Indicators of Poor Welfare in Dairy Cows Within Smallholder Zero-Grazing Units in the Peri-Urban Areas of Nairobi, Kenya

Nguhiu-Mwangi, J.; Aleri, J.W.; Mogoa, E.M; Mbithi, Pmf

doi:10.5772/53678

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 62 publications

(82 reference statements)

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“…Overall, the farmers were not familiar with the term 'animal welfare', but they demonstrated that they believed that animal suffering and its alleviation have important relationships with animal comfort. Our findings are in accordance with a previously conducted similar study [79]. The few farmers who did not support the need for the alleviation of animal pain and suffering, as well as provision for animal comfort, were found to be better informed on factors that contribute to the improvement of production.…”

Section: Farmers' Understanding Of Animal Welfaresupporting

confidence: 92%

Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cows in Small Farms in Bangladesh

Islam

Sharma

Ahsan

et al. 2020

Animals

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Protocols for assessing the welfare of dairy cows in large scale intensive dairy systems in the developed world have been used extensively. Little attention has been paid to the use of similar welfare assessment protocols for small dairy enterprises in developing countries. We modified part of the standard assessment protocol and used it to assess aspects of the welfare of dairy cows in a field survey of 70 small farms in the Sirajgonj district of Bangladesh. Welfare indicators selected were mainly those of health and economic importance, such as lameness, lesions on the body and limbs, cleanliness levels, milk yield, and body condition. The study included physical examination of 700 cows and use of a structured questionnaire to collect data on health and management practices and farmers’ perspectives about animal welfare. Mean milk yield, averaged across farms, was 10.3 L/d (range 6.3–14.2) and body condition assessment indicated that cows were, on average, thin. Hygiene management was often poor, with soiling of body parts with faeces. The prevalence of lameness, at 4.3%, was less than has commonly been observed in larger, more intensive dairy farms, but body injuries were commonly detected at the carpal and hock joints (56 and 51% of cows, respectively). This suggests that floors and/or bedding to lie on were inadequate. Many farmers did not follow routine vaccination and deworming schedules (63% and 31%, respectively) and farmers were not generally aware of the concept of animal welfare. The study demonstrates some similar welfare issues to those that have been commonly identified in large, intensive units, but also some differences, in particular a failure to provide good floors, bedding, and basic health care.

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Section: Farmers' Understanding Of Animal Welfaresupporting

confidence: 92%

Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cows in Small Farms in Bangladesh

Islam

Sharma

Ahsan

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…Despite the animals in this study not presenting with the clinical signs of the diseases caused by the pathogens they harbor, poor animal husbandry practices which are commonly practiced in smallholder dairy farms in periurban areas of Nairobi [58], causes stress to the animals consequently predisposing them to possible flaring up of clinical disease and mortalities [59]. The detection of these pathogen therefore highlights the importance of continued investigation into tick-borne diseases and the need for effective diagnosis and prevention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Molecular prevalence of emerging Anaplasma and Ehrlichia pathogens in apparently healthy dairy cattle in peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya

et al. 2020

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Background Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species are tick-borne pathogens of both veterinary and public health importance. The current status of these pathogens, including emerging species such as Ehrlichia minasensis and Anaplasma platys, infecting cattle in Kenya, remain unclear, mainly because of limitation in the diagnostic techniques. Therefore, we investigated the Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species infecting dairy cattle in Nairobi, Kenya using molecular methods. Results A total of 306 whole blood samples were collected from apparently healthy dairy cattle. Whole blood DNA was extracted and tested for presence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia DNA through amplification and sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene. Sequence identity was confirmed using BLASTn analysis while phylogenetic reconstruction was performed to determine the genetic relationship between the Kenyan isolates and other annotated genotypes available in GenBank. Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species were detected in 19.9 and 3.3% of all the samples analyzed, respectively. BLASTn analysis of the sequences against non-redundant GenBank nucleotide database revealed infections with A. platys (44.8%), A. marginale (31%) and A. bovis (13.8%). All four sequenced Ehrlichia spp. were similar to Ehrlichia minasensis. Nucleotide polymorphism was observed for A. platys, A. bovis and E. minasensis. The Anaplasma species clustered in four distinct phylogenetic clades including A. marginale, A. platys, A. bovis and some unidentified Anaplasma spp. The Kenyan Ehrlichia minasensis clustered in the same clade with isolates from America and Australia but distant from E. ruminantium. Conclusion This study provides the first report of infection of dairy cattle in Kenya with A. platys and E. minasensis, which are emerging pathogens. We conclude that cattle in peri-urban Nairobi are infected with various species of Anaplasma and E. minasensis. To understand the extent of these infections in other parts of the country, large-scale screening studies as well as vector identification is necessary to inform strategic control.

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“…Despite the farmers using acaricide for tick control, therefore ehrlichiosis, its mishandled such as through wrong dilution and application procedures may have led to possible development of ticks’ resistance [2,5]. In addition, most of the farms outsourced hay to feed their dairy cattle mainly because they own small land sizes, therefore inadequate fodder for the animals, a common feature of smallholder dairy production units in urban and peri-urban areas in Kenya [16]. The ticks can be carried from the grasses to the stall-fed animals, leading to possible infections.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the farms included in the study were well representative of Kenyan urban smallholder dairy farms; keeping 2-10 animals and practicing sub-optimal animal husbandry as described by Nguhiu-Mwangi et al . [16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the high demand for milk, market forces and the convenience of urban areas, there has been a constant rise in dairy cattle keeping in urban areas of Kenya [15]. These smallholder dairy production systems in urban and peri-urban areas experience unique challenges where their substandard animal husbandry practices compromise animal welfare, thereby predisposing the cattle to stressful conditions and, as a result, various diseases [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence and risk factors associated with Ehrlichia infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya

et al. 2019

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Background and Aim: Ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium is a tick-borne disease of great economic importance in cattle production worldwide. Despite its economic impact, limited knowledge is available on its epidemiology in Africa, including Kenya. Suspected cases of E. ruminantium infections have been reported in the recent past to the University of Nairobi's Veterinary Hospital, prompting the need to investigate their possible re-emergence. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the prevalence of E. ruminantium among smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County and to assess potential risk factors. This knowledge may guide the development of appropriate control strategies of ehrlichiosis, subsequently reducing associated losses. Materials and Methods: A total of 107 smallholder dairy farms from Nairobi City County were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected from 314 apparently healthy dairy cattle, and Giemsa-stained blood smears were screened under the microscope for Ehrlichia species. A commercial antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was then used to confirm the presence of the infections in serum samples. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on management practices that may be potential risk factors. A univariate and mixed-effects logistic regression was then used to determine significant risk factors. Results: On microscopy, 79.3% (249/314) of the sampled animals had Ehrlichia-like inclusion bodies in white blood cells, though only 18.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.2-23.0) of these were confirmed to be E. ruminantium on ELISA. A farm-level prevalence of 35.5% (95% CI 27.0-45.3) was reported. Female-headed households (p=0.013), farms in Langata region (p=0.027), cleaning of cowsheds fortnightly (p=0.019), and roofing of cowshed (p=0.022) were factors significantly associated with E. ruminantium infections. Conclusion: There is a relatively high prevalence of E. ruminantium infections in apparently healthy cattle in smallholder dairy farms in this area, warranting control measures. It is critical to improve animal welfare-related factors, such as cowshed cleaning and roofing, as well as the strategic location of farms, especially, since reservoirs may reduce infection levels in the farms, in relation to wildlife. However, since Ehrlichia-like inclusion bodies other than those of E. ruminantium were observed in this study, there is a need to investigate further these factors and the possibility of other Ehrlichia species infecting cattle in the study area.

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Indicators of Poor Welfare in Dairy Cows Within Smallholder Zero-Grazing Units in the Peri-Urban Areas of Nairobi, Kenya

Cited by 10 publications

References 62 publications

Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cows in Small Farms in Bangladesh

Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cows in Small Farms in Bangladesh

Molecular prevalence of emerging Anaplasma and Ehrlichia pathogens in apparently healthy dairy cattle in peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Ehrlichia infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya

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