CRISPR-Cas-Based Pen-Side Diagnostic Tests for and .

and are tick-borne pathogens, posing significant threats to the health and productivity of cattle in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Currently, detection of and in infected animals relies primarily on microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood or organ smears, which has limited sensitivity. Molecular methods offer higher sensitivity but are costly and impractical in resource-limited settings.

Novel CRISPR-Cas-powered pen-side test for East Coast fever.

Theileria parvacauses East Coast fever (ECF), one of the most important and lethal tick-borne diseases of cattle in sub-Saharan Africa. ECF is a considerable burden to the livestock industry, causing annual losses exceeding US $300 million. Currently, diagnosis of T.

Trypanosomes infection, endosymbionts, and host preferences in tsetse flies ( spp.) collected from Akagera park region, Rwanda: A correlational xenomonitoring study.

Akagera National Park and its surroundings are home to tsetse flies and a number of their mammalian hosts in Rwanda. A One-health approach is being used in the control and surveillance of both animal and human trypanosomosis in Rwanda. Determination of the infection level in tsetse flies, species of trypanosomes circulating in vectors, the source of tsetse blood meal and endosymbionts is crucial in understanding the epidemiology of the disease in animals and humans in the region.

Preliminary Phytochemical Composition and Anthelmintic Activity of Aqueous and Ethanol Extracts of against Mixed Gastrointestinal Worms in Dogs.

is used by some indigenous communities in Kenya to control gastrointestinal worms in animals. Plant-based anthelmintics are gaining popularity globally in the control of gastrointestinal worms in animals. The egg hatch inhibition assay was used to assess the anthelmintic efficacy of aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts of against the eggs of mixed gastrointestinal helminths in dogs.

Occurrence of serum antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in donkeys from central Kenya.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite of zoonotic concern and economic importance in humans and animals, respectively. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of T. gondii and associated risk factors in domestic donkeys from Kirinyaga and Meru counties in Kenya.

Prevalence of Ticks Infesting Dairy Cattle and the Pathogens They Harbour in Smallholder Farms in Peri-Urban Areas of Nairobi, Kenya.

This study aimed at determining the tick species infesting dairy cattle in Nairobi, Kenya, and the pathogens they harbour. While ticks are well-known vectors of major bacterial pathogens of both veterinary importance and public health importance, few studies have investigated the range of the tick species and the associated pathogens, especially present in unique dairy production systems, which compromise animal welfare, such as those in peri-urban areas. A cross-sectional study was undertaken involving 314 randomly selected dairy cattle in 109 smallholder farms.

Occurrence, diversity and distribution of Trypanosoma infections in cattle around the Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

Background: African Trypanosomiases threaten the life of both humans and animals. Trypanosomes are transmitted by tsetse and other biting flies. In Rwanda, the African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) endemic area is mainly around the tsetse-infested Akagera National Park (NP).

An update on the distribution of Glossina (tsetse flies) at the wildlife-human-livestock interface of Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

Background: Glossina (tsetse flies) biologically transmit trypanosomes that infect both humans and animals. Knowledge of their distribution patterns is a key element to better understand the transmission dynamics of trypanosomosis. Tsetse distribution in Rwanda has not been well enough documented, and little is known on their current distribution.

Molecular prevalence of emerging Anaplasma and Ehrlichia pathogens in apparently healthy dairy cattle in peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species are tick-borne pathogens of both veterinary and public health importance. The current status of these pathogens, including emerging species such as Ehrlichia minasensis and Anaplasma platys, infecting cattle in Kenya, remain unclear, mainly because of limitation in the diagnostic techniques. Therefore, we investigated the Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species infecting dairy cattle in Nairobi, Kenya using molecular methods.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya.

Background And Aim: Ehrlichiosis caused by is a tick-borne disease of great economic importance in cattle production worldwide. Despite its economic impact, limited knowledge is available on its epidemiology in Africa, including Kenya. Suspected cases of infections have been reported in the recent past to the University of Nairobi's Veterinary Hospital, prompting the need to investigate their possible re-emergence.

Infection dynamics of gastrointestinal helminths in sympatric non-human primates, livestock and wild ruminants in Kenya.

Background: Gastrointestinal parasites are neglected infections, yet they cause significant burden to animal and human health globally. To date, most studies of gastrointestinal parasites focus on host-parasite systems that involve either a single parasite or a host species. However, when hosts share habitat and resources, they may also cross-transmit generalist gastrointestinal parasites.

Myiasis in Dogs in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Myiasis is the infestation of tissues of live vertebrate animals and humans with dipterous larvae. In sub-Saharan Africa, Cordylobia anthropohaga and Cordylobia rodhaini are known to be responsible for cutaneous myiasis in animals and humans. Human cases of myiasis, purportedly acquired in Ghana but diagnosed in other countries, have been reported; however, published data on its occurrence in animals in Ghana is unavailable.

Sero-epidemiology of Peste des petits ruminants virus infection in Turkana County, Kenya.

Background: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a contagious viral disease of small ruminants. Serum samples from sheep (n = 431) and goats (n = 538) of all ages were collected in a cross-sectional study in Turkana County, Kenya. The objective was to estimate the sero-prevalence of PPR virus (PPRV) infection and associated risk factors in both species.

Detection of peste des petits ruminants virus in formalin-fixed tissues.

Peste des petits ruminants virus that causes a highly infectious and often fatal disease of sheep and goats is confirmed by various diagnostic techniques among them being isolation of the virus from cell culture systems, viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) detection by molecular assays, and viral antigen detection by immunocapture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IC ELISA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and AGAR gel test. Whereas most of the confirmatory diagnostic procedures require pathological samples to be stored frozen to preserve integrity of the peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus RNA, samples for IHC tests are preserved in 10% formalin. In this study, nine formalin-fixed pathological samples from three goats suspected of PPR were processed for extraction of PPR viral RNA and analyzed for detection with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay.

Prevalence of porcine cysticercosis and associated risk factors in Homa Bay District, Kenya.

Background: Taenia solium is an important zoonosis in many developing countries. Cysticercosis poses a serious public health risk and leads to economic losses to the pig production industry. Due to scarcity of data on the epidemiology of porcine cysticercosis in Kenya, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors for porcine cysticercosis within Homa Bay district.

Sarcoptic mange and cheetah conservation in Masai Mara (Kenya): epidemiological study in a wildlife/livestock system.

The sanitary control of threatened wild animals is of pivotal interest for their conservation. This task, however, is highly complex in wildlife/livestock systems. In this paper we report findings from a 2-year cross-sectional study of the epidemiology and attempted control of a Sarcoptes mite infestation in the threatened cheetah population in Masai Mara (Kenya), and discuss its interaction with sympatric wild (lion, wildebeest and Thomson's gazelle) and domestic (dog, cattle and sheep) animals.

The curse of the prey: Sarcoptes mite molecular analysis reveals potential prey-to-predator parasitic infestation in wild animals from Masai Mara, Kenya.

Background: Recently, there have been attempts to understand the molecular epidemiology of Sarcoptes scabiei, to evaluate the gene flow between isolates of S. scabiei from different hosts and geographic regions. However, to our knowledge, a molecular study has not been carried out to assess the molecular diversity and gene flow of Sarcoptes mite in a predator/prey ecosystem.

The emergence of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Eastern and Southern Africa as a serious agricultural problem and public health risk.

Pig production has increased significantly in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region during the past decade, especially in rural, resource-poor, smallholder communities. Concurrent with the increase in smallholder pig keeping and pork consumption, there have been increasing reports of porcine cysticercosis in the ESA region. This article reviews the findings concerning the presence and impact of porcine cysticercosis in seven of the ESA countries.