Browsing by Author "Kasanga, Christopher Jacob"

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Exploring pathogenic and zoonotic bacteria from wild rodents, dogs, and humans of the Ngorongoro district in Tanzania using metagenomics next-generation sequencing
(MDPI, 2023) Issae, Amina Ramadhani; Katakweba, Abdul Selemani; Kicheleri, Rose Peter; Chengula, Augustino Alfred; Van Zwetselaar, Marco; Kasanga, Christopher Jacob
Globally, zoonoses have serious consequences due to their socioeconomic impacts. Ngoron- goro District is home to a diverse range of wildlife and domestic animals, including rodents and dogs, which often coexist in close proximity with humans. The aim of the study was to identify the zoonotic bacteria present in wild rodents, domestic dogs, and humans using metagenomics next-generation sequencing technology. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022. This study used both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing technologies to identify bacteria in 530 blood samples collected from humans (n = 200), wild rodents (n = 230), and dogs (n = 100). Several zoonotic airborne/contagious bacteria, including Mycobacterium spp., Mycoplasma spp., Bordetella spp., and Legionella spp., were detected in wild rodents, domestic dogs, and humans. Arthropod-borne zoonotic bacteria such as Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp. were detected in all three hosts, while Orientia spp. was found in wild rodents and domestic dogs. Yersinia pestis, Streptobacillus spp. and Anaplasma spp. were found only in wild rodents. Other zoonotic bacteria found shared among wild rodents, domestic dogs, and humans are Leptospira spp., Brucella spp., and Salmonella spp. Generally, wild rodents had the highest prevalence of zoonotic bacterial species when compared to domestic dogs and humans. The detection of zoonotic bacteria in rodents, dogs, and humans supports the hypothesis that infections can spread between animals and humans sharing the same environment.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices on rift valley fever among pastoral and agropastoral communities of Ngorongoro in the rift valley ecosystem, Tanzania, conducted in 2021/2022
(PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2023) Issae, Amina Ramadhani; Katakweba, Abdul Ahmed Selemani; Kicheleri, Rose Peter; Chengula, Augustino Alfred; Kasanga, Christopher Jacob
Epidemics of Rift Valley fever (RVF), a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease caused by RVF virus, have been linked to exceptionally heavy rainfall and widespread flooding. The disease is endemic in most African countries and pose a major global health risk. Given that the dis- ease was reported in various districts of Tanzania, we hypothesized a lack of knowledge about RVF epidemiology among agropastoral and pastoral communities. The research took place in a period of 7 months, from July, 2021 to January, 2022. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among the agropastoral and pastoral communities of Ngorongoro district towards RVF. The survey employed a mixed method system, which included 3 focus groups (each comprised 12 individuals), 20 key informant interviews and administration of questionnaire (N = 352) in agropastoral and pastoral com- munity members of Ngorongoro district. The relationship between demographic characteris- tics and communities’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding RVF was observed using a multiple logistic regression model. A total of 352 participants were interviewed, with the majority (67.61%) being male and 32.39% being female, majority (39.5%) attending pri- mary school, and majority (58.2%) being pastoralists. The findings showed that only 36.1%, 38.64% and 16.19% of participants had good knowledge, positive attitude and good prac- tices regarding RVF respectively. Significant demographic factors related with knowledge included: gender (OR = 1.9, CI = 1.03–3.56, P = 0.041), education levels (primary: OR = 3.97, CI = 2–8.16, P = 0.000; secondary: OR = 15.27, CI = 5.5–46.23, P = 0.000 and college: OR = 34. 23, CI = 5.4–67.22, P = 0.000), and locality (Pinyinyi: OR = 0.14, CI = 0.05–0.38, P = 0.000 and Sale: OR = 0.14, CI = 0.04–0.44, P = 0.001). Male participants showed signifi- cant positive attitude towards RVF compared to female (OR = 2.37, CI = 1.35–4.17, P = 0.003). Individuals with formal education showed a significant positive attitude toward RVF compared to informal (OR>1, P<0.05). Agropastoral members showed a significant nega- tive attitude toward RVF compared to pastoralists (OR = 0.51, CI = 0.26–0.99, P = 0.048).The calculated RVF prevention practices values were insignificantly (P = 0.853) correlated with knowledge values. The significant correlation between knowledge and attitude, as well as attitude and practice were found (P<0.05). In general, the study revealed poor knowl- edge, negative attitude and poor practices of communities towards RVF. The lack of regular education programs to make the communities aware of the disease was implicated for these findings. This recommends that provision of health education should be a long-term practice among agropastoral and pastoral communities in order to prevent further RVF out- breaks in Tanzania.
The effect of seasonal variation on anthrax epidemiology in the upper Zambezi floodplain of western Zambia
(Veterinary Science, 2012-03-25) Munang’andu, Hetron Mweemba; Banda, Fredrick; Siamudaala, Victor Mukulule; Munyeme, Musso; Kasanga, Christopher Jacob; Hamududu, Byman
Anthrax has become endemic throughout the upper Zambezi floodplain located in the Western Province of Zambia over the recent years. To date, no comprehensive study has been carried out to determine whether recurrence of anthrax outbreaks may be linked to differences in precipitation and human activities. Retrospective data for the period 1999 to 2007 showed that a total of 1,216 bovine cases of anthrax were reported. During the same period, 1,790 human anthrax cases and a corresponding case fatality rate of 4.63% (83/1,790) was documented in the upper Zambezi floodplain. Occurrence of human cases was highly correlated with cattle outbreaks (r = 0.94, p ＜ 0.001). Differences in precipitation were significantly associated with the occurrence of anthrax outbreaks (χ 2 = 4.75, p ＜ 0.03), indicating that the likelihood of outbreaks occurring was higher during the dry months when human occupancy of the floodplain was greater compared to the flooding months when people and livestock moved out of this region. Human dependency on the floodplain was shown to significantly influence the epidemiology of anthrax in the upper Zambezi floodplain of western Zambia. Methods for mitigating anthrax outbreaks by disrupting the cycle of transmission are herein highlighted.