep and goats, but is also known to infect a wide range of wild and domestic Artiodactyls including African buffalo, gazelle, saiga and camels. The livestock-wildlife interface, where free-ranging animals can interact with captive flocks, is the subject of scrutiny as its role in the maintenance and spread of PPR virus (PPRV) is poorly understood. As seroconversion to PPRV indicates previous infection and/or vaccination, the availability of validated serological tools for use in both typical (sheep and goat) and atypical species is essential to support future disease surveillance and control strategies. The virus neutralisation test (VNT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have been validated using sera from typical host species. Still, the performance of these assays in detecting antibodies from atypical species remains unclear. We examined a large panel of sera (n = 793) from a range of species from multiple countries (sourced 2015–2022) using three tests: VNT, ID VET N-ELISA and AU-PANVAC H-ELISA. A sub-panel (n = 30) was also distributed to two laboratories and tested using the luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) and a pseudotyped virus neutralisation assay (PVNA). We demonstrate a 75.0–88.0% agreement of positive results for detecting PPRV antibodies in sera from typical species between the VNT and commercial ELISAs, however this decreased to 44.4–62.3% in sera from atypical species, with an inter-species variation. The LIPS and PVNA strongly correlate with the VNT and ELISAs for typical species but vary when testing sera from atypical species.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is enzootic in dromedary camels and causes zoonotic infection and disease in humans. Although over 80% of the global population of infected dromedary camels are found in Africa, zoonotic disease had only been reported in the Arabia Peninsula and travel-associated disease has been reported elsewhere. In this study, genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of MERS-CoV in dromedary camels in Ethiopia were investigated during 2017–2020. Of 1766 nasal swab samples collected, 61 (3.5%) were detected positive for MERS-CoV RNA. Of 484 turbinate swab samples collected, 10 (2.1%) were detected positive for MERS-CoV RNA. Twenty-five whole genome sequences were obtained from these MERS-CoV positive samples. Phylogenetically, these Ethiopian camel-originated MERS-CoV belonged to clade C2, clustering with other East African camel strains. Virus sequences from camel herds clustered geographically while in an abattoir, two distinct phylogenetic clusters of MERS-CoVs were observed in two sequential sampling collections, which indicates the greater genetic diversity of MERS-CoV in abattoirs. In contrast to clade A and B viruses from the Arabian Peninsula, clade C camel-originated MERS-CoV from Ethiopia had various nucleotide insertions and deletions in non-structural gene nsp3, accessory genes ORF3 and ORF5 and structural gene N. This study demonstrates the genetic instability of MERS-CoV in dromedaries in East Africa, which indicates that the virus is still actively adapting to its camel host. The impact of the observed nucleotide insertions and deletions on virus evolution, viral fitness, and zoonotic potential deserves further study.

To investigate the prevalence, bacterial spectrum of mastitis, and antimicrobial resistance of the causative staphylococci in Algerian dromedary camels, a total of 200 lactating camels were first examined for clinical mastitis and the healthy quarters were examined for subclinical mastitis using the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Milk samples from the affected quarters were collected aseptically and analysed using conventional bacteriological isolation and identification procedures. Staphylococcal isolates were then analysed for antimicrobial resistance. The overall prevalence of mastitis in camels based on CMT and clinical examination was 35 % (70/200), of which 7.5 % (15/200) was clinical mastitis and 27.5 % (55/200) was subclinical mastitis. At the quarterly level, the overall prevalence was 11.87 % (95/800), of which 2.62 % (21/800) was clinical mastitis and 9.25 % (74/800) was subclinical mastitis. A total of 98 bacterial isolates were identified from the 95 cultured milk samples. Staphylococci (70.4%) were the predominant isolates, with 31.63 % identified as coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) including S. aureus at 25.51 % and 38.77 % identified as coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). The remaining isolates were Micrococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., Bacillus sp., E. coli, and Enterococcus. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that 24 (34.78 %) of the isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial drugs tested, while 21.73 % (15/69) were multidrug resistant strains. The highest resistance rates were found for penicillin, tetracycline and erythromycin with 33.33 %, 31.48 % and 21.74 %, respectively. Therefore, the implementation of integrated approaches in the study is of great importance for the prevention and control of mastitis to improve the quality of camel milk, minimize economic losses and avoid significant public health risks.

Objectif : En plus de leur importance écologique et médicinale, les plantes autochtones de l'écosystème saharien ont aussi un grand intérêt pastoral. Genista saharae (Merkh), Nitraria retusa (Ghardak) et Randonia africana (Tagtag ou godm), sont considérées parmi les espèces vivaces des parcours sahariens qui sont les plus broutées par Camelus dromedarius, L'objectif de cette étude est d'évaluer et d'améliorer le pouvoir germinatif des graines de ces espèces afin de les utiliser pour effectuer des régénérations ou de l'optimisation de la productivité des parcours sahariennes. Méthodologie et Résultats : Des expériences au laboratoire ont permis d'évaluer la germination des graines de ces espèces, et d'étudier l'effet des prétraitements par scarification mécanique et chimique sur les paramètres de germination des semences de ces espèces. Les résultats obtenus ont montré des inhibitions tégumentaires à la germination des graines des espèces étudiées. L'emploi du prétraitement par la scarification mécanique a nettement amélioré le taux et la vitesse de germination des trois espèces. L'effet positif du prétraitement par scarification chimique est observé sur les propriétés germinatifs des graines de Genista saharae et Randonia africana. Cependant, chez Nitraria retusa, les graines apparaissent très sensibles à ce traitement et n'ont pas germé. Conclusion et application des résultats : Les résultats obtenus pourraient fournir aux services concernés des méthodes pratiques et efficaces afin de surmonter le problème de dormance tégumentaire lors d'un éventuel programme d'amélioration de la végétation de parcours sahariens en ayant notamment recours à des plantations d'espèces autochtones élevées en pépinière afin de densifier la végétation fourragère.

Myostatin (MSTN) is a highly conserved negative regulator of skeletal muscle in mammals. Inactivating mutations results in a hyper-muscularity phenotype known as “double muscling” in several livestock and model species. In Camelus dromedarius, the gene structure organization and the sequence polymorphisms have been previously investigated, using Sanger and Next-Generation Sequencing technologies on a limited number of animals. Here, we carried out a follow-up study with the aim to further expand our knowledge about the sequence polymorphisms at the myostatin locus, through the whole-genome sequencing data of 183 samples representative of the geographical distribution range for this species. We focused our polymorphism analysis on the ±5 kb upstream and downstream region of the MSTN gene. A total of 99 variants (77 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and 22 indels) were observed. These were mainly located in intergenic and intronic regions, with only six synonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in exons. A sequence comparative analysis among the three species within the Camelus genus confirmed the expected higher genetic distance of C. dromedarius from the wild and domestic two-humped camels compared to the genetic distance between C. bactrianus and C. ferus. In silico functional prediction highlighted: (i) 213 differential putative transcription factor-binding sites, out of which 41 relative to transcription factors, with known literature evidence supporting their involvement in muscle metabolism and/or muscle development; and (ii) a number of variants potentially disrupting the canonical MSTN splicing elements, out of which two are discussed here for their potential ability to generate a prematurely truncated (inactive) form of the protein. The distribution of the considered variants in the studied cohort is discussed in light of the peculiar evolutionary history of this species and the hypothesis that extremely high muscularity, associated with a homozygous conditio

L'ancêtre des grands camélidés, originaire d'Amérique du Nord, aurait migré vers l'Asie il y a plusieurs millions d'années, pour s'établir dans des zones arides : la péninsule arabique pour les dromadaires — appelés aussi chameaux d'Arabie ou chameaux à une bosse —, et l'Asie centrale pour les Bactrianes — ou chameaux à deux bosses, parfois dénommés chameaux d'Asie. La remarquable résistance des grands camélidés à des conditions climatiques extrêmes, leurs fonctions de service (transport, monte ou gestion des espaces pastoraux), ainsi que la qualité et la bonne valorisation de leurs produits sur les marchés nationaux et internationaux (lait, viande ou laine), ont fait émerger ces dernières décennies une nouvelle filière pour ces espèces cantonnées, encore il y a peu, à la subsistance de populations nomades vivant dans les régions désertiques d'Afrique et d'Asie. Cette filière s'implante aujourd'hui non seulement dans les pays d'origine, mais aussi dans le monde occidental dans lequel la gestion des élevages, basée sur des pratiques mises en oeuvre pour l'espèce bovine, s'avère souvent inopérante. Cet ouvrage de référence, unique en langue française, s'adresse donc à tous les acteurs de la filière, qu'ils soient concernés par les activités d'élevage, de conseil technique ou de soins aux grands camélidés. Il décrit successivement les généralités sur l'espèce, les bases physiologiques de la reproduction, de la lactation et de l'alimentation, les principales productions, ainsi que la gestion de la santé et de l'hygiène en élevage camelin.

Introduction: In recent years Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) disease caused several epidemics in a wide range of susceptible hosts. The ability of the peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) to cross the species barrier necessitates further research, particularly on disease circulation and cross-species transmission between typical and atypical hosts to guide and facilitate the eradication program anticipated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in 2030. The aim of this study is to explore the role of dromedary camels as transmitters for PPR. Methodology: Four experiments were carried out on clinically healthy seronegative camels, sheep and goats. In experiment I, the animals were inoculated with a PPR- positive suspension of camel pneumonic lung homogenate. In the other three experiments either sheep and goats were inoculated and after three days were housed with camels or vice versa. Results: Marked clinical signs suggestive of PPR were seen in sheep and goats while camels showed mild infection. Severe clinical signs of PPR were seen in sheep and goats when kept with inoculated camels. Postmortem examination revealed PPR lesions in all inoculated animals including camels. Conclusions: This study showed that dromedary camels infected with PPRV can transmit the disease to sheep and goats, even when they developed mild clinical signs.

Camel products are receiving great interest worldwide because of their high functional properties and nutritive values. Therefore, this study was focused on the variation of copper [Cu], zinc [Zn], manganese [Mn], selenium [Se], iron [Fe], iodine [I], and some heavy metals, cobalt [Co], lead [Pb], and cadmium [Cd], in the blood and tissues of slaughtered camels from five regions in Saudi Arabia [SA] during the summer and winter seasons, because environmental factors vary from region to region. Whole blood, meat, liver, rumen fluid, and rumen tissues were collected from the slaughterhouse in each region during the two seasons. Moreover, samples were prepared and analyzed for trace mineral and heavy metal concentrations using ICP-MS. The data were statistically analyzed as part of a complete randomized design and correlation analysis for season and location using SAS. The findings revealed a pattern in the minerals, with Ca being the only mineral that was unrelated to other minerals in the liver. For lead and cadmium, our mean value in liver [0.40 µg/g] was below the limit of the EU standard for cadmium [0.50 µg/g], while in meat and liver, lead contents [1.62 µg/g and 2.57 µg/g, respectively] were above the limit of the EU standard [0.10 and 0.20 µg/g, respectively]. For meat, the significantly highest positive correlations were observed between P and Mg [R2 = 0.928], Fe and Mn [R2 = 0.860], and Co and Mn [R2 = 0.821]. For rumen tissues, P and Mg were highly correlated [R2 = 0.958] as well as Zn and Mg [R2 = 0.857], Zn and P [R2 = 0.836], and Fe and Ca [R2 = 0.802]. As a result, a region and season reflect variations in mineral concentrations in SA during the summer and winter seasons. Further intensive research is needed to investigate the minerals' biological mechanisms in camels under different environmental conditions.

Trace minerals play an important role in animal health and productivity. They are involved also in many physiological activities, and their deficiency causes a variety of pathological problems and metabolic defects, reducing consequently the animal productivity. The demand for animal products in semi-arid areas is rapidly increasing, and the supply is still below the required level, partially due to low animal productivity. Camels (Camelus dromedarius and Camelus bactrianus) are considered one of the main sources of healthy, high-quality meat and milk for human consumption within most of the countries in the semi-arid regions. Despite their efficient adaptation to their environment, camels can suffer from the growth retardation of newborns, low feed efficiency, anemia, poor fertility, poor reproduction and many other metabolic disorders. It is well known that trace mineral deficiencies and trace mineral toxicities can influence camels' production and reproductive efficiency, as well as many aspects of their growth and metabolism. Evaluating the trace minerals status of camels and their variability is an obvious step toward improving camels' productivity and health. Thus, the present article reviews the data regarding the status of trace minerals (copper, zinc, iron, selenium, manganese, cobalt, iodine, fluorine, molybdenum, sulfur, bromide and nickel) in camel blood and their physiological variability, with a focus on their deficiency and toxicity effect.

A distinctive biological model, the camel, is auspicious livestock in drastic weather conditions. The location of Pakistan is at the hotspot regions where the disasters of environmental changes hit severely. The future hope for food security is a camel particularly for drought-stricken areas of the country, such as Cholistan, Thal, in Punjab, and Thar Deserts in Sindh. Camels have the ability to adapt to the harshest climatic conditions when kept for milk, meat, wool, and hides production. Camel production can be enhanced by reducing the age at puberty and calving interval. The current study was showing the effects of forced mating as a tool in the reduction of age at puberty and calving interval in She-camels. For this purpose, thirteen female camels (3 female young stock –FYS, 10 parturient) belonged to Camel Breeding and Research Station (CBRS) Rakh Mahni Bhakkar Punjab, Pakistan were enrolled in this study. Available rutting male from the same herd were forced the female young stock and parturient She-camels for mating month after parturition. The results showed that age at first service was reduced to 38, 36.5 and 36 months in the three female young stock and the calving interval for multiparous females was reduced up to 698, 690, 688, 624, 458, 440, 418, 406, 390 and 372 days in ten female camels, respectively. The current findings indicate that forced mating could be an effective reproductive management tool to use the available rutting bull in the seasonal breeder She-camels to shorten the age at puberty and calving interval and to get the offspring at desired time.