The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies and its effects on reproductive parameters in cows in intensive dairy herds in Dakar. Randomised blood samples were taken for serology from 196 cows in four herds with a history of sporadic abortion. All of the sera were assayed for antibodies against N. caninum, Candida guillermondii, Coxiella burnetii, and Chlamydophila sp. The associations between serostatus and reproductive parameters (abortion, number of inseminations to conception, and calving to conception interval) were assessed over a period of 5 years (2004-2008). The seroprevalence of N. caninum antibodies in dairy cattle was 17.9%. The local Gobra breed and crossbreeds had higher levels of N. caninum antibodies than exotic breeds (p < 0.05). For the most recent pregnancies, seropositive cows required more inseminations to establish conception than seronegative cows (p < 0.05). The results indicate that dairy cattle from Dakar are exposed to N. caninum. Neosporosis should, therefore, be systematically considered as a cause when the calving to conception interval is prolonged.

Thirty adult donkeys from Burkina Faso were necropsied and their gastro-intestinal worm burdens counted and determined. The strongylids were the most abundant species with a prevalence of 100% for Strongylus vulgaris. Four species of Strongylus, two of Triodontophorus and six of the Cyathostominae were recovered. All of the animals were also infested with habronematid nematodes, but oxyurid and ascaridid nematodes were found in low numbers. In addition to the nematodes, the paramphistomid trematode Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus and the anoplocephalid cestode Anoplocephala magna occurred in varying numbers. Faecal egg-counts from 131 donkeys ranged between 100 and 9,200 for strongylid eggs.

T. solium cysticercosis is a tropical neglected disease with a high impact on public health and agriculture. To better understand the socio-economical drivers of this disease, this study was carried out with the goal to analyze knowledge, attitudes and practices of populations of the Boucle du Mouhoun region in connection with the life cycle of T. solium. We carried out a knowledge-attitudes-practices (KAP) survey with 320 people in four villages. More than half of the interviewees (60.3%) have already seen pig's carcasses with the parasite cysts. Only two people know that the infestation is associated with the consumption of human faeces. In addition, 32.2% think that they can get sick by ingesting infested meat. Wells water is consumed by 62.8% of people and 75.1% of wells do not carry curbs. Moreover, 84.1% of concessions had latrines but 52.2% of the people practice open defecation. Pig meat is consumed by 80.6% of people and 30.9% have already consumed meat with cysts. This study shows that the transmission routes of porcine cysticercosis are not known and that the populations adopt attitudes and practices which allow the perpetuation of teniasis/cysticercosis in these villages.

This study is a contribution to the inventory of medicinal plants and other methods used in controlling external parasitic diseases of backyard poultry in the localities of Djougou and Ouaké (department of Donga, Benin ResumoEste estudo é uma contribuição ao inventário de plantas curativas e outros métodos endógenos usados no combate aos ectoparasitos de pássaros de currais nas aldeias de Djougou e Ouaké (departamento do Donga, em Benin). A pesquisa foi conduzida entre dezembro de 2010 e março de 2011, durante visitas e entrevistas com 210 criadores de aves. Os resultados indicam que 13 espécies de plantas curativas são utilizadas no combate aos ectoparasitos. Annona senegalensis, Tectona grandis, Securidaca longepedunculata, Indigofera hirsuta, Lophira lanceolata, Hyptis spicigera, Steganotaenia araliacea, Oxytenanthera abyssinica, Nicotiana tabacum, Jatropha curcas, Ficus exasperata, Azadirachta indica e Parkia biglobosa, são usadas para tratar uma doença parasitária externa na área de estudo. Annona senegalensis foi a planta mais frequentemente usada (18%, p < 0.05) como medicação contra os parasitas externos das aves. Outras receitas tradicionais como o óleo de palma e a cinza tem sido comunicadas.

No abstract

An epidemiological survey was undertaken from March to September 2010 to assess the prevalence and zoonotic aspects of scabies in small ruminants in two agro-ecological zones in southern Benin. Small ruminant (n = 444) smallholders and 1,807 of their animals (1,233 West African dwarf goats and 574 West African dwarf sheep) were included in the study. The animals underwent physical examination and, when scabies-like lesions were found, crusts and integument scrapings were collected for microscopic parasitological tests. The samples collected in each survey were coded in accordance with the owner-animal pairings in order to assess the degree of correlation between mange cases in humans (smallholders) and their animals. The overall prevalence of scabies was 28.33% and 9.5% in animals and smallholders (human cases) respectively. Infestations were significantly (p < 0.001) more frequent in goats (39.6%) than in sheep. The uniqueness of the etiological agent (Sarcoptes scabiei), the very high predictive value of human scabies in infected farms (83.67%) and a very high odds ratio (OR = 2,019.25) indicate that small ruminant scabies has been transmitted to smallholders by their animals. Close contact between these smallholders and their animals was a determining factor in this interspecies communicability of sarcoptic mange.Keywords: Small ruminants, smallholders, scabies, zoonosis, Benin. ResumoUm estudo epidemiológico foi realizado entre março e setembro de 2010, a fim de determinar a prevalência e aspectos zoonóticos de sarna em pequenos ruminantes em duas zonas agroecológicas no Sul de Benin. Pequenos criadores (n = 444) de ruminantes e 1.807 dos seus animais (1.233 cabras e 574 ovelhas Djallonké) fizeram parte da amostra para o estudo. Os animais foram submetidos a um exame físico e, quando detectadas algumas suspeitas de lesões da sarna, crostas e amostras cutâneas foram colhidas para exames parasitológicos por microscopia de luz. As amostras colhidas em cada inquérito foram codificadas tendo como referência os donos dos animais, a fim de estabelecer/avaliar o grau de correlação entre os casos de incidência nos humanos (criadores) e os seus respectivos animais. A prevalência de sarna foi, respectivamente, 28,33% em animais e 9,5% entre os criadores (casos humanos). Infestações foram significativamente (p <0,001) mais comum em caprinos (39,6%) do que nos ovinos (4,2 %). A particularidade do agente etiológico (Sarcoptes scabiei), o alto valor preditivo de infestação nos humanos (83.67%) e o elevado valor da odds ratio (OR = 2019.25) indica um caráter zoonótico da sarna dos pequenos ruminantes. A proximidade entre homens e animais neste meio é um fator importante neste contato interespecífica da sarna sarcóptica.

No abstract

RESUMESomba cattle breeding and management of its gastrointestinal parasitic ecology in Benin ABSTRACT Somba cattle breed is faced with constraints related to the natural environment which mainly parasitism. In order to have a better knowledge of farming conditions of the cattle in the real environment, the resulting performance, and management of parasitic influencing factors, a bibliographic review of scientific work in this direction has been made. It shows that bovine Somba evolves in poor farming conditions which severely limit its productive performance. Parasites favored by a warm climate and poor farming conditions T. F. CHABI CHINA et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 10(5): 2300-2315, 2016 2301 seriously prevalent in herds. Chemotherapy, conventional means of control now knows the limitations that led to explore other possibilities like ethnomedecine whose use is still informal and without medical repository. Thus, improvement of breeding conditions and better health monitoring taking into account the valuation of ethnomdecine are essential for farms more productive and more sustainable cattle Somba.