The 26th International conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology will be held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia in conjunction with the 53rd Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine Annual Conference as from 4-8 September 2017.
For more details please visit the conference website at: http://www.waavp2017kl.org/
The 33rd World Veterinary Congress aims at promoting and raising awareness about ONE HEALTH, an emerging concept that encompasses the health of humans, animals, and their environment, across the globe as well as sharing NEW TECHNOLOGIES in all disciplines of clinical veterinary medicine and creating a new trend in the field.
For more details please visit the conference website at: http://wvc2017korea.com/01_congress_info/congress_info02.htm
Training of meat inspectors on how to use hand held device for syndromic surveillance
Article by Joseph Ogola, ZooLinK Consultant
During our field visits in preparation for the ZooLink research project, we selected Kimilili and Webuye slaughterhouses in Bungoma County to participate in the syndromic surveillance pilot study. The two facilities within the study area were identified based on infrastructure and the willingness of the two meat inspectors to participate in the project. The rationale of this pilot project is to assess the feasibility of using slaughterhouse data to enhance the coverage and efficiency of the surveillance system in the study area alongside the routine laboratory based surveillance system. We developed a data collection form from the monthly reports from meat inspection records which
The rationale of this pilot project is to assess the feasibility of using slaughterhouse data to enhance the coverage and efficiency of the surveillance system in the study area alongside the routine laboratory based surveillance system. We developed a data collection form from the monthly reports from meat inspection records which
We developed a data collection form from the monthly reports from meat inspection records which were loaded onto a handheld device. The form captures information related to the carcass inspection together with animal location and movement data. The two meat inspectors after a short training session were then provided with two mobile phones to use daily to record data
(including any relevant photos) of animals slaughtered over a 6 month period. The data collected are sent directly to our data management platform.
We look forward to share the outcomes of this study in subsequent editions of the newsletter!
By Steven Kemp, PhD student, University of Liverpool
After a period of intense lab work at both KEMRI and the UK, investigating the patterns of antimicrobial resistance in faecal bacteria isolated from slaughterhouse workers in Busia County and the surrounding areas, I have returned to Kenya to begin the next phase of my PhD project.
ZooLinK is a cyclical programme which aims to set up surveillance systems of both human and animal health sectors over a long period of time. Surveillance of disease is particularly important, as the more information we have, the better we can treat diseases in both human and animal sectors. Recent research by colleagues indicates that the incidence of several zoonotic diseases, including E. coli, Salmonella sp. and others are vastly underestimated.
In recent times, we often hear about how we should now look to conform to the ‘One Health’ approach; this is where, in order to combat issues surrounding antimicrobial resistance and associated issues effectively, intersectoral approaches which share the cost and responsibility evenly between environmental, human & veterinary health professionals is required. In theory, this would be a perfect way to help educate and better promote antimicrobial stewardship.
Currently, I have large amounts of data on access to, use of, and perceptions of antimicrobials from a variety of parties, including animal healthcare workers, district veterinary offices, farmers and agrovet shops. Over the last three months, I have added to this repository by investigating the amounts of antibiotic resistance found in E. coli, which have been isolated from the faeces of workers in 142 slaughterhouses which were selected in western Kenya. These included slaughterhouses in Busia County and the surrounding Kakamega and Bungoma counties.
For the next portion of this study, I am attempting to collect four different sets of samples – to complete the ‘picture’. I will attempt to collect both human and animal faecal samples, from farmers and farm animals, water samples (to determine if there are patterns of resistance in animals which share common grazing grounds) and environmental samples (from the inside of homesteads, where animals are allowed to roam). By covering all of these bases, we will be able to eventually determine not only if there is transfer of antimicrobial resistance between animals and humans and the environment, but also which direction it is going in.
Typical small-holder farm in Funyula, Busia. Most farmers manage between 5-25 cattle.
Example of environment which may also be a good idea to sample in the future. If antimicrobial resistance can be found in the envi-ronment, then why not in wild animals such as these Zebra?
Blog entry authored by Sara Silva Pereira, PhD student University of Liverpool.
Trypanosomes are extracellular blood parasites, transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies and cause nagana, a wasting disease severely compromising both animal health and livestock productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nagana remains a challenge mainly due to the process of antigenic variation, employed by the para-site for immune evasion.
Blood sampling
I came to Busia to conduct a longitudinal experiment on natural cattle infections of T. congolense to better understand the process of antigenic switching. With the help of a local veterinary surgeon, we screened cattle across for trypanosomes using thin blood smears and high centrifugation technique and followed the infection in positive animals for a month, after which the animals were treated.
The collected materials will be subject to DNA and RNA sequencing and Mass Spectometry to characterise the genetic repertoire of the parasites and the antigens expressed over time.
You must be logged in to post a comment.