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This study investigated outbreaks of seemingly related abortions and orchitis which occurred in the Khomas, Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions of Namibia from 2016 to 2018, affecting cattle, sheep and goats. Fifty-nine questionnaires were administered, and 48 were completed giving an 81.4% return. The outbreaks were limited to Namibia's east and central regions, mainly on farms rearing cattle, sheep and goats and on farms with a mixture of these species. There was no significant difference between Khomas and other regions on abortion reporting at the farm level [X

This study investigated outbreaks of seemingly related abortions and orchitis which occurred in Namibia from 2016 to 2018. A combination of epidemiological studies (using questionnaires), necropsies, microbiology, serology, molecular biological techniques like PCR and mineral analytical techniques were used in an attempt to establish the aetiology of these abortion and orchitis outbreaks. The results showed that the outbreaks were limited to Namibia's east and central regions and mainly occurred on farms that reared cattle, sheep and goats and on farms with a mixture of these species. In some cases, horses and game species were also affected. Gross pathological findings included testicular enlargement, with focal haemorrhages and soft to hard testicular consistency in males. Histopathological findings included severe chronic orchitis, testicular degeneration, prominent interstitial mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration with a few multinucleated inflammatory cells. In samples obtained from aborted fetuses, significant histopathological findings included meconium aspiration, funisitis, placentitis and cardiomyopathy in fetal tissues, whereas endometritis was the primary pathology observed in females. Brucella spp., Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp., Truperella pyogenes, micronutrient imbalances toxic and pathogenic abiotic nanoparticles which resulted from drought conditions that preceded these outbreaks, were identified as possible causes.

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

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

Cases of rumen impaction caused by ingestion of Gonometa postica cocoons occurred at a farm in eastern-central Namibia. Ten animals died on the farm over the previous 5 months. Rumenotomies were successfully performed on three affected animals. The authors were of the opinion that the affected animals ingested the cocoons around the time of weaning, which then resulted in tangled masses that gradually stretched and enlarged because of entrapment of ingesta, eventually causing impaction of the rumen in the young adult animals. These are the first reported cases of ruminal impaction attributable to G. postica cocoon ingestion in Namibia.

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 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