Characterization of Anopheles mosquito breeding habitats for malaria vector control in Mazowe and Shamva districts, Zimbabwe.

Background Objectives: Area-specific identification and studies of Anopheles breeding habitat diversity, distribution, and productivity in different seasons are important in designing and advancing effective malaria vector control according to the local context and needs. This study identified and characterized Anopheles breeding habitats for targeted control of malaria vectors in Mazowe and Shamva districts.

Methods: Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Mazowe and Shamva districts between April and December 2023.

One Health monitoring reveals invasive freshwater snail species, new records, and undescribed parasite diversity in Zimbabwe.

Background: Snail-borne trematodes afflict humans, livestock, and wildlife. Recognizing their zoonotic potential and possible hybridization, a One Health approach is essential for effective control. Given the dearth of knowledge on African trematodes, this study aimed to map snail and trematode diversity, focusing on (i) characterizing gastropod snail species and their trematode parasites, (ii) determining infection rates of snail species as intermediate hosts for medically, veterinary, and ecologically significant trematodes, and (iii) comparing their diversity across endemic regions.

The Covid-19 Pandemic: Limited Water Access and the Precarity of Women Fishers at Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.

Man-made reservoirs are constructed to meet certain purposes and Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, was designed for hydroelectric power generation. However, it has developed other multiple uses, and the growth of fisheries on the lake has had a significant impact on the livelihoods of local communities. The declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic in Zimbabwe in March 2020 was quickly followed by the imposition of national lockdowns with varying levels of severity up to the present day.

Land use effects on water quality, habitat, and macroinvertebrate and diatom communities in African highland streams.

Anthropogenic activities have increasingly subjected freshwater ecosystems globally to various pressures. Increasing land use activities have been highly linked to deteriorating freshwater ecosystems and dwindling biodiversity. For sound management and conservation policies to be implemented, relations between land use, environmental, and biotic components need to be widely documented.

Correction: Plague in Zimbabwe from 1974 to 2018: A review article.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.

Genetic analysis of 27 Y-chromosomal STR loci in a Zimbabwean Shona ethnic group.

Buccal swabs from 200 unrelated Zimbabwean males were collected from voluntary participants located in Harare province. The 5-dye SureID® 27Y Human STR Identification Kit was used to perform multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and generate Y-chromosomal DNA profiles. This kit targets markers DYS456, DYS576, DYS570, DYS481, DYF387S1, DYS627, DYS393, DYS391, DYS390, DYS635, DYS449, DYS533, DYS438, DYS389I, DYS448, DYS389II, DYS19, GATA_H4, DYS518, DYS458, DYS460, DYS437, DYS439, DYS392, and DYS385, similar to the Yfiler® Plus Amplification Kit.

Plague in Zimbabwe from 1974 to 2018: A review article.

Plague is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is transmitted through the bites of infected rodent fleas. Plague is well known for causing 3 major human pandemics that have killed millions of people since 541 A.D.

A Comparative Evaluation of Carcass Quality, Nutritional Value, and Consumer Preference of from Two Impoundments with Different Pollution Levels in Zimbabwe.

The objective of the study was to determine the quality and consumer preferences of Nile tilapia () from two water bodies with different pollution levels and trophic states. Water quality assessment of the two impoundments was carried out. Fish were sampled from hypereutrophic Lake Chivero and oligomesotrophic Lake Kariba for proximate analysis, carcass quality, and sensory evaluation.

Contamination across Multiple Environmental Compartments (Soil, Hands, Drinking Water, and Handwashing Water) in Urban Harare: Correlations and Risk Factors.

pathotypes (i.e., enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic) have been identified among the pathogens most responsible for moderate-to-severe diarrhea in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Impact of irrigation based sugarcane cultivation on the Chiredzi and Runde Rivers quality, Zimbabwe.

Agriculture is vital in sustaining human livelihoods. However, agriculture as it is currently practiced, is contributing to the degradation of freshwater ecosystems globally. We investigated impacts of irrigation return flows from sugarcane farming on water quality and health status of the Chiredzi and Runde Rivers, a biodiversity hotspot region in south-eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe.

Handwashing, but how? Microbial effectiveness of existing handwashing practices in high-density suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe.

Background: Consistent domestic hand hygiene can reduce diarrhea-related morbidity and mortality and the spread of other communicable diseases. However, it remains uncertain which technique of handwashing is most effective and practicable during everyday life. The goal of this study is to determine how the handwashing technique, as performed in the daily life by the participants of this case study in Harare, Zimbabwe, influences microbial handwashing effectiveness.