Publications by authors named "Dedan K Ngatia"
Nat Commun
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- Wildlife tagging is important for understanding animal behavior and ecology, but the stress from this process can affect their movement and activity levels after being released.
- An analysis of 1585 individuals from 42 mammal species showed that over 70% exhibited significant behavioral changes post-tagging, with herbivores traveling farther while omnivores and carnivores were less active initially.
- Recovery from stress was generally quick, typically within 4-7 days, and animals in areas with a high human presence adapted faster, suggesting that tracking durations should be longer and consider species and location when designing studies.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
July 2020
Article Synopsis
- An estimated 59,000 people die from rabies each year, primarily due to bites from domestic dogs, particularly affecting rural populations in Africa; mass dog vaccinations are essential but resource-intensive.
- The Laikipia Rabies Vaccination Campaign in Kenya (2015-2017) successfully vaccinated over 13,000 dogs, increasing vaccination coverage from 2% to 24%, although only a few communities met the 70% target needed for effective rabies control.
- The campaign highlighted both achievements in dog vaccination and challenges such as inadequate post-vaccination monitoring, financial constraints, and the diversity of communities involved, which complicated efforts to reach the target coverage levels.
