Browsing by Author "Roesel, Kristina"
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Item Detection of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in naturally infected pigs in Kamuli District, Uganda(Revue d’élevage et de médecine vétérinaire des pays tropicaux, 2018) Musewa, Angella; Roesel, Kristina; Grace, Delia; Dione, Michel; Erume, JosephSwine erysipelas is an economically significant disease affecting all stages of pork production. The biggest losses may occur in growers-finishers because of sudden death or acute septicemia. Survivors often suffer from chronic lameness, arthritis and endocarditis leading to poor body growth. The causative agent is the ubiquitous bacterium Erysipelothrix (E.) rhusiopathiae, which is also able to enter the skin of people handling infected animals and meat and cause infection. In order to show the presence of E. rhusiopathiae in pigs, serum samples from 426 randomly selected pigs were collected in four subcounties (Bugulumbya, Butansi, Kitayunjwa and Namwendwa) in Kamuli District in Uganda, as part of a multipathogen survey conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute in 2013. Subsequently, 100 samples of fresh pork were collected from all 67-pork slaughterhouses operating in the same subcounties for isolation and bacterial culture. Overall, 308/460 (67%) of the pig sera carried antibodies against E. rhusiopathiae and 45/100 (45%) of the fresh pork samples were contaminated with E. rhusiopathiae. This is the first ever report of E. rhusiopathiae in pigs and pork in Uganda.Item First Report of the Occurrence of Trichinella- Specific Antibodies in Domestic Pigs in Central and Eastern Uganda(PLoS ONE, 2016) Roesel, Kristina; Nockler, Karsten; Baumann, Maximilian P. O.; Fries, Reinhard; Dione, Michel M.; Clausen, Peter-Henning; Grace, DeliaPrevious research on trichinellosis in Africa focused on isolating Trichinella from wildlife while the role of domestic pigs has remained highly under-researched. Pig keeping in Uganda is historically recent, and evidence on zoonotic pig diseases, including infection with Trichinella species, is scarce. A cross-sectional survey on Trichinella seroprevalence in pigs was conducted in three districts in Central and Eastern Uganda from April 2013 to January 2015. Serum from a random sample of 1125 pigs from 22 villages in Eastern and Central Uganda was examined to detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) against any Trichinella spp. using a commercially available ELISA based on excretory-secretory antigen. ELISA positive samples were confirmed using Western Blot based on somatic antigen of Trichinella spiralis as recommended in previous validation studies. Diaphragm pillar muscle samples (at least 5 g each) of 499 pigs from areas with high ELISA positivity were examined using the artificial digestion method. Overall, 78 of all 1125 animals (6.9%, 95% CI: 5.6±8.6%) tested positive for antibodies against Trichinella spp. in the ELISA at significantly higher levels in Kamuli district compared to Masaka and Mukono districts. Thirty-one percent of the ELISA positive samples were confirmed IgG positive by the Western Blot leading to an overall seroprevalence of 2.1% (95% CI: 1.4±3.2%). The large proportion of ELISA positive samples that could not be confirmed using Western blot may be the result of cross-reactivity with other gastrointestinal helminth infections or unknown host-specific immune response mechanisms in local pig breeds in Uganda. Attempts to isolate muscle larvae for species determination using the artificial digestion method were unsuccessful. Due to the large number of muscle samples examined we are confident that even if pigs are infected, the larval burden in pork is too low to pose a major risk to consumers of developing trichinellosis. This was the first large systematic field investigation of Trichinella infection in domestic pigs in UgandaItem Participatory assessment of animal health and husbandry practices in smallholder pig production systems in three high poverty districts in Uganda(Preventive veterinary medicine, 2014) Dione, Michel M.; Ouma, Emily A.; Roesel, Kristina; Kungu, Joseph; Lule, Peter; Pezo, DaniloWhile animal health constraints have been identified as a major limiting factor in small-holder pig production in Uganda, researchers and policy makers lack information on the relative incidence of diseases and their impacts on pig production. This study aimed to assess animal health and management practices, constraints and opportunities for intervention in smallholder pig value chains in three high poverty districts of Uganda.Semi-qualitative interview checklists through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were administered to 340 pig farmers in 35 villages in Masaka, Kamuli and Mukono districts.Quantitative data was obtained during the exercise through group consensus. Results of FGDs were further triangulated with secondary data and information obtained from key informant interviews. Findings show that pig keeping systems are dominated by tethering and scavenging in rural areas. In peri-urban and urban areas, intensive production systems are more practiced, with pigs confined in pens. The main constraints identified by farmers include high disease burden such as African swine fever (ASF) and parasites, poor hous-ing and feeding practices, poor veterinary services, ineffective drugs and a general lack of knowledge on piggery management. According to farmers, ASF is the primary cause of pig mortality with epidemics occurring mainly during the dry season. Worms and ectopara-sites namely; mange, lice and flies are endemic leading to stunted growth which reduces the market value of pigs. Diarrhoea and malnutrition are common in piglets. Ninety-three percent of farmers say they practice deworming, 37% practice ecto parasite spraying and 77%castrate their boars. Indigenous curative treatments include the application of human urine and concoctions of local herbs for ASF control and use of old engine oil or tobacco extractst o control ectoparasites. There is a need for better technical services to assist farmers with these problems.Item Pig diseases in Uganda: Impacts on pig production, human health and nutrition(CGIAR, 2016) Dione, Michel; Steinaa, Lucilla; Okoth, Edward; Roesel, Kristina; Wieland, BarbaraPig keeping is an increasingly important livelihood strategy for rural households in Uganda. Whereas pork accounted for only 1–2% of the 11–12 kg per capita meat consumption in the 1960s, it now accounts for at least one third of the current 10 kg/year (FAOSTAT). The 2008 Livestock Census reported that 1.1 million Ugandan households (17%) kept an average of 1–4 pigs each. Most pigs are kept by smallholder households—managed by women—under extensive systems. The pig value chain was included in the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish due to the growth potential and competitiveness of small-scale pig production in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the last five years, scientists have significantly enhanced their understanding of the composition, structure and workings of the Uganda pig sector. This brief brings together some of the most compelling evidence and best practices in animal and human health control from research by the Livestock and Fish program in collaboration with the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH).Item Prevalence and risk factors for gastrointestinal parasites in small-scale pig enterprises in Central and Eastern Uganda(Parasitology Research, 2017) Roesel, Kristina; Dohoo, Ian; Baumann, Maximilian; Dione, Michel; Grace, Delia; Clausen, Peter-HenningIn Eastern Africa, small-scale pig keeping has emerged as a popular activity to generate additional household income. Infections of pigs with gastrointestinal helminths can limit production output, increase production costs, and pose zoonotic risks. A cross-sectional, community-based study in three districts in Eastern and Central Uganda examined the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthes and associated risk factors in 932 randomly sampled pigs. Using the combined sedimentation-flotation method, 61.4 % (58.2–64.5 %, 95 % confidence interval [CI]) tested positive for one or more gastrointestinal helminths, namely, strongyles (57.1 %, 95 % CI), Metastrongylus spp. (7.6 %, 95 % CI), Ascaris suum (5.9 %, 95 % CI), Strongyloides ransomi (4.2 %, 95 % CI), and Trichuris suis (3.4 %, 95 % CI). Coccidia oocysts were found in 40.7 % of all pigs sampled (37.5–44.0 %, 95 % CI). Significant differences across the three districts were observed for the presence of A. suum (p < 0.001), Metastrongylus spp. (p = 0.001), S. ransomi (p = 0.002), and coccidia oocysts (p = 0.05). All animals tested negative for Fasciola spp. and Balantidium coli. Thirty-five variables were included in univariable analyses with helminth infection as the outcome of interest. A causal model was generated to identify relationships among the potential predictors, and consequently, seven variables with p ≤ 0.15 were included in a multivariable analysis for helminth infection. The final regression models showed that routine management factors had a greater impact on the prevalence of infection than regular, preventive medical treatment or the level of confinement. Factors that negatively correlated with gastrointestinal infection were the routine removal of manure and litter from pig pens (p ≤ 0.05, odds ratio [OR] = 0.667) and the routine use of disinfectants (p ≤ 0.05, OR = 0.548).Item Seasonal Monitoring of Glossina Species Occurrence, Infection Rates, and Trypanosoma Species Infections in Pigs in West Nile Region, Uganda(Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2022) Maxamhud, Sadiya; Lindahl, Johanna F.; Mugenyi, Albert; Echodu, Richard; Waiswa, Charles; Roesel, KristinaTrypanosomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by the protozoa Trypanosoma. It is exclusively associated with Glossina species habitats and, therefore, restricted to specific geographical settings. It affects a wide range of hosts, including humans. Animals may carry different Trypanosoma spp. while being asymptomatic. They are, therefore, potentially important in unpremeditated disease transmission. Aim: The aim of this study was to study the potential impact of the government tsetse fly control program, and to elucidate the role of pigs in the Trypanosoma epidemiology in the West Nile region in Uganda. Methods: A historically important human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) hotspot was selected, with sampling in sites with and without a government tsetse fly control program. Pigs were screened for infection with Trypanosoma and tsetse traps were deployed to monitor vector occurrence, followed by tsetse fly dissection and microscopy to establish infection rates with Trypanosoma. Pig blood samples were further analyzed to identify possible Trypanosoma infections using internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-PCR. Results: Using microscopy, Trypanosoma was detected in 0.56% (7/1262) of the sampled pigs. Using ITSPCR, 114 of 341 (33.4%) pig samples were shown to be Trypanosoma vivax positive. Of the 360 dissected tsetse flies, 13 (3.8%) were positive for Trypanosoma under the microscope. The difference in captured tsetse flies in the government intervention sites in comparison with the control sites was significant ( p < 0.05). Seasonality did not play a substantial role in the tsetse fly density ( p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study illustrated the impact of a government control program with low vector abundance in a historical HAT hotspot in Uganda. The study could not verify that pigs in the area were carriers for the causative agent for HAT, but showed a high prevalence of the animal infectious agent T. vivax.Item Serological and molecular investigation for brucellosis in swine in selected districts of Uganda(Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2016) Erume, Joseph; Roesel, Kristina; Dione, Michel M.; Ejobi, Francis; Mboowa, Gerald; Kungu, Joseph M.; Akol, Joyce; Pezo, Danilo; El-Adawy, Hosny; Melzer, Falk; Elschner, Mandy; Neubauer, Heinrich; Grace, DeliaBrucellosis is a notifiable zoonotic disease affecting livestock, humans, and wildlife in Uganda. Pigs can be infected with human pathogenic Brucella suis biovars 1 and 3 and can be a significant source of brucellosis for humans. Uganda has a rapidly growing pig population, and the pork consumption per capita is the highest in East Africa. The objective of this work was to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in Ugandan pigs. A cross-sectional serosurvey of pigs was conducted in three of the major pig-keeping districts in Uganda (Masaka (n= 381 samples), Mukono (n = 398), and Kamuli (n = 414)). In addition, pigs originating from these districts were sampled in the major pig abattoir in Kampala (n =472). In total, 1665 serum samples were investigated by serological and molecular tests. Only three putative brucellosis-positive samples were detected serologically using indirect ELISA. These sera were found negative for Brucella antibodies by CFT; however, two had antibodies against Yersinia enterocolitica as determined by SAT. Presence of antibodies against Yersiniae was confirmed by Y. enterocolitica antibody-specific ELISA. The two Yersiniae ELISA-positive samples were brucellosis negative using real-time PCR. We tested additional 142 sera from the 1665 samples with real-time PCR. All tested negative. Under this type of production system, we expect a maximum B. suis prevalence of less than 1 % at 95 % confidence level, and therefore, the risk of acquiring brucellosis from the pigs or their products is negligible. However, pigs may harbor the zoonotic Y. enterocolitica. This is the first study to investigate the occurrence of brucellosis in pigs in Uganda and the first study to report Y. enterocolitica antibodies in swine in Uganda.Item Smallholder pig value-chain assessment in Uganda: Results from producer focus group discussions and key informant interviews(ILRI Project Report, 2015) Ouma, Emily; Dione, Michel; Lule, Peter; Pezo, Danilo; Marshall, Karen; Roesel, Kristina; Mayega, Lawrence; Kiryabwire, David; Nadiope, Gideon; Jagwe, JohnThe CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish identified the smallholder pig value chain in Uganda as a highpotential target to translate research into major interventions that stimulate pro-poor transformation and generate benefits at scale. The program began by engaging with research and development partners, analysing the pig value chain and its policy environment as well as characterizing smallholder pig production and marketing practices in Uganda. These activities were done as part of a project entitled ‘Catalysing the emerging smallholder pig value chains in Uganda to increase rural incomes and assets’, which was funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the European Commission (EC).