Recently, a wound dressing formulation, (Tri-Solfen®, Medical Ethics Pty Ltd, Australia; TS) registered for use in ruminant husbandry in Australia, was registered for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) therapy in large ruminants in Laos, following clinical observations of improved welfare and healing following treatment of FMD K E Y W O R D S animal welfare, Cameroon, cattle, foot-and-mouth disease, therapeutic efficacy This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

e rangelands of the Vina Division on the Adamawa Plateau are densely infested with Stomoxyinae, but little is known about their species composition and ecology. A trap-transect survey was carried out in three villages: Galim, Mbidjoro, and Velambai, using Nzi (n � 3), Vavoua (n � 3), and Biconical (n � 3) traps, all baited with octenol. ree traps of each trap type were set in each of the study villages, and collections were carried out daily. In total, 3,762 Stomoxys spp. were collected from October 2016 to June 2017 and identified using standard keys into five species: Stomoxys niger niger, S. calcitrans, S. niger bilineatus, S. omega, and S. xanthomelas. Galim recorded the highest apparent density of stomoxyines (30 stomoxyines/trap/day) with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). e Vavoua trap was an ideal tool for Stomoxyinae collection. Stomoxyines abundantly occurred at the end of the dry season (March 2017) and beginning of the rainy season (May 2017). e monthly rainfall positively influenced monthly ADTs of Stomoxyinae. eir diurnal biting activity was bimodal in the rainy season and unimodal in the dry season. e daily activity peak was between 14 h and 16 h with a mean temperature of 31°C, a mean wind speed of 1.5 m/s, and a mean humidity of 50%. e daily trap catch was positively influenced by temperature and wind speed but negatively influenced by rainfall and air humidity. Weather variables influenced Stomoxys spp. monthly and daily ADTs.

Recently, a wound dressing formulation, (Tri-Solfen®, Medical Ethics Pty Ltd, Australia; TS) registered for use in ruminant husbandry in Australia, was registered for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) therapy in large ruminants in Laos, following clinical observations of improved welfare and healing following treatment of FMD lesions. In November 2019, an FMD outbreak in Cameroon provided an opportunity for a field trial, comparing clinical responses and recoveries to treatments on a sample of cattle (n = 36) comprising three equal groups of animals (n = 12), comparing responses to three treatments:(i) the application to lesions of TS, (ii) the administration of parenteral oxytetraycline commonly used for FMD in Cameroon; and (iii) an untreated control group (C). Appetite scores, lesion healing scores, and changes in dimensions of lesions, were recorded over a 15-day study period. Cattle treated with TS achieved both superior appetite and lesion healing scores with more rapid reduction in dimensions of lesions than other groups. Farmer observations indicated the TS treatment group had a more rapid return to eating with cessation of excessive salivation, and more rapid return of mobility (walking) with absence of overt lameness. The findings indicate that although mortality is usually low in FMD outbreaks, the disease is a debilitating and painful disorder with negative animal welfare impacts that should be addressed. All farmers expressed their desire that the product be made available for use in their region and modelling indicates that TS therapy imposes no additional financial burden on farmers, with the treatment likely to be provided at a similar or reduced cost to current treatment choices. As use of antibiotics for treatment of a viral disease potentially increases pressures for development of antimicrobial resistance and residues in the food chain, TS as an alternative non-antimicrobial therapy should be promoted for wider use in FMD outbreaks.

Background: Tabanid flies are a neglected group of haematophagous dipterans, yet contains 4400 species, regrouped under 144 genera. They are mechanical vectors of important pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and protozoa of humans, domesticated and wild animals. As it is over 50 years since publication of a preliminary nationwide record of tabanids of Cameroon identified 84 species, updated information is provided.Objective: To provide current data on the species composition, abundance and distribution of Tabanidae of Cameroon in the 5 main agro-ecological zones (AEZs).Methods: From 2015-2017, a systematic entomological prospection using Nzi, Vavoua, Biconical and Sevi traps (N=106) was conducted in 604 trap-points over 11,448 traps days, in the 5 main AEZs of Cameroon.Results: A total of 25,280 tabanid specimens were collected, identifying 25 species with 8 not previously documented in Cameroon, including: Tabanus Latipes Macquart, 1838 (1 ♀), Tabanus ricardae Surcouf, 1906 (1 ♀), Tabanus fasciatus Fabricus, 1775 (32 ♀♀, 6♂♂), Haematopota pluvialis Linnaeus, 1758 (18 ♀♀), Haematopota decora Walker, 1850 (19 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂), Haematopota nigripennis Austen, 1914 (18 ♀♀), C. distinctipennis Austen, 1906 (47 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂) and Ancala fasciata Fabricus, 1977 (34 ♀♀, 7 ♂♂). The distribution maps of the newly identified tabanids differed between AEZs, with most from the Guinean savanna. The highest Tabanidae apparent density (ADT) was recorded in the Sudan savanna region and the mean apparent densities of species with type-localities was statistically significantly different (Student t-test=2.519, df=24, P=0.019). The highest species diversity was found in the rain forest.Conclusions: This study increased the list of Tabanidae recorded in Cameroon from 84 species in the preliminary record to 92 species, with most of the newly identified species occurring in the Guinean savanna AEZ. The high diversity and abundance of Tabanidae in the livestock/wildlife interface areas of the rain forests and Sudan savanna AEZs respectively, suggests risk of mechanical transmission risk of pathogens. Investigations of the microbiota within the Tabanidae in the different AEZs to define their role as disease vectors are proposed.