Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections in households sheep "Elevage en case" in Dakar, Senegal.

AIM: The study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in sheep breeding in a particular husbandry system called "Elevage en case" in Dakar, Senegal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 278 sheep. Serum was harvested and used for analysis. For the detection of T. gondii antibodies, 278 sera were analyzed using the modified agglutination test, while the enzyme linked-immunosorbent assay was used on 174 sheep sera to look for N. caninum antibodies. RESULTS: This study showed that 29.4±6.8% of sheep carried both T. gondii and N. caninum antibodies. The overall prevalence was 60.1±5.7% and 41.9±7.3% for toxoplasmosis and neosporosis, respectively. For toxoplasmosis, the prevalence was higher in Gueule Tapée (63.3%) than in Medina (58.9%), but the variation was not significant (p=0.45). Regarding the age of animals, the prevalence was significantly higher in animals over 2 years old compared to those under 2 years old (p=0.002). For neosporosis, the prevalence was significantly higher in Medina (48.67%) than Gueule Tapée (16.7%) (p=0.001), but non-significant variation was noted according to animal age. CONCLUSION: The study showed that sheep reared in households have carried antibodies of T. gondii and N. caninum. The prevalence was high and it means that consumption of meat from these animals is risky if the meat is eaten undercooked.

Cattle farmer awareness and behavior regarding prevention of zoonotic disease transmission in Senegal.

Livestock farmers are known to be at high risk of exposure to zoonosis. A convenience survey to assess Senegalese traditional cattle farmers' knowledge and attitudes regarding zoonotic diseases with reference to bovine brucellosis was conducted. A total of 222 cattle farmers were interviewed. Just over a quarter (30.1%) of the study participants knew or had heard of zoonotic diseases, whereas 6.8% knew at least one mode of transmission. Rabies was the most named zoonotic disease by farmers who knew zoonosis. Meanwhile, no farmer had heard of bovine brucellosis. Identification of zoonotic disease varied significantly by farmer's main activity. All farmers reported that they drink milk produced on their cattle farms, and 95.0% drank fresh milk without prior heat treatment. A majority of farmers (70.3%) regularly assist animals during parturition and abortion without protective gloves. Farmers were less likely to assist animals if they had attended formal education. This study reports low knowledge of zoonotic infections and low compliance to control practices. Investigations on possible zoonotic infections, tailored zoonotic disease control programs including disease awareness creation and improved farm management are strongly recommended.

Calf management practices, challenges and opportunities in traditional cattle production systems in the Peanut Basin of Senegal.

Calf management in traditional cattle herds in many parts of the tropics receive less attention as compared to immediate income-generating cows or bulls. Information on long-term implications of poorly reared young stock is limited. A study to assess practices, challenges and opportunities during rearing of less than 12-month-old calves in traditional cattle herds in the Peanut Basin of Senegal was carried out. Data were collected on 207 farms through farm visits and completion of a questionnaire. Categorical principal component analysis followed by two-step cluster analysis identified two cattle production systems: livestock based (LB: 47.83 %) and livestock-crop based (LCB, 52.17 %). On average, 2.81 ± 0.15 calves were reared per farm. Calves were weaned at the age of 12.27 ± 0.32 months. A majority of the calves were of indigenous breeds (71.37 %) and were meant to serve as replacement stock (74.23 %). The tropical livestock unit for cattle owned was significantly lower in LB compared to LCB farms (12.71 vs. 18.85). Significantly higher number of farmers owned non-indigenous calves, had clean calf rearing area and reported feed availability in LB farms as compared to LCB farms. A majority of farmers (98.50 %) perceived calf morbidity and mortality as a major challenge in calf rearing. Meanwhile, labour was readily available to assist with calf rearing in 88.24 % of farms in both systems. Capacity building on improve husbandry practices could enhance calf survival and productivity in surveyed farms. Studies to better identify health and feeding constraints of calves will be necessary to define intervention targets.

Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies and its consequences for reproductive parameters in dairy cows from Dakar-Senegal, West Africa.

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies and its effects on reproductive parameters in cows in intensive dairy herds in Dakar. Randomised blood samples were taken for serology from 196 cows in four herds with a history of sporadic abortion. All of the sera were assayed for antibodies against N. caninum, Candida guillermondii, Coxiella burnetii, and Chlamydophila sp. The associations between serostatus and reproductive parameters (abortion, number of inseminations to conception, and calving to conception interval) were assessed over a period of 5 years (2004-2008). The seroprevalence of N. caninum antibodies in dairy cattle was 17.9%. The local Gobra breed and crossbreeds had higher levels of N. caninum antibodies than exotic breeds (p < 0.05). For the most recent pregnancies, seropositive cows required more inseminations to establish conception than seronegative cows (p < 0.05). The results indicate that dairy cattle from Dakar are exposed to N. caninum. Neosporosis should, therefore, be systematically considered as a cause when the calving to conception interval is prolonged.