Browsing by Author "Byaruhanga, Achilles"

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    Ecological baseline surveys of Lake Bisina, Lake Opeta, Lake Mburo and Nakivali wetlands systems
    (AquaDocs, 2009) Michael Opige, Odull; Byaruhanga, Achilles
    Wetlands cover about 30,000 km2 of Uganda’s land area and are considered to be important ecosystems, which contribute considerably to the national economy and rural livelihoods. However, these important ecosystems are currently under increasing pressure due to factors such as population growth, economic reforms, climate change and the desire for increase in per capita income and other pressures of the development process. Threats include among others uncontrolled conversion of the wetlands into agricultural areas and unplanned developments and wetland uses which may have adverse effects on the capacity of the wetlands to perform natural functions. In order to address these threats, there is need to promote wise use of the wetland ecosystem. This can be done using existing guidelines or by developing other guidelines that will assist the various districts in developing ordinances and bye-laws to regulate the use of wetlands in their areas of jurisdiction. The International Union for Conservation of nature (IUCN) in collaboration with the Wetlands Management Department (WMD), Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), NatureUganda (NU) and Uganda Wildlife Society (UWS), are implementing a four-year project titled “Extending wetland protected areas through community conservation initiatives” in eastern and western Uganda (COBWEB). The project aims at strengthening the Ugandan Protected Area (PA) network by expanding the coverage of the PA network to include the country’s biologically important wetland ecosystems. The project will develop, pilot and adopt suitable PA management models in two respective wetland systems adjacent to two terrestrial PA networks in Eastern and Western Uganda. Management will be geared to the specific needs of wetlands and will allow for development of protection and sustainable management strategies that shall be implemented by rural communities and be adoptable to others.
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    A Nationwide Assessment of the Biodiversity Value of Uganda’s Important Bird Areas Network
    (Conservation Biology, 2006) Tushabe, Herbert; Kalema, James; Byaruhanga, Achilles; Asasira, Josephine; Ssegawa, Paul; Balmford, Andrew; Davenport, Tim; Fjeldsa, Jon; Friis, Ib; Pain, Deborah; Pomeroy, Derek; Williams, Paul; Williams, Charles
    BirdLife International’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) program is the most developed global system for identifying sites of conservation priority. There have been few assessments, however, of the conservation value of IBAs for nonavian taxa.We combined past data with extensive new survey results for Uganda’s IBAs in the most comprehensive assessment to date of the wider biodiversity value of a tropical country’s IBA network. The combined data set included more than 35,000 site × species records for birds, butterflies, and woody plants at 86 Ugandan sites (23,400 km2), including 29 of the country’s 30 IBAs, with data on additional taxa for many sites. Uganda’s IBAs contained at least 70% of the country’s butterfly and woody plant species, 86% of its dragonflies and 97% of its birds. They also included 21 of Uganda’s 22 major vegetation types. For butterflies, dragonflies, and some families of plants assessed, species of high conservation concern were well represented (less so for the latter). The IBAs successfully represented wider biodiversity largely because many have distinctive avifaunas and, as shown by high cross-taxon congruence in complementarity, such sites tended to be distinctive for other groups too. Cross-taxon congruence in overall species richness was weaker and mainly associated with differences in site size. When compared with alternative sets of sites selected using complementarity-based, area-based, or random site-selection algorithms, the IBA network was efficient in terms of the number of sites required to represent species but inefficient in terms of total area. This was mainly because IBA selection considers factors other than area, however, which probably improves both the cost-effectiveness of the network and the persistence of represented species.
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    Poor biosecurity in live bird markets in Uganda: A potential risk for highly pathogenic avian influenza disease outbreak in poultry and spread to humans
    (Avian Diseases, 2014) Kirunda, Halid; Kibuuka, Hannah; Byaruhanga, Achilles; Mworozi, Edison; Bwogi, Josephine; Lukwago, Luswa,; Millard, Millard; Wabwire-Mangen, Fred; Byarugaba, Denis K.
    Live bird markets (LBMs) are essential for marketing of poultry, but can be a hub for the rapid spread of diseases including avian influenza (AI). We assessed the status of biosecurity in 108 LBMs in 37 districts of Uganda. In all LBMs, carcasses were disposed of in the open and birds were introduced in the markets without initial quarantine. A high proportion of markets lacked a dedicated site for unloading of birds (86.1%) and a programme for disinfection (99.1%), had dirty feed/water troughs (93.5%), were accessed by stray animals (97.2%), and had sick and healthy birds (96.3%) or different bird species (86.1%) sold together. Differences in practices occurred among geographical regions and market location. Birds were more likely to be slaughtered in the open in urban compared to rural LBMs (OR=14.6, 95% CI: 1.50 - 142), while selling of un-caged birds was less likely in central compared to western region (OR=0.2, 95% CI: 0.04 - 0.17). Different poultry species confined in the same cage were more likely to be sold in urban (OR=22, 95% CI: 1.14 - 435) compared to rural markets. We conclude that LBMs in Uganda are a potential risk for spread of AI to poultry and humans.
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    Prevalence of influenza A viruses in livestock and free-living waterfowl in Uganda
    (BMC Veterinary Research, 2014) Kirunda, Halid; Erima, Bernard; Tumushabe, Agnes; Kiconco, Jocelyn; Tugume, Titus; Mulei, Sophia; Mimbe, Derrick; Mworozi, Edison; Bwogi, Josephine; Luswa, Lukwago; Kibuuka, Hannah; Millard, Monica; Byaruhanga, Achilles; Ducatez, Mariette F.; Krauss, Scott; Webby, Richard J.; Webster, Robert G.; Wurapa, Kofi; Byarugaba, Denis K.; Wabwire-Mangen, Fred
    Avian influenza viruses may cause severe disease in a variety of domestic animal species worldwide, with high mortality in chickens and turkeys. To reduce the information gap about prevalence of these viruses in animals in Uganda, this study was undertaken. Results: Influenza A virus prevalence by RT-PCR was 1.1% (45/4,052) while sero prevalence by ELISA was 0.8% (24/2,970). Virus prevalence was highest in domestic ducks (2.7%, 17/629) and turkeys (2.6%, 2/76), followed by free-living waterfowl (1.3%, 12/929) and swine (1.4%, 7/511). A lower proportion of chicken samples (0.4%, 7/1,865) tested positive. No influenza A virus was isolated. A seasonal prevalence of these viruses in waterfowl was 0.7% (4/561) for the dry and 2.2% (8/368) for the wet season. In poultry, prevalence was 0.2% (2/863) for the dry and 1.4% (24/1,713) for the wet season, while that of swine was 0.0% (0/159) and 2.0% (7/352) in the two seasons, respectively. Of the 45 RT-PCR positive samples, 13 (28.9%) of them were H5 but none was H7. The 19 swine sera positive for influenza antibodies by ELISA were positive for H1 antibodies by HAI assay, but the subtype(s) of ELISA positive poultry sera could not be determined. Antibodies in the poultry sera could have been those against subtypes not included in the HAI test panel. Conclusions: The study has demonstrated occurrence of influenza A viruses in animals in Uganda. The results suggest that increase in volumes of migratory waterfowl in the country could be associated with increased prevalence of these viruses in free-living waterfowl and poultry.