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Copyright of Revue d'élevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des pays Tropicaux is the property of CIRAD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: The zoonotic helminth Taenia solium is endemic in Zambia, causing human (taeniasis and (neuro)cysticercosis) and pig (porcine cysticercosis) diseases with high health, social and economic burdens. We aimed to evaluate the impact of a health educational program intended to lead to powerful and cumulative improvements in knowledge, attitudes and practices that decrease parasite transmission and disease occurrence.Methods: Half-day health education workshops were conducted in three primary schools in the highly endemic Eastern Province of Zambia, using the computer-based T. solium educational program 'The Vicious Worm'. Questionnaires were administered before and after the educational component to determine the program's impact on knowledge uptake in primary school students.Results: In total, 99 students participated: 38 males and 61 females, with a median age of 14 years (range 10-18 years). Baseline general knowledge of T. solium, including awareness of the different human and pig disease states, and disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention, was quite high (average score 62%) and consistent across all three study areas. Participants' knowledge had significantly increased after the educational component, particularly regarding parasite transmission and disease prevention.Conclusion: Preliminary assessment of 'The Vicious Worm' indicates it is an effective tool for the short-term T. solium education of primary school students in Zambia. Follow-up studies are planned to assess the longer term impact of the program on knowledge uptake in the study neighbourhoods. Inclusion of tailored 'The Vicious Worm' educational workshops should be considered in integrated cysticercosis control programs in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goats are important in the livestock economy by their adaptability to adverse environmental conditions as they are good sources of protein and income for the rural poor. Studies conducted on the bacterial flora of the respiratory tract in goats focused on the pneumonic lungs, with fewer studies on the apparently normal nasal passage and antibiogram of isolated organisms. This study was carried out on 60 apparently healthy West African Dwarf goats. The nasal swab from each goat was analyzed using standard methods. The disc diffusion technique was used for the antibiotic sensitivity test. Three hundred and twenty-eight isolates were obtained. The most frequently isolated species was Streptococcus spp., while Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the second dominant bacteria. Other species were isolated at relatively lower rates. The isolation of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida from the nasal cavity of apparently healthy goats in this study reflects their possible role in most common respiratory diseases encountered in small ruminants. Most of the bacteria were found to be susceptible to streptomycin, quinolones (perfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin) and gentamicin, while they were resistant to tetracycline, augmentin and erythromycin. This study shows the relationship between misuse or unrestricted use of antibiotics and drug resistance. Therefore, there is a need for practitioners and researchers to be informed of the appropriate antibiotics to be used in respiratory infections and during control programs.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of disease prophylaxis on the reduction of mortality in small ruminants in a peasant environment. The study was conducted in 60 villages of Northern Cameroon (North and Extreme-North provinces). The small ruminant flocks of thirty villages were dewormed with BolumisolR (levamisole) against gastrointestinal helminthoses, and vaccinated against peste des petits ruminants with BovipestovaxR. The other thirty villages served as untreated control. In total 18,469 small ruminants, of which 10,179 had been treated, were monitored monthly from August 1995 to July 1996. After a year, results showed that mortality rates significantly decreased (p < 0.0001) from 22.21% to 10.92% and from 25.06% to 13.15% in goats and sheep, respectively. This prophylaxis plan should be adopted in order to control the high mortality that plagues small ruminant farms of Northern Cameroon. Its economic impact is obvious and would even be greater if reproductive and growth performances were considered.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a contagious respiratory disease of cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony. CBPP heavily constrains cattle farm development in Africa and results in mortality, decrease in animal production, and control costs. A conceptual model of CBPP spread within an infected herd (vaccinated or not) is proposed. It was developed based on today’s epidemiological knowledge of the disease. This conceptual model was translated into a mathematical model, which can be used to test various CBPP control strategies at the herd level. It will have to be tried out in various CBPP epidemiological contexts of Africa and to be tested against future experimental results in order to be validated and eventually improved. Finally, it will be essential to conduct surveys during CBPP outbreaks, carry out clinical trials, and promote publications of the detailed results of these actions to assess in a more reliable manner the epidemiological parameters that control the model behavior.

There is a growing interest in improving the relationship between disease control programmes and the rest of the health system in low- and middle-income countries. This short study seeks to contribute to this movement by providing a multi-dimensional approach for policy-makers and researchers. It recognizes the different and often conflicting perspectives in health systems held by stakeholders. Two such perspectives are those of disease control programmes and health systems. Both are based on perceived health needs and put forward requirements on each other through resource demands and organizational needs. Failure to reconcile these perspectives can lead to health system fragmentation. This study proposes a framework to address the importance of mutual support across stakeholder perspectives, striving to understand and analyse the consequences of their reciprocal views. In doing this, the study stresses the importance of common understanding around health system values, the political interplay between stakeholders, the contextual setting and the need to integrate research and capacity development in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Resumen en inglès, ver archivo PDF

Clubroot disease, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae , affects Brassica oilseed and vegetable production worldwide. This review is focused on various aspects of clubroot disease and its management, including understanding the pathogen and resistance in the host plants. Advances in genetics, molecular biology techniques, and omics research have helped to identify several major loci, QTL, and genes from the Brassica genomes involved in the control of clubroot resistance. Transcriptomic studies have helped to extend our understanding of the mechanism of infection by the pathogen and the molecular basis of resistance/susceptibility in the host plants. A comprehensive understanding of the clubroot disease and host resistance would allow developing a better strategy by integrating the genetic resistance with cultural practices to manage this disease from a long-term perspective.