Livestock Network Analysis for Rhodesiense Human African Trypanosomiasis Control in Uganda

Background: Infected cattle sourced from districts with established foci for Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis (rHAT) migrating to previously unaffected districts, have resulted in a significant expansion of the disease in Uganda. This study explores livestock movement data to describe cattle trade network topology and assess the effects of disease control interventions on the transmission of rHAT infectiousness.Methods: Network analysis was used to generate a cattle trade network with livestock data which was collected from cattle traders (n = 197) and validated using random graph methods. Additionally, the cattle trade network was combined with a susceptible, infected, recovered (SIR) compartmental model to simulate spread of rHAT (Ro 1.287), hence regarded as “slow” pathogen, and evaluate the effects of disease interventions.Results: The cattle trade network exhibited a low clustering coefficient (0.5) with most cattle markets being weakly connected and a few being highly connected. Also, analysis of the cattle movement data revealed a core group comprising of cattle markets from both eastern (rHAT endemic) and northwest regions (rHAT unaffected area). Presence of a core group may result in rHAT spread to unaffected districts and occurrence of super spreader cattle market or markets in case of an outbreak. The key cattle markets that may be targeted for routine rHAT surveillance and control included Namutumba, Soroti, and Molo, all of which were in southeast Uganda. Using effective trypanosomiasis such as integrated cattle injection with trypanocides and spraying can sufficiently slow the spread of rHAT in the network.Conclusion: Cattle trade network analysis indicated a pathway along which T. b. rhodesiense could spread northward from eastern Uganda. Targeted T. b. rhodesiense surveillance and control in eastern Uganda, through enhanced public–private partnerships, would serve to limit its spread.

Prevalence of Non-Dermatophytic Molds Associated with Cutaneous Mycoses in Cattle in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria

Aims: To study the prevalence and identification of non-dermatophytic molds associated with cattle in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria. Study Design: The systematic random sampling method was adopted. Place and Duration of Study: A total of 2255 cattle was encountered, out of which 451 skin samples from both infected and asymptomatic animals were sampled from six cattle markets in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria between January and August, 2018. Methodology: The 451 samples were analysed for their colonial and microscopic morphology and molecular analysis. Polymerase chain reaction of the 16SrRNA internal transcriber spacer (ITS) sequence techniques were carried out on the isolates. Pathogenicity of the isolates were determined. Results: A total of 16 non-dermatophytic molds were obtained from 451samples analysed at different frequency of occurrences from the cattle skins in both states and these include Aspergillusfumigatus (3.6%), Aspergillus terreus (2.7%), Aspergillus wewitschiae (13.5%), Aspergillus flavus (10.0%), Aspergillus aculeatus (9.0%), Aspergillus sydowii (5.0%), Fusarium solani (3.2%), Fusarium lichenicola (17.9%), Fusarium succisae (12.0%), Fusarium oxysporum (2.0%), Penicillium citrinum (3.0%), Curvularia kusanol (0.6%), Cladosporium tenuissimum (4.9%), Pestalotiopsis microspora (0.1%), Talaromyces kendrickii (0.1%) and Absidia specie (12.9%). Conclusion: The study revealed that non-dermatophytic molds were highly prevalent and are possible causative agent of cutaneous mycoses in cattle. Pathogenicity evaluation carried out in this study revealed that Aspergillus welwitschiae, Cladosporium tenuissimum and Absidia sp. were highly virulent.

Reconstructing dynamics of foodborne disease outbreaks in the US cattle market from monitoring data

Conventional empirical studies of foodborne-disease outbreaks (FDOs) in agricultural markets are linear-stochastic formulations hardwiring a world in which markets self-correct in response to external random shocks including FDOs. These formulations were unequipped to establish whether FDOs cause market reaction, or whether markets endogenously propagate outbreaks. We applied nonlinear time series analysis (NLTS) to reconstruct annual dynamics of FDOs in US cattle markets from CDC outbreak data, live cattle futures market prices, and USDA cattle inventories from 1967–2018, and used reconstructed dynamics to detect causality. Reconstructed deterministic nonlinear market dynamics are endogenously unstable—not self-correcting, and cattle inventories drive futures prices and FDOs attributed to beef in temporal patterns linked to a multi-decadal cattle cycle undetected in daily/weekly price movements investigated previously. Benchmarking real-world dynamics with NLTS offers more informative and credible empirical modeling at the convergence of natural and economic sciences.

Formal Cattle Marketing in Rural Zimbabwe in Light of Covid-19: Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development

In rural Zimbabwe, selling of cattle has for a long time been one of the most dependable sources of income that has sustained livelihoods for decades. Informal cattle marketing which involves door to door or gate sales has been the most predominant system for the last three decades. However, the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic followed by the imposition of lockdowns has exposed the vulnerability of rural communities that are regressing into poverty due to a lack of alternative sources of income. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to delineate how formal cattle markets could be used as a sustainable source of income for rural communities’ livelihoods during and post the COVID-19 pandemic era. This qualitative research study relied on secondary data from published journal articles, online publications, and reports to understand the COVID-19 pandemic and also understand how it has impacted the livelihoods of people in rural Zimbabwe. The findings show that the current informal cattle marketing system is no longer suitable for rural communities as it exposes them to infections due to the challenges in ensuring compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) precautionary measures. It is recommended that formal (public) cattle markets be reintroduced in all rural areas as there is the certainty that WHO health guidelines will be enforced since they are organised by local and central government institutions. Since formal cattle markets offer competitive market-related prices this will then guarantee the flow of regular income thereby reducing the vulnerability of rural communities to poverty and inequalities.

A Tournament Approach to Price Discovery in the U.S. Cattle Market

The dominant market where information is discovered plays the role of price leader providing substantial market information to other markets. This study investigates the dynamic relationships of 30 cattle markets across regions, cattle types, and cash/futures markets. The comparison of many markets, using an error correction model, is accomplished with the introduction of a tournament with a hierarchical cluster analysis, which allows us to conclude that the leading price for the U.S. cattle markets is discovered in the futures markets for both feeder and fed cattle.

Risk Mapping of Influenza D Virus Occurrence in Ruminants and Swine in Togo Using a Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis Approach

Influenza D virus (IDV) has been identified in several continents, with serological evidence for the virus in Africa. In order to improve the sensitivity and cost–benefit of IDV surveillance in Togo, risk maps were drawn using a spatial multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) and experts’ opinion to evaluate the relevance of sampling areas used so far. Areas at highest risk of IDV occurrence were the main cattle markets. The maps were evaluated with previous field surveillance data collected in Togo between 2017 and 2019: 1216 sera from cattle, small ruminants, and swine were screened for antibodies to IDV by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays. While further samples collections are needed to validate the maps, the risk maps resulting from the spatial MCDA approach generated here highlight several priority areas for IDV circulation assessment.