ABSTRACT
Background: Livestock farmers' attitudes, practices, and behaviors are major factors in infection prevention and control of animal diseases. Kenya has the fourth largest global camel population, and the industry has grown over the last two decades, transforming beyond the traditional camel-keeping areas to include peri-urban camel trade and value chain growth. The dromedary camel is resilient, and it is a preferred species in the arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) of Kenya. However, it still faces many health and production challenges; to identify infection drivers and risky behaviors for camel respiratory illnesses and conditions in Kenya, we conducted a knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey. Method: Using a set of tools (questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions), we interviewed camel owners, herders, agro-veterinary outlets, and other relevant value chain stakeholders in Garissa and Isiolo counties (n = 85). Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics. Results: Most camel owners/herders are male and most are relatively uneducated (85.5%). The camels were used primarily for milk and meat production, income generation, and transport. Larger herd sizes (>30 camels) and owner/herder's lack of formal education are risk factors for owner-reported respiratory illnesses in camels. Major clinical signs of respiratory conditions were coughing (85.7%), nasal discharge (59.7%), and fever (23.4%). Diseases, lack of feeds, theft, and marketing challenges are the major constraints to camel production in Kenya. Owners-herders use drugs indiscriminately and this may contribute to antimicrobial resistance challenges. Conclusion: Practitioners in the camel value chain want more commitment from the government and animal health officials on support services and access to veterinary services. Watering points, grazing areas, and marketing points are the primary areas for congregating camels and have a significant potential for disease spread. Kenya camels have a massive capacity for rural and ASALs' livelihoods transformation but the identified health challenges, and other issues must be addressed. Further studies on the Kenyan camels' respiratory microbial ecology are important to understand microbial risks and reduce the burden of zoonotic infections. Intensification of risk communication and community engagement, and messaging targeted at behavior change interventions should be directed at camel value chain actors.
ABSTRACT
In Kenya and East Africa, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases affecting small ruminants in pastoral areas with adverse consequences on livelihoods. This is so despite the implementation of bi-annual vaccination campaigns. Unfortunately, the impact of the disease and the cost-effectiveness of its prevention and control in a pastoral context have been difficult to assess due to a lack of reliable data. The dynamic of flock population, high illiteracy and limited outreach are the main challenges for proper data collection. Nevertheless, such analysis is important to justify the implementation of national vaccination campaign for livestock disease control and to contribute to pastoral households' economy support programme. A continuous flock monitoring was performed for a year in Turkana County to collect data on flock dynamics and the different causes of mortalities. A stochastic model was developed to evaluate the annual economic losses due to CCPP in a standard flock of 100 heads and evaluate the cost-benefit ratio of the vaccination programmes based on different scenarios of 95%, 50% and 20% vaccination effectiveness. The annual economic losses due to CCPP for a standard flock of 100 heads were estimated at Euros 1,712.66 in average. The benefits-costs ratio of the vaccination supports the current bi-annual vaccination campaigns, even with a vaccine effectiveness limited to 20% (average benefits-costs ratio of 5.715 with SD of 3.914). This justifies the campaigns as part of a food security or livelihood support programme. However, from an overall health perspective and for long-term effects on livestock asset protection and disease control, a higher vaccination effectiveness is required.
