Browsing by Author "Sabuni, Christopher"

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Mopeia Virus– related Arenavirus in Natal Multimammate Mice, Morogoro, Tanzania
(2009-12-12) Günther, Stephan; Hoofd, Guy; Charrel, Remi; Röser, Christina; Becker-Ziaja, Beate; Lloyd, Graham; Sabuni, Christopher; Verhagen, Ron; Groen, Guido van der; Kennis, Jan; Katakweba, Abdul; Machang’u, Robert; Makundi, Rhodes; Leirs, Herwig
A renaviruses are segmented negative-strand RNA vi- ruses. Their natural hosts are various rodent species. The virus family comprises several human pathogens caus- ing hemorrhagic fever, namely Machupo, Guanarito, Junin, Sabia, and Chapare viruses in South America, and Lassa and Lujo viruses in Africa (1–3). In addition, Africa har- bors arenaviruses that are not linked with human disease: Mobala, Ippy, Mopeia, and Kodoko viruses (4–7). We con- ducted a systematic search in wildlife in Tanzania to iden- tify new African arenaviruses.
ProxLogs: Miniaturised proximity loggers for monitoring association behaviour in small mammals
(Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy, 2021) Kirkpatrick, Lucinda; Olivares, Ivan Hererra; Massawe, Apia; Sabuni, Christopher; Leirs, Herwig; Berkvens, Rafael; Weyn, Maarten
The ability to monitor associations between wild animals is essential for understanding the processes governing gene transfer, information transfer, competition, predation and disease transmission. Until recently, such insights have been confined to large, visible or captive animals. However, the rapid development of miniature sensors for consumer electronics is allowing ecologists to monitor the natural world in ways previously considered impossible. Here we describe miniature (<1g) proximity loggers we have developed that use Bluetooth Low Energy transmission to register contacts between individuals. Our loggers are open source, low cost, rechargeable, able to store up to 2000 contacts, can be programmed in situ and can download data remotely or through a mobile phone application, increasing their utility in remote areas or with species which are challenging to recapture. We successfully trialled our loggers in a range of field realistic conditions, demonstrating that Bluetooth Low Energy is capable of logging associations in structurally complex habitats, and that changes in received signal strength can be equated to short range changes in distance between loggers. Furthermore, we tested the system on starlings (Sturnidae vulgaris).
The role of rodents and small carnivores in plague ende- micity in Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2005-12) Kilonzo, Bukheti; Mhina, Julius; Sabuni, Christopher; Georgies Mgode, Georgies
Between 1974 and 2003, blood samples were collected from wild and commensal rodents, and wild and domestic small carnivores in selected villages of seven districts in Tanzania that have experienced human plague outbreaks and seven districts that have not experienced any outbreak of the disease. The samples were tested for antibodies against Yersinia pestis Fraction I antigen, using passive haemagglutination (PHA) or ELISA tests. Of the 3354 rodents and 558 small carnivores from the plague infected districts, 122 (3.6 %) rodents (captured in Mbulu and Lushoto districts) were plague positive ; 29 (5.2 %) small carnivores from Mbulu, Arumeru, Hai and Lushoto districts were plague positive, 28 of these were domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). PCR tests showed that 17.5 % of 211 rodents tested from Lushoto contained Y. pestis DNA. In the non-infected districts, 1545 rodents and 171 domestic dogs were tested. 11 (0.7 %) of the rodents (captured in Monduli, Chunya and Masasi districts) were plague-positive. In Masasi district, 10.4% (7/67) of the rodents and 43.6 % (17/39) of the dogs were positive for anti-Y. pestis IgG. It was concluded that wild and commensal rodents as well as wild and domestic small carnivores play a potential role as reservoirs and/or carriers of sylvatic plague in Tanzania, and that the disease exists in areas where human plague outbreaks have not occurred before. In order to update the distribution of the disease it is pro- posed that further epidemiological surveillance activities are established.