Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that contaminate food and feed and have a significant negative impact on human and animal health and productivity. The tropical condition in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) together with poor storage of feed promotes fungal growth and subsequent mycotoxin production. Aflatoxins (AF) produced by Aspergillus species, fumonisins (FUM), zearalenone (ZEN), T-2 toxin (T-2), and deoxynivalenol (DON) produced by Fusarium species, and ochratoxin A (OTA) produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus species are well-known mycotoxins of agricultural importance. Consumption of feed contaminated with these toxins may cause mycotoxicoses in animals, characterized by a range of clinical signs depending on the toxin, and losses in the animal industry. In SSA, contamination of dairy feed with mycotoxins has been frequently reported, which poses a serious constraint to animal health and productivity, and is also a hazard to human health since some mycotoxins and their metabolites are excreted in milk, especially aflatoxin M1. This review describes the major mycotoxins, their occurrence, and impact in dairy cattle diets in SSA highlighting the problems related to animal health, productivity, and food safety and the up-to-date post-harvest mitigation strategies for the prevention and reduction of contamination of dairy feed.

Mycotoxins are common in grains in sub-Saharan Africa and negatively impact human and animal health and production. This study assessed occurrences of mycotoxins, some plant, and bacterial metabolites in 16 dairy and 27 poultry feeds, and 24 feed ingredients from Machakos town, Kenya, in February and August 2019. We analyzed the samples using a validated multi-toxin liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. A total of 153 mycotoxins, plant, and bacterial toxins, were detected in the samples. All the samples were co-contaminated with 21 to 116 different mycotoxins and/or metabolites. The commonly occurring and EU regulated mycotoxins reported were; aflatoxins (AFs) (70%; range 0.2–318.5 μg/kg), deoxynivalenol (82%; range 22.2–1037 μg/kg), ergot alkaloids (70%; range 0.4–285.7 μg/kg), fumonisins (90%; range 32.4–14,346 μg/kg), HT-2 toxin (3%; range 11.9–13.8 μg/kg), ochratoxin A (24%; range 1.1–24.3 μg/kg), T-2 toxin (4%; range 2.7–5.2 μg/kg) and zearalenone (94%; range 0.3–910.4 μg/kg). Other unregulated emerging mycotoxins and metabolites including Alternaria toxins, Aspergillus toxins, bacterial metabolites, cytochalasins, depsipeptides, Fusarium metabolites, metabolites from other fungi, Penicillium toxins, phytoestrogens, plant metabolites, and unspecific metabolites were also detected at varying levels. Except for total AFs, where the average contamination level was above the EU regulatory limit, all the other mycotoxins detected had average contamination levels below the limits. Ninety-six percent of all the samples were contaminated with more than one of the EU regulated mycotoxins. These co-occurrences may cause synergistic and additive health effects thereby hindering the growth of the Kenyan livestock sector.

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The poultry industry in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is faced with feed insecurity, associated with high cost of feeds, and feed safety, associated with locally produced feeds often contaminated with mycotoxins. Mycotoxins, including aflatoxins (AFs), fumonisins (FBs), trichothecenes, and zearalenone (ZEN), are common contaminants of poultry feeds and feed ingredients from SSA. These mycotoxins cause deleterious effects on the health and productivity of chickens and can also be present in poultry food products, thereby posing a health hazard to human consumers of these products. This review summarizes studies of major mycotoxins in poultry feeds, feed ingredients, and poultry food products from SSA as well as aflatoxicosis outbreaks. Additionally reviewed are the worldwide regulation of mycotoxins in poultry feeds, the impact of major mycotoxins in the production of chickens, and the postharvest use of mycotoxin detoxifiers. In most studies, AFs are most commonly quantified, and levels above the European Union regulatory limits of 20 μg/kg are reported. Trichothecenes, FBs, ZEN, and OTA are also reported but are less frequently analyzed. Co-occurrences of mycotoxins, especially AFs and FBs, are reported in some studies. The effects of AFs on chickens’ health and productivity, carryover to their products, as well as use of mycotoxin binders are reported in few studies conducted in SSA. More research should therefore be conducted in SSA to evaluate occurrences, toxicological effects, and mitigation strategies to prevent the toxic effects of mycotoxins.

Background Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that can occur in all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Vaccinating dogs can protect people from contracting rabies. Rabies is a public health threat in Rwanda, but the country does not have information on the epidemiology of rabies. The present study aimed to understand the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of rabies and its control among dog owners in Kigali city of Rwanda. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire among 137 dog owners selected from nine administrative study sites. A two-stage random sampling procedure was used to select the participants. Frequency distributions analysis and a series of chi-square tests of associations as well as binary logistic regressions were performed to determine the important factors associated with the response variables. Results The results showed that 99.5% of respondents knew at least a host susceptible to rabies. Only 22.4% and 21.3% knew that dogs and people can develop rabies, respectively. Nearly 73.6% knew that human rabies can be transmitted through dog-bites and 99% could identify at least a clinical sign of canine rabies. Overall, 81.8% knew that regular vaccination of dogs helps to prevent dog-transmitted human rabies and 43.1% and 26.3% were aware that rabies in humans and in dogs are fatal once clinical symptoms have shown, respectively. Only 69% would observe a dog for 10 days after it bites a man or an animal. Approximately 20.4% were familiar with appropriate cleaning of dog-bites wounds, and 20.6% knew that puppies could receive rabies vaccination before they are three months old. Of those who owned vaccinated dogs, 78% were happy about the cost (US $ ≤ 34) of rabies vaccination. Of all the respondents, 58% had their dogs vaccinated at home by veterinarians while 86% indicated their veterinarians kept rabies vaccines on ice in a cool box. Overall, 53% of the dog owners had sufficient knowledge of rabies, whilst 66% and 17% adopted adequate practices and positive attitudes towards rabies, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that none of the respondents’ sex, educational level, and the length of dog ownership were statistically associated with their knowledge, attitudes and practices of rabies. Conclusions This study showed that majority of the dog owners had sufficient knowledge and adopted appropriate practices of rabies. However there exist some knowledge gaps among the dog owners particularly on treatment, transmission and control methods. Therefore, rabies awareness campaign is required to upgrade rabies knowledge of the dog owners on rabies prevention and control in Rwanda.

The methanol extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa (p < 0.01) showed a significant dose dependent relaxant effect (IC50) = 350 microM) on rat ileal strip comparable to the effect shown by nifedipin and papaverine as reference compounds. Similarly, the extract when administered intraperitoneally significantly (p < 0.05-0.01) reduced the intestinal transit (13%-35%) in rats (IC50, = 250 microM). The extracts (40% +/- 04%) and nifedipin (51% +/- 05%) also potentiated the diarrhoea inducing effect of castor oil (IC50 = 350 microM). It is postulated that these effects are possibly generated by constituents such as quercetin and eugenol via a Ca2+ channel modulated mode of action.

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