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Seroprevalence and molecular detection of chikungunyaVirus among febrile outpatients seeking health care in Mzuzu city, Malawi
No full textMasters DissertationChikungunya is a viral disease caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) that is
transmitted to humans by infected Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. The
objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Chikungunya infection
among febrile patients seeking healthcare in Mzuzu City, Malawi. Blood samples were
collected during 2019 from outpatients attending Mzuzu Central Hospital who presented
with fever but who were malaria and sepsis negative. Sera from outpatients were
transported to the University of Malawi for analysis of the presence or absence of
CHIKV specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and CHIKV ribonucleic acid
(RNA). Enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect anti-CHIKV
IgM antibodies while one step reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
was conducted in IgM positive sera in order detect the presence of CHIKV RNA. Out of
119 CHIKV-suspected samples, 73 (61.3%) tested positive for anti-CHIKV IgM
antibodies by ELISA. When 14 of the IgM seropositive sera were randomly selected and
screened using RT-PCR, they were all positive for CHIKV RNA. This study has
therefore provided an insight of current seroprevalence of Chikungunya and circulation
of CHIKV among the human population in Mzuzu city, Malawi. These results suggest an
active circulation of CHIKV in the population, therefore accurate laboratory assays are
highly recommended for CHIKV diagnosis and appropriate management of febrile
patients.SACID
Coffee growers’ knowledge, attitude and practice of starbucks’ coffee and farmers equity certification scheme in Mbinga district
No full textThe study was carried out in Mbinga District, Tanzania to assess smallholder coffee
growers’ knowledge, attitude and practice of Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E) Practice
certification scheme and associated implementation challenges among farmers in the
study area. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. The sample size of 188
respondents obtained by using Slovin’s sample size formula was randomly selected and
surveyed. A questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interview and
documentary review were the data collection instruments used to collect data for the
study. Descriptive statistic and content analysis were used to analyze quantitative and
qualitative data respectively. The study found that the majority of coffee growers were
knowledgeable of the scheme, had a favourable attitude towards the scheme and
implemented the standards moderately. Moreover, price volatility, the continued incidence
of coffee diseases and limited farmers’ participation in standard-setting were the main
challenges experienced by coffee growers in the implementation of the C.A.F.E Practices
scheme. The study recommends that more training and guidance should be provided to
farmers; key actors in coffee certification should enhance farmers bargaining power and
access to more profitable certified markets, farmers participation in the process of
standard-setting should be given priority, coffee service providers in collaboration with
agro-inputs dealers should ensure availability of organic coffee inputs and provision of
subsidy on personal protective gears used by farmers during agrochemicals application in
coffee farms.Sokoine University of Agricultur
Spoilage moulds in cured Vanilla beans in Tanzania: a case study of Kilimanjaro region
No full textMasters DissertationA study was carried out to identify and control the moulds responsible for spoilage of
cured vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) beans and assessment of food safety knowledge, good
manufacturing practices (GMP) and good hygiene practices (GHP of vanilla handlers in
Kilimanjaro region. Five moulds namely, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus tubingensis,
Aspergillus aculeatus, Byssochlamys spectabilis (anamorph: Paecilomyces variotii) and
Penicillium polonicum were isolated from cured vanilla beans. The control of mould
growth was carried out by using 30%, 50% and 70% ethanol (vol/vol.) for 5 min and 10
min. Sterile green vanilla beans inoculated with spores of A. tubingensis, A. aculeatus and
B. spectabilis were incubated overnight, followed by blanching at 65oC for 3 min and
continuation of regular processes, i.e. sweating also known as fermentation and drying.
Ethanol concentration of 50% and 70% completely inhibited the growth of moulds. The
knowledge of handlers on food safety was satisfactory, while it was unsatisfactory on
GMP and GHP. In vanilla curing process, blanching of green vanilla beans was identified
as a critical control point (CCP) followed by fermenting “sweating”, drying and
conditioning “curing maturation” steps as operational prerequisite programme (OPRP).Mr. Juan Guardad
Prevalence and associated risk factors in central Tanzania
No full textMasters ThesisToxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonotic disease caused by coccidian intracellular protozoan
parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite is ubiquitous and infects almost all warm
blooded animals including humans. Primary infection in human is usually asymtomatic
or manifest with febrile illness characterized by headache, sore throat, muscle pain and
swollen lymph nodes. Clinical implication of the disease is more on pregnant women and
immunocompromised individuals. The overall objective of this study was to determine
the prevalence and associated factors to toxoplasmosis among patients attending Dodoma
Regional Referral Hospital (DRRH) in Central Tanzania. In this cross-sectional study, a
total of 395 outpatients attending DRRH between December 2019 and February 2020
were enrolled. Blood was collected from consenting patients. A structured questionnaire
with simple, open and closed ended questions was administered to study subjects to
collect information on knowledge of infectious agent, transmission mode and information
regarding risk of exposures. Of 395 subjects enrolled in this study, 2% were infected with
T. gondii after screening using polymerase chain reaction. There was no statistical
relationship between disease diagnosis and risk of exposures. Only 1.3% of the
participants had good knowledge towards toxoplasmosis. Majority (88.4%) of the
enrolled participants showed good practises towards toxoplasmosis. The results indicate
that T. gondii is prevalent among individuals in Dodoma Region and a very low
proportion of them had knowledge of the disease. The results suggest the need of health
education toward toxoplasmosis among residents of Dodoma. It is important that the
health care system diagnostic capacity is enhanced to provide routine diagnosis of T.
gondii and promote an interdisciplinary collaboration in its risk management
Morphological and molecular diversity of stinging nettle (Urtica simensis) from northern Ethiopia
No full textMasters ThesisUrtica simensis is an erect perennial herb among the species of nettle which belongs to the
family Urticaceae that is endemic to Ethiopia and locally known as Samma. It is cooked
and consumed as vegetable in some parts of Ethiopia. It has medicinal properties where
traditionally people use it in treating different types of diseases, including infectious
diseases like allergies, diabetes and Malaria. This study was conducted to evaluate the
diversity of Urtica simensis to address and fill the gap on its genetic variability and
distribution using morphological characters and ISSR DNA markers. A total 133 plant
samples were collected from Northern growing areas of Ethiopia (Gondar and Mekelle),
based on variations in morphological characters. Morphological characterization was
conducted on six morphological traits which demonstrated variation based on PCA and
correlation matrix analysis. Molecular characterization was carried out using ISSR markers
where, only 5 were selected out of 16 ISSR primers that produced a total of 445 scorable
bands and 30 polymorphic loci, 100% of polymorphic bands, 1.88 genetic diversity and
2.75 Shannon index from a collection of 133 plant samples. Highest genetic diversity (H)
was found to be 0.4286 and Shannon Information index (I) was 0.6197. The highest
genetic diversity was indicated in plant samples from Mekelle compared to samples from
Gondar (0.3462 and 0.3152 respectively). The Dendrogram based on Jaccard’s similarity
coefficients generated by UPGMA cluster analysis using morphological and ISSR data
shows major and minor clusters with broad distribution of Urtica simensis individuals over
the entire tree which indicates the low divergence in morphological appearance among
populations from both study areas. Based on the results of this study, morphological and
ISSR markers were effective in studying genetic diversity of Urtica simensis demonstrated
by variations in terms of morphological appearances and genetic variability. These results
have valuable effect on characterization of Urtica simensis genetic resources in different
parts of Ethiopia for conservation purposes.IUCE
Exclusive breast feeding and its determinants in Yaounde Cameroon: a retrospective survival analysis
No full textExclusive breastfeeding (EBF) of infants for the first six months of life is now considered
a global public health goal that is linked to reduction of morbidity and mortality in infants
especially in developing countries. These morbidities and mortalities are attributed to
increased incidences of upper and lower respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract
infections in infants. The purpose of this study was to assess adherence of mothers to the
six-month exclusive breastfeeding as recommended by the World Health Organisation
(WHO). A retrospective survival analysis study was carried out with a simple random
sample of 503 participants at the Chantal Biya Foundation, consultation and vaccination
unit in Yaoundé Cameroon. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using formal
interviews and structured questionnaires respectively for duration of six months between
November 2019 and May 2020. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to explore the
hazard ratio of associated risk factors. A log-rank test was used to test the hypothesis of
differences in survival rates for each variable of the prognostic factors. This study revealed
that mean time for mothers to practise EBF was 3.61± 0.095 months within a time range
of one to six months. In addition, more than 90% of the mothers were aware of EBF
requirements and procedures and attended antenatal clinics. Notwithstanding, only 38% of
mothers could survive EBF (Censored) and 62% of mothers could not adhere to EBF
practices or failed to practice EBF (95% CI: 0.9056-0.7701). Prognostic factors like
mother’s marital status were highly significant (P=0.003; HR: 0.70; 95% CI= 0.55-0.89)
whereby, married mothers practised EBF at higher rates than unmarried mothers. Mother’s
education level also played a significant role to the adherence of EBF practices (P=0.005;
HR: 1.43; 95% CI=1.11-1.84). Mothers who had attained higher education level
significantly reported a lower rate of EBF compared to mothers with basic or no formal
education. Continuous mass sensitization and enforcement measures is recommended to
be done by various health workers at ANC clinics on the importance of proper EBF.
Meanwhile, policy review by policy-makers in the health sector like the Ministry of Public
Health and Family Planning when designing policies for nursing mothers is recommended.Mathias Okwen and Regina Okwe
Beekeeping around Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Kilombero District, Tanzania
No full textThe study assessed the practices, productivity and contribution of beekeeping to household income of communities adjacent to UMNP in Kilombero District. Data were collected through administration of questionnaires to households practicing beekeeping and interview of key informants. Means and percentages were calculated for practices, productivity and income. The study revealed that more than 30% of respondents undertake beekeeping in order to earn income. Traditional beehives were mostly used by respondents in Ifakara (46%) and Kidatu (62%) divisions while many (67%) respondents in Mang’ula division used both modern and traditional beehives. Lack of equipment and extension services were mentioned as the main challenges to beekeeping. Many
respondents in Ifakara and Mang’ula divisions admitted that modern beehives have double productivity of bee products compared to traditional beehives. Contribution of beekeeping to household income is generally low in all divisions of Ifakara (4%), Mang’ula (13%) and Kidatu (8%) as compared to farming, petty trade and formal employment. It was concluded that the contribution of beekeeping to household income is low in the study area. Increased productivity could increase the contribution to household income. This could be through ensuring availability of extension services, modern beehives and
equipment for harvesting and packaging materials.Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF
Establishment of the Causal Agent(s) of Spike Shedding and Stem Wilting of Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in Morogoro District, Tanzania
No full textPepper (Piper nigrum L.) serves as a source of income to smallholder spice farmers in Morogoro district of Tanzania. Recently,
spike shedding and stem wilting of pepper plants were reported to cause about 30% yield loss of the crop. This study was
undertaken to identify the causal agent(s) of the problems. Three pepper gardens in each of the four hamlets (Nyange, Doga,
Tandai, and Lukenge) in Tandai village (Kinole ward) were surveyed, and plant tissue and soil samples were collected for
laboratory analysis. An experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Pepper cultivars,
Babu kubwa, Babu ndogo, Babu kati, and Ismailia grown in the study area, were used as treatments for evaluation of the prevalence
of spike shedding and stem wilting. Treatments mean separation was conducted based on Duncan’s multiple range test at p � 0.05.
Regression (R 2 ) and simple correlation (r) analyses between stem wilting (incidence and severity) and termite pest infestation were
performed. The identified pathogen in most of the soil and plant tissue samples was Fusarium oxysporum. The nutrients, N, P, Mg,
and Cu, concentration in soil and leaf samples was below the optimal ranges. Termite attacks were significantly high in some
farmer’s gardens where up to 50.5% of the pepper plants was damaged. Hence, a significant positive correlation was observed
between termite pest infestation in gardens and both incidence (r � 0.881, R 2 � 0.74, p < 0.001) and severity of stem wilting
(r � 0.918, R 2 � 0.84, p < 0.001) of pepper plants. Most of the termite attacks and damages (70%) were observed on pepper plants
supported on silver oak, unlike those trained on Jatropha. A higher percentage of undeveloped berries (36%) and intermediate-
size berries (34%) was recorded on cultivars “Babu kati” and “Babu kubwa,” respectively. Multiple factors have been associated to
be the causes of spike shedding and stem wilting of pepper, which could be used to develop appropriate control solutions useful to
farmers. Confirmation of F. oxysporum pathogenicity is recommended. A comprehensive study is suggested on the repellent or
lethal activities of Jatropha against F. oxysporum and termites. Furthermore, studies through field experiments are needed to
generate site-specific soil nutrient improvement recommendations and design an integrated approach to control F. oxysporum
and termites and to determine existing alternative host plants for these pests
Health Literacy and Health Behaviour under One Health Approach in Tanzania: Connecting the Connected or Connecting the Unconnected?
No full textGlobally, health literacy (HL) has been reported to stand as a driver to health behavioural changes. Despite efforts to educate people to enhance the knowledge and skills on health-related matters to improve health literacy, consequently enabling and encouraging individuals to make healthier lifestyle choices,sometimes, there has been notable health impairing behaviours. Definitely, in such circumstances, HL by itself has been observed to fail to drive such behavioural changes. This assumes that there are drivers together with or beyond HL towards behavioural changes. This cross-sectional study assessed HL and its influence on health behaviou r (HB) under One Health Approach in Morogoro, Tanzania. A structured questionnaire was employed for data collection from 1440 respondents acquired through a multistage sampling procedure.A too l was developed to assess HL, an index of score gauged HB, and Likert scale was used to assess attitudes towards HB. Data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS v20 software. The study revealed, about one-third of the respondents (32.9%) had adequate HL, (30.8%) moderate HL and (36.3%) with inadequate HL; 40% had health-enhancing behaviours and 60% with health impairing behaviours. A significant association(health literacy*health behaviour, p=0.000;was observed. The results further revealed that 30% had unfavourable attitudes towards health impairing behaviours, and attitude was significantly foundto associate with behaviours (p=0.000).It is concluded that attitudes towards health impairing behaviours affect the way HL can influence HB.This study recommends strengthening efforts to enhance health information dissemination through health education focusing on culture as the context that informs behaviour
Host communities' attitude towards benefit sharing from natural gas extraction: insights from Kilwa District, Tanzania
No full textThe East African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities V. 1, Issue 2, June 2019, pg. 53-59Tanzania is among the blessed countries in Africa in terms of minerals endowment. However, natural gas extraction is in its
infancy stage. The existing studies on natural gas extractions in Tanzania focused more at the national level with limited understanding
of the host community’s issues. This study was conducted to examine the host community’s attitude on natural gas extraction in Kilwa
District. Specifically, the study assessed: (i) host communities’ attitude towards benefits sharing, and (ii) factors that influence host
communities’ attitude towards benefit sharing. A structured questionnaire was administered to 373 respondents. A Likert scale was used
to measure the attitude of host community members towards benefit sharing. An Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR) technique was used
to examine factors influencing attitudes of communities towards benefits sharing. The findings revealed that overall the respondents had
a negative attitude (60%) towards benefits sharing from the extractive industry. Distance from extraction activities, access to electricity,
the relationship between the community and extractive companies and sex of respondent were important determinants of attitude (p <
0.05). The study concludes that the high level of negative attitude implies host communities dissatisfaction towards natural gas
investment that may translate into resource curse in the country. This calls for immediate practical interventions by policymakers,
planners, and extractive companies to address challenges that limit equitable access to various benefits by host communities