East African Journal Of Science, Technology and Innovation
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Seroprevalence and Potential Risk Factors for Lumpy Skin Disease Seropositivity in Tanga and Pwani Regions in Tanzania
Full text linkLumpy skin disease (LSD) is an important viral disease of cattle and water buffalo affecting all breeds and all ages. Presently, the disease is among the global threats to the cattle industry due to its rapid spread and high morbidity. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tanga and Pwani region in Tanzania from December 2022 to February 2023 to determine seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with LSD serostatus. Sera from 200 unvaccinated cattle from 88 herds were tested for the presence of Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) antibodies using capripox double antigen multispecies commercial ELISA kit (ID. vet Innovative Diagnostics-France). Assessment of potential risk factors for LSD serostatus was achieved using a pretested standard questionnaire administered to the herd owner or designated representative. Descriptive statistics and chi-square, were used to analyse data. Anti- LSD antibodies were detected with an overall seroprevalence of 13.5% (CI 9.06-19.03) and 22.73% (CI =14.47- 32.89) at animal and herd levels, respectively. Seropositivity varied significantly between age categories of cattle (χ2=4, p =0.0444), size of the herds (χ2 = 12.65, p =0.0004), grazing system (χ2 =7.3, p= 0.0069), location (χ2= 6.54, p=0.0152), introduction of new animals in the herd (χ2 =9.4, p=0.0021) and breeds of cattle (χ2 =9.4, p=0.0021). Serostatus also varied significantly between herds where breeding bulls are shared and herds where breeding bulls are not shared. This is the first study of its kind in Tanzania to detect LSDV antibodies in unvaccinated cattle using serological technique in Tanzania. This study provides baseline information on LSD for planning further studies that can help in implementation of effective control measures
Exploring greywater hydroponic vegetable growing and phytoremediation capacity of coleus plants for urban farmers in Mbarara city Uganda
Full text linkSustaining the escalating urban population in food and nutrition security remains a global concern. Urban farming, which maximizes production using limited resources, is the right option for urban populations in developing countries. Between July and September 2023, an eight-week experiment to establish the capacity of greywater as a hydroponic medium to grow vegetables for human consumption and test the greywater cleansing capacity of Coleus ornamental plants was conducted. The motivation was to pilot an intervention to the challenges of land, water, space, malnutrition and wastewater disposal in Mbarara. Broccoli, Spring onions and Lettuce were used and greywater was collected from restaurant sculleries in Mbarara. Four treatments: Greywater, Greywater + NPK, Tap water, and Tap water + NPK were prepared and vegetable seedlings assigned in triplicates to each. The pH, EC, TDS, Temperature, Turbidity, Nitrates and Phosphates of the growing media; shoot length and number of leaves for the test vegetables and fecal coliforms and heavy metal in the media and plant tissues were tested following standard procedures. All vegetables survived but the levels of production differed significantly between treatments. Lettuce had the highest production in three treatments except GW+NPK (ANOVA shoot length (F (3, 56) = 2.970, p = 0.039). Spring onions grew best in greywater + NPK significantly differing from other treatments, ANOVA (F (3, 56) =3.328, p=0.026). Extreme EC and TDS values (1001.38 µS/cm and 502ppm; and 982.38 µS/cm 490.75ppm) were recorded in greywater treatments and significantly differed from other treatments (p=0.000). No fecal coliforms were detected in the vegetable tissues. Coleus progressively reduced the TDS and EC and exhibited capacity to extract heavy metals from greywater. Greywater is a viable hydroponic medium to grow vegetables. It is recommended that greywater nutrient enhancement to improve production for specific vegetables and use of Coleus plants for hydroponic greywater remediation
Assessment of scope and quality of nutrition services in patient management in selected health facilities in Tanzania
Full text linkInadequate nutrition services remain a critical barrier to optimal patient care in many low- and middle-income countries, including Tanzania. Comprehensive assessments and specialized interventions are often underutilized in clinical practice. This study evaluates the scope and quality of nutrition service delivery across Tanzanian health facilities, involving 46 participants, including nutritionists, dietitians, and healthcare providers from 28 facilities. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29.0. The findings demonstrate that basic nutritional assessments (e.g., weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference) are performed in over 70% of cases, yet advanced assessments like body composition analysis (body fat, muscle mass, and visceral fat) are significantly underused, occurring in less than 30% of cases. Nutrition Diagnostic accuracy was also suboptimal, with only 11% of participants correctly completing the Nutrition Diagnosis using the PES (Problem, Etiology, Symptoms) statement. While over 90% of participants delivered nutrition education and counseling, more advanced interventions such as enteral and parenteral nutrition were available in fewer than 40% of cases. Alarmingly, a severe shortage of clinical nutrition staff was identified, with one nutritionist covering more than 200 hospital beds. Participants with more than four years of experience, especially those with bachelor’s or postgraduate degrees, were significantly more effective in delivering quality nutrition services (p = 0.019). It is recommended that targeted efforts to increase human resource allocation, integrate nutrition into broader healthcare quality initiatives, and enhance nutrition continuous professional development. Expanding and fostering evidence-based research are vital to strengthening nutrition services and improving patient outcomes in Tanzania’s healthcare system
A neutral anisotropic quark star model with conformal symmetry
Full text linkNew solution for the Einstein field equations satisfying a neutral anisotropic quark star object is generated. The quark linear equation of state together with the conformal Killing vector (CKV) are used to investigate the behavior and properties of quark stars. The CKV plays an important role in providing the relationship between the two gravitational potentials. The process of combining the CKV and an equation of state has currently led to new realistic solutions. In obtaining the matter variables, one of the gravitational potentials is specified on physical grounds to generate compact star model with physical significance. The generated quark star model undergoes several physical tests for the validity and acceptability. Several realistic physical conditions are found to be satisfied. The model stability in terms of the adiabatic index and equilibrium of the physical forces is satisfied. The behavior of the mass-radius relationship and the surface red shift are well obeyed. Their parameters values are found to be compatible with observations. The gravitational potentials are continuous throughout the interior of the star, and the model\u27s energy conditions are satisfied as well. Quark star models that admit conformal symmetry in the absence of charge are missing in the existing literature
Farmers’ adaptation strategies to combat the impacts of climate change on grapevine production in Dodoma, Tanzania
Full text linkThe grapevine is regarded as a drought-resistant crop, although in recent years it has been observed to be threatened by climate change (CC). This compelled an investigation into the adaptation strategies used by grapevine farmers to lessen the impacts of climate change in Dodoma, Tanzania. The impacts of CC on grapevine farming were explored, and the adopted adaptation strategies were examined. About 248 grapevine farmers, and 64 key informants and members of focus group discussions were involved in the study. Data were collected through surveys, discussions, interviews, observations, and reviews. Quantitative data were analysed through descriptive statistics while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that the major impacts of CC on grapevine production include the outbreak of grapevine diseases (76.2%), occurrence of pests and insects (67.6%), drought (26.9%), and extreme temperatures (10%). To moderate these impacts, grapevine farmers have adopted several adaptation strategies, such as applying pesticides (63.2%), implementing irrigation (21.3%), paroling to prevent birds (6.8%), and using manure (5.6%) to improve soil fertility. These findings inform that CC has a direct detrimental impact on grapevine production including uncertainties which affect grapevine markets, and the adaptation strategies for the CC impacts in the study areas are in place. It is recommended that the Tanzania government and other grapevine stakeholders should help grapevine farmers to improve and take on board existing adaptation strategies against CC through agricultural extension services, and enable farmers’ access to financial capital. This could improve grapevine farmers’ adaptive capacity to CC
Effect of temperature and rainfall variability on greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) population in Lake Bogoria landscape, Kenya
Full text linkClimate change is one of the major factors threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services. Studies have proved that extremely high or low temperatures may lead to habitat degradation for the large herbivores in the Kenyan Savanna. Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), a large herbivore within Lake Bogoria Landscape (LBL) in Baringo County, Kenya is a major tourist attraction thus important revenue contributor for the County. Limited information on the effects of temperature and rainfall variability on greater kudu (GK) population in the landscape forms basis for this study. Long-term (1981 - 2022) temperature and rainfall monthly data was obtained from Kenya Meteorological Department. Transect line survey data collected by Lake Bogoria National Game Reserve since the year 2019 and data collected during the study period in 2022 were used to assess the abundance, distribution and trends of Kudu population for the last four (4) years. It was found that there is long-term and seasonal variation of maximum temperature, minimum temperature and rainfall and that both maximum and minimum temperature variability (r(1) = -.42, p > 0.05 and r(1) = .45, p > 0.05 respectively) and rainfall (r(1) = -.10, p > 0.05) did not significantly affect GK population although 98% of the total variation in GK population was related to rainfall variability. It was concluded that temperature and rainfall extremes have affect GK dispersal in the landscape. Deliberate efforts by conservation agencies to create awareness on effects of climate change, and the necessary governance structures and financial support provided towards adoption of sustainable and affordable production technologies will improve livelihoods of the communities.
Developing Local Games for Enhancing Numeracy Skills in Primary Schools in Tanzania: A Participatory Approach
Full text linkDigital games have emerged as a significant tool for enhancing learning and cognitive development in children. They serve as effective tools for skill enhancement due to their interactive and immersive nature, maintaining interest in learning and providing real-time feedback for immediate correction of mistakes. Furthermore, digital games foster critical thinking in children through decision-making and problem-solving in varied scenarios, while also creating a fun and less intimidating environment that reduces anxiety and promotes enjoyable learning. However, the success of game based learning initiatives in developing countries has been limited due to lack of sufficient involvement of local children in the development process, causing the disconnect between game developers and the target audience. These games also often fail to integrate local content with existing curricula and teaching methods. This research explores the development of local digital games aimed at enhancing numeracy skills among Tanzanian primary school children, employing a participatory approach. Addressing the shortcomings of existing educational games, it involved a participatory design approach with 42 pupils aged 6-8 and 14 teachers from six different schools across three regions in Tanzania. This participatory method led to the development of three games: \u27Manati\u27, \u27Ruka Kamba\u27, and \u27Kombolela\u27. These games underwent rigorous testing to evaluate their pedagogical value, ease of use, and the level of fun and enjoyment they offer. The study found that involving children and teachers in the development process not only made the games easy to play, fun, and enjoyable but also pedagogically effective for the target audience. The findings emphasize the importance of user involvement in the whole process of game development, particularly in contexts where cultural sensitivity and curriculum alignment are important
Prevalence of Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale infections and their associated risk factors among calves in Narok County, Kenya
Full text linkBabesiosis and anaplasmosis are major constraints to livestock production in many developing countries including Kenya. Therefore, their epidemiological data needs to be constantly updated. The current study was aimed at estimating the seroprevalence of Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale and determine their associated risk factors among calves aged 3–12 months in Narok County, Kenya. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in Narok County, Kenya, between February and May 2023. A total of 402 calves from 76 farms were randomly selected from 8 villages in Sub-Counties of Naroosura Majimoto and Ololulunga. Data on individual calf and individual farm factors was collected via closed-ended questionnaires administered to someone who was involved the calves’ management. Blood was collected from the calves and processed for microscopy (smears) and serology (indirect ELISA using monoclonal antibodies), respectively. Descriptive analysis was performed for both categorical and continuous variables. Mixed effect logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between seropositivity of the various risk factors with the random effect being the farm. The overall estimation seropositivity of B. bigemina, A. marginale and mixed infections of B. bigemina and A. marginale was 60%, 60% and 38.1% respectively. The overall prevalence on microscopy for B. bigemina, A. marginale and mixed infections of B. bigemina and A. marginale was 22.9%, 32.6% and 11.4%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with the seropositivity of the infections were increase in age (OR=2.736 for A. marginale, 3.030 for B. bigemina and 2.073 for A. marginale/B. bigemina), calves that receive acaricide treatment (OR=0.445 for A. marginale and 0.536 for A. marginale/B. bigemina) and infection history on the farm (OR=3.803 for A. marginale/B. bigemina). In conclusion, the seroprevalence of B. bigemina and A. marginale was relatively high. Control and prevention efforts should be enforced to reduce the risk of clinical diseases from the hemoparasites
Spatiotemporal epidemiology of Lumpy Skin Disease in Tanzania from 2018 to 2023
Full text linkLumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a significant Trans-boundary Animal Disease (TAD) affecting cattle, whose causative agent is Capripoxvirus of family poxviridae. Despite its importance, there is limited information on its epidemiology in Tanzania. This study aimed to describe spatiotemporal epidemiological features of LSD in cattle from all 26 regions of Tanzania mainland from 2018 to 2023. Retrospective data on LSD cases in regions and districts obtained from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries were analysed using space-time scan statistics. The data were presented as spatial distribution maps at regional and district levels and temporal patterns as histograms. Between 2018 and 2023, 13,339 LSD cases were reported in the country. All 26 regions (100.0%) reported at least one case during this period. At the district level, LSD was reported in 83.0% (155 out of 185 in the country) of the district councils. The highest number of cases in regions were reported in Dodoma (2,287), Kagera (1,395), Iringa (1,040), and Mbeya (1,012). The lowest number of cases were reported in Shinyanga (109), Mtwara (107), Mwanza (69), Geita (67), Pwani (59), Simiyu (49), Lindi (30), and Dar es Salaam (2). The year with the highest number of LSD cases was 2021 (4,701), while the lowest number was 2018 (415). Although LSD cases were reported throughout the year, the highest number was observed from January to March. Cluster analysis identified six regional- and ten district-level distinct clusters of LSD cases. Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Iringa, and Mbeya regions were identified as the highest-risk clusters at the regional level. These findings suggest that LSD is endemic in Tanzania, occurring in all regions and most districts. The results provide a foundation for further investigation through active surveillance to determine the true prevalence and identify the risk factors contributing to its persistence
The drivers of illegal wildlife activities in Moyowosi game reserve
Full text linkIllegal wildlife activity poses a serious danger to the fragile ecological balance of Moyowosi Game Reserve, which is primarily a marsh surrounded by pristine wilderness. This paper comprehensively examined the drivers of illegal wildlife activities occurring in the reserve. Data were gathered from 383 respondents through household questionnaires across ten proximal, systematically selected villages in Kigoma. Most of the respondents were of the age between 18-40 from south sampling location n=148(79.14%). The analysis revealed that the major drivers of illegal wildlife activities, based on strong agreement among respondents, were subsistence-based n=236 (61.62%), commercial based n=214 (55.87%), and insufficient land for grazing n=190 (49.61%). These findings were derived from a total sample size of 383 respondents for each driver, with varying levels of agreement including agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree. However, insufficient land for agriculture, waterbodies for fishing, source of fuelwood, crop yield, high market value, increase of foreigners and influence of refugees and illegal immigrants are other identified drivers of illegal activities. Further, the result showed that, the highly committed illegal wildlife activities in Moyowosi Game Reserve are poaching n=199(51.96%), illegal fishing n=196(51.17%) and illegal grazing n=166(43.34%). Among other strategies, this paper recommends increased community involvement, enforcement efforts, increased use of technology like drones in patrols, encourage the youth to establish groups and offering micro-credit loans to establish small businesses. Furthermore, this study recommends increasing conservation education and awareness campaigns within communities, including school children. It also suggests that the government should consider locating refugee camps far from protected areas in the future and emphasize village land use planning