african drylands institute for sustainability

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Susceptibility to IVM (IVM) of “strain A” Haemonchus contortus which had been exposed to IVM four times over a 2-year period was compared to IVM susceptibility of “strain C” H. contortus which had no prior field exposure to IVM, by in vivo and in vitro methods. In vivo, the percentage reduction in faecal egg counts (FEC) and the total worm counts (TWC) were compared between control animals (lambs and kids) and animals treated with low dose IVM (20 μg/kg). In vitro susceptibility to IVM was evaluated by larval migration inhibition (LMI) after the two strains of H. contortus were exposed to different concentrations of IVM. The dose response, measured as the proportion of larvae inhibited from migrating, was used to estimate LD50. Although differences in response to IVM in the in vivo determinations were not significant, “strain A” H. contortus had a significantly higher LD50 than “strain C” in the LMI assay. Coincident with the conduct of the in vivo experiment, it was observed that “strain A” H. contortus established and survived better than “strain C” in the control lambs.

A survey of gastrointestinal and other internal parasites was conducted on apparently healthy indigenous chickens of both sexes obtained from open-air markets around Nairobi, Kenya. A total of 131 birds from 9 districts were examined. Worm egg and coccidial oocyst counts were performed on faecal materials from each bird while worms collected from gastrointestinal tracts were quantified and identified. Many chickens had gastrointestinal helminths (90%), but only a few of these (13.9%) had coccidial oocysts. Nematodes were the predominant helminths (89%) followed by cestodes (51.5%), but no trematodes were recovered. The nematodes recovered were: Heterakis isolonche (59.5%), Subulura brumpti (36.0%) Tetrameres spp. (32%), Ascaridia galli (19.8%), Gongylonema ingluvicola (19.1%), Acuaria hamulosa (6.1%), Heterakis gallinarum (5.3%) and Capillaria spp. (2.3%). The cestodes recovered were: Raillietina echinobothrida (37.7%), Hymenolepis carioca (33.6%), Davainea proglottina (6.9%), R. tetragona (6.1%) and R. cesticillus (2.3%). Other endoparasites encountered were the air-sac mite, Cytodite nudus (15.3 %), Sacocystis spp. (5.6 %) and Syngamus trachea (4%). The mean caecal worm counts in chickens were significantly different (p < 0.05) in various districts. However, there was no significant difference in the overall worm loads between sexes (p > 0.05). The results of this study showed that there is heavy parasitism with various endoparasites in apparently healthy traded indigenous chickens in Kenya

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Veterinary services and inputs in the ASAL, as most other services in the rest of the country, has for sometime now been offered fr ee, with the Governme nt meeting the costs of drugs, service, disease control and surv eillance and employment and deployment of personnel. This structure and mode of deliver y of services, which is based on extension packages tested in the sedentary and semi-s edentary production systems, has proved to be impractical and unsustainable. The situati on is compounded by the collapse of basic infrastructure, including service delivery sy stems and insecurity and the “almost total control” of livestock marketing by middlemen. The provision of veterinary inputs and servic es is unlikely to improve if the present delivery systems are left in place. Thus there is need to empower the animal health technicians (AHTs) and selected livestock producers in the pa storal areas to be service and input providers. This is especially critic al now that the donor nations, international financial institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which are deeply entrenched in the process of economic a nd social change, are insisting on reduced Government spending, right sizing Govern ment service delivery personnel and privatization of deliver y of goods and services. The alleviation or easing of the current liv estock production constraints alone, however, will not serve the livestock producers if the current livestock marketing system remains in place. This system is between an “informed and wealthy middlemen” and “unaware and often desperate livestock producers”. The od ds have to be made more even through regular provision of current livestock market informati on and training of livestock producers (and their school age children whenever possible) in the art of livestock pricing. It is our humble opinion that the current marketing and the veterinary services delivery system has to evolve to become truly pa rticipatory if livestock productivity, food security, increased rural income s and improved quality of life is to be come a reality in the ASAL areas. This will not only ease pr oduction and marketing constraints currently facing farmers but also stabil ize their economic base and change their socio-economic status to one that gives them hope of rising to the next notch in their hierarchy of needs.

Haematological data were obtained through analysis of blood samples taken from sixteen donkeys randomly selected from a donkey population in Kiambu District, Kenya. Nine out of sixteen of the donkeys examined were anaemic, with low RBC counts (ranging between 3.2 - 4.18 x 106/ml) and low Hb concentrations (ranging between 6.6 - 9.7 gm%). Seven out of nine of these donkeys in addition, had relatively low PCV values (18% - 28.7%). The epg counts in the anaemic donkeys ranged between 0 and 3100. The total protein levels in all the sixteen donkeys were slightly elevated. The differential leucocyte counts were within the normal range in twelve out of sixteen donkeys. Two donkeys had leucocytosis, with WBC counts ranging between 18.6 and 24.8, and epg counts ranging between 100 and 200.

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The prevalence and numbers of coccidian oocysts in faecal samples from young (less than 6 months old), immature (6-12 months old) and adult (over 12 months old) sheep on 15 farms in Nyandarua district were studied during the dry and wet seasons. The species of Eimeria occurring in these sheep were also identified. The proportion of animals shedding coccidian oocysts did not vary significantly with season. The prevalence of the oocysts was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in young sheep (mean 85.3%) compared to immature (mean 40.2%) and adult sheep (mean 32.15%). OPG counts (oocysts per gram of faeces) were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the young sheep compared to immature and adult sheep during both seasons. Prevalence and OPG did not differ between immature and adult sheep. There was no significant difference in OPG during the wet season (mean 328 +/- 997) compared to the dry season (mean 219 +/- 773). The sex of the sheep had no significant effect on prevalence or OPG. Eight species of Eimeria were recognized. They (and their prevalence) were E. bakuensis (ovina) (43.6%), E. ovinoidalis (23.6%), E. ahsata (15.2%), E. intricata (8.27%), E. granulosa (4.8%), E. faurei (2.8%), E. parva (1.06%) and E. pallida (0.67%).

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