Publications by authors named "Peninah M Munyua"
Article Synopsis
- A study of over 3 million camels in Kenya found that many have antibodies against MERS-CoV, although human infections in Africa are quite rare.
- Researchers followed 243 camels from 33 homesteads for two years, testing nasal swabs for the virus and documenting illnesses, primarily respiratory issues among the camels.
- Out of the camels tested, a small percentage showed positive results for MERS-CoV, and there was evidence of sporadic transmission to humans, particularly during outbreaks.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers studied 262 camel handlers in Kenya from April 2018 to March 2020 to monitor for Middle East respiratory coronavirus syndrome (MERS-CoV).
- Despite high seroprevalence of MERS-CoV in African camels, no zoonotic transmission was detected among the handlers during the study period.
- However, PCR testing confirmed MERS-CoV in 3 asymptomatic handlers, indicating the presence of the virus even in those showing no symptoms.
Article Synopsis
- This study focuses on using historical data from livestock anthrax events in Kenya (1957-2017) to create disease risk maps, aiding in effective disease management in resource-limited countries.
- By analyzing 666 reported anthrax cases, researchers identified patterns of disease occurrence over time and space, emphasizing areas with higher risks.
- The findings indicate that anthrax events are spatially clustered, with specific agro-ecological zones being more affected, particularly high-risk areas for cattle, and a noticeable seasonality in case occurrences.
More than 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin and a transdisciplinary, multi-sectoral One Health approach is a key strategy for their effective prevention and control. In 2004, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention office in Kenya (CDC Kenya) established the Global Disease Detection Division of which one core component was to support, with other partners, the One Health approach to public health science. After catalytic events such as the global expansion of highly pathogenic H5N1 and the 2006 East African multi-country outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever, CDC Kenya supported key Kenya government institutions including the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries to establish a framework for multi-sectoral collaboration at national and county level and a coordination office referred to as the Zoonotic Disease Unit (ZDU).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Rabies causes an estimated 59,000 human deaths annually. In Kenya, rabies was first reported in a dog in 1912, with the first human case reported in 1928. Here we examine retrospective rabies data in Kenya for the period 1912 - 2017 and describe the spatial and temporal patterns of rabies occurrence in the country.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In mid-2015, the United States' Pandemic Prediction and Forecasting Science and Technical Working Group of the National Science and Technology Council, Food and Agriculture Organization Emergency Prevention Systems, and Kenya Meteorological Department issued an alert predicting a high possibility of El-Niño rainfall and Rift Valley Fever (RVF) epidemic in Eastern Africa.
Methodology/principal Findings: In response to the alert, the Kenya Directorate of Veterinary Services (KDVS) carried out an enhanced syndromic surveillance system between November 2015 and February 2016, targeting 22 RVF high-risk counties in the country as identified previously through risk mapping. The surveillance collected data on RVF-associated syndromes in cattle, sheep, goats, and camels from >1100 farmers through 66 surveillance officers.
Background: To-date, Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks have occurred in 38 of the 69 administrative districts in Kenya. Using surveillance records collected between 1951 and 2007, we determined the risk of exposure and outcome of an RVF outbreak, examined the ecological and climatic factors associated with the outbreaks, and used these data to develop an RVF risk map for Kenya.
Methods: Exposure to RVF was evaluated as the proportion of the total outbreak years that each district was involved in prior epizootics, whereas risk of outcome was assessed as severity of observed disease in humans and animals for each district.
Article Synopsis
- A field trial in Kenya evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the new RVF Clone 13 vaccine for Rift Valley fever in livestock, comparing it to a placebo among 404 animals including cattle, sheep, and goats.
- Vaccinated goats showed 97% neutralizing IgG antibodies, while 84% of vaccinated sheep also responded positively; however, cattle displayed moderate effectiveness with only 67% developing IgG antibodies.
- Overall, the RVF Clone 13 vaccine was found to be safe and highly immunogenic in sheep and goats, while moderately effective in cattle, with no significant adverse effects noted.
Detection of influenza A virus in live bird markets in Kenya, 2009-2011.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
March 2013
Background: Surveillance for influenza viruses within live bird markets (LBMs) has been recognized as an effective tool for detecting circulating avian influenza viruses (AIVs). In Sub-Saharan Africa, limited data exist on AIVs in animal hosts, and in Kenya the presence of influenza virus in animal hosts has not been described.
Objectives: This surveillance project aimed to detect influenza A virus in poultry traded in five LBMs in Kenya.