BackgroundNo comprehensive studies have been carried out on the infectious causes of abortion in Kenyan dairy cattle herds. A survey was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV), Brucella abortus (BA) and Neospora caninum (NC) among dairy cattle herds in Nakuru County, a major dairying area in Kenya. A prospective sero-epidemiological study was also undertaken to investigate the effects of BVDV, BA and NC on the occurrence of bovine abortion in dairy cattle herds, where monthly rectal palpations for pregnancy were performed, and monthly serum samples were tested for antibodies to the 3 pathogens.ResultsIn the 398 randomly selected cattle on 64 dairy herds, the seroprevalences of antibodies to BVDV, NC and BA were 79.1, 25.6 and 16.8%, respectively. Of the cattle seropositive to NC, 83.3% were also seropositive to BVDV and 13.7% to BA. Of the cattle seropositive to BVDV, 17.1% were also seropositive to BA. Among 260 monitored pregnant dairy cattle on the same 64 dairy farms, an incidence risk for abortion of 10.8% (28/260) was identified, while the incidence of other foetal losses was 1.1% (3/260). The incidence rates of sero-conversion for NC, BVD and BA were 1.1, 0.06 and 0.5 new infections/100 cow-months at risk, respectively. The foetal losses were mainly observed in animals less than 96 months old and occurred in mid-gestation. Neospora caninum was associated with most cases (29.0%) of foetal losses, followed by mixed infections of NC and BVDV (12.9%), BVDV (9.9%) and co-infections of BA and NC (6.5%).ConclusionsThis is the first study to document the substantial incidence risk of BVDV and NC abortions in dairy cattle in Kenya, and demonstrates the relative importance of BA, BVDV and NC infections in dairy cattle in Kenya. Kenya laboratories should offer diagnostic tests for BVDV and NC to help farmers determine their roles in abortions on their farms. A comprehensive policy on the control of these important diseases should also be put in place by government with the involvement of all stakeholders in the dairy cattle industry.

Pastoralists in sub-Saharan Africa have limited access to public services due to their mobile lifestyle, economic and political marginalization, and the limited health infrastructure that is common to arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) where they primarily reside. This often results in poor health outcomes, including increased rates of maternal, neonatal, and under-5 mortality. One Health approaches that integrate human and animal health service delivery can help to improve pastoralists' health through increased vaccine coverage and improved access to services. Kenya has institutionalized One Health at the national level; however, progress at the subnational level has been limited due to sustainability concerns, competing priorities, and insufficient coordination platforms. To address this gap, this paper presents a One Health framework (OHF) to aid in the implementation of integrated human and animal health policies in Turkana County, which can act as a model for other ASALs. Utilizing a grounded theory design, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with human health, animal health, and pastoralist stakeholders. Inadequate engagement with the public sector was identified as a major limitation by community members. Factors that contributed to this include distance to health facilities and restricted department capacities such as availability of vehicles, personnel, and cold chain maintenance. Our proposed OHF harnesses the existing structure of service delivery in Turkana and establishes an official coordination mechanism to implement One Health activities, through the form of mobile "One Health Huduma Centres", offering a range of public services. This innovative framework is supported by stakeholders in Turkana and can improve service delivery constraints thereby improving the health of Turkana pastoralists.

Aim:The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum (NC) and its risk factors in farm dogs in Kenya.Materials and Methods:As part of a longitudinal study on dairy cattle abortion in 2010 in Kenya, serum samples were collected from 84 dogs in 53 randomly selected dairy cattle farms to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of seropositivity for NC.Results:15 (17.9%) of the dogs were seropositive to NC antibodies, and at least one seropositive dog was found in 12 (22.6%) of the 53 farms. The final multivariable logistic regression model identified free-roaming as the only factor significantly associated with seropositivity (odds ratio=4.48; p=0.03).Conclusion:The findings of this study indicate that canine neosporosis does exist in Kenya and that farmers should restrict their dogs from roaming to reduce the risk of their dogs becoming a reservoir for NC. More studies need to be carried out to determine the reproductive effects of NC on dairy cattle in Kenya.

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Aim:The current study was undertaken to evaluate the findings of canine hip dysplasia screening in Kenya.Materials and Methods:Records for 591 dogs were included in this study. The data was obtained from the national screening office, Kenya Veterinary Board, for the period between the years 1998 and 2014. Monthly screening records were assessed and information relating to year of evaluation, breed, sex, age, and hip score captured. Descriptive statistics of hip scores was computed based on year, sex, age, and breed.Results:A total of 591 records from the year 1998 to 2014 were retrieved at the National Screening Centre, the Kenya Veterinary Board. Each record was examined and data pertaining to year of screening, the breed, sex, age of the dogs, and the total hip score were recorded. The highest number of dogs screened for hip dysplasia (HD) was in the year 2009 and the lowest in the year 1998. More females than males were screened for HD and the mean age of all the dogs was 22.9±12.7 months. The most common breeds of dogs screened during the study period were German Shepherd (67.0%), Rottweiler (15.6%), and Labrador Retriever (12.2%). The mean hip score for the 591 dogs was 15.1±10.9 and the median 12.0. The mean hip scores per breed were; German Shepherd (16.3±12.1); Golden Retriever (16.0); Hungarian Vizla (15.0); Labrador Retriever (3.0±6.7); Great Dane (13.3±3.2); Rottweiler (12.2±8.2); Doberman (10.3±4.2); Rhodesian Ridgeback (9.6±3.8); and Boxer (9.3±0.6). Based on the hip score, moderate to severe HD was diagnosed in 16.6% of the dogs, mild HD in 32.7%, Borderline HD in 37.7%, fair HD in 6.9%, and good HD in 6.1%.Conclusion:Canine HD is a common occurrence in Kenya with most dogs suffering mild to border line HD. In addition, German Shepherd and Golden Retriever appear to be the most affected breeds. It is therefore recommended that stringent measures be imposed to dog breeding programs to avoid transmission of this undesirable trait and consequently improve the welfare and the quality of dog breeds in Kenya.