Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infect a wide range of domestic and wild animals, including humans, in the case of T. gondii, and cause economic losses in livestock due to abortion and neonatal mortality. In Somalia, zoonotic diseases are concerning due to cultural practices and livestock's economic importance, but surveillance is limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are small pleomorphic bacteria that parasitize the surface of red blood cells of mammals. Hemoplasmas have been described in different species from the Camelidae Family, such as llamas and alpacas (South American camelids), but data on dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) are limited to a few reports. Somalia has one of the world's largest dromedary camel populations, and studies on hemoplasmas and tick-borne pathogens are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bartonellosis, caused by bacteria of the genus Bartonella, is a zoonotic disease with several mammalian reservoir hosts. In Somalia, a country heavily reliant on livestock, zoonotic diseases pose significant public health and economic challenges. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been performed aiming to verify the occurrence of Bartonella spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne Health (OH) is an integrated approach aiming at improving the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes the interconnectedness of human health with the health of animals, plants, and the environment. Since Somali people's livelihoods are mainly based on livestock, agriculture, marine resources, and their shared environment, OH-oriented initiatives could significantly impact the country toward reducing complex problems affecting the health of humans, animals, and the environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aim: The primary domestic animal in Somali communities is the goat. Their main economic importance is as a food source and a main form of agriculture in the country. There has been a recent decline in the goat population in Somalia, which may be due to the shortage of feed and an increasingly contaminated environment that is affecting the population's food supply and nutritional status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are small Gram-negative bacteria that parasitize red blood cells and can cause mild to severe anemia in a wide range of vertebrates, including ruminants. Cattle population in Somalia is around 3.9 million heads, with animals more concentrated around the river areas, mainly in the Juba River and Shabelle River Valleys.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Fourteen-years after the last Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus (RVFV) outbreak, Somalia still suffers from preventable transboundary diseases. The tradition of unheated milk consumption and handling of aborted materials poses a public health risk for zoonotic diseases. Limited data are available on RVF and Brucella spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxoplasmosis and brucellosis are zoonotic diseases of worldwide distribution. They both cause abortion and infertility in human and animals. Limited data are available about these pathogens in Somali people and their animals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfrican animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) affects the livestock of 12.3 million Somalis and constrains their development and wellbeing. There is missing data on AAT in the country after the civil war of the 1990s.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Camel trypanosomiasis or surra is of great concern in Somalia, since the country possesses the largest one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) population in the world. Civil war in Somalia has resulted in the destruction of educational, research, economic and social structures, making the country scores very low for most humanitarian indicators. Previous studies on detection of Trypanosoma species in Somali camels have only been performed during the 1990s using standard trypanosome detection methods (STDM).
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