Anthrax outbreaks in the humans - livestock and wildlife interface areas of Northern Tanzania: a retrospective record review 2006–2016

Mwakapeje, Elibariki; Høgset, Sol; Fyumagwa, Robert D.; Nonga, H. E.; Mdegela, Robinson H.; Skjerve, Eystein

doi:10.1186/s12889-017-5007-z

Cited by 81 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This finding is consistent with other studies and could be attributed, in a limited way, to increased soil ingestion and spore inhalation during animal feeding when vegetation is depleted [16–21]. It is likely that animals also exhibit increased geophagia (consumption of soil) during the dry seasons, particularly in areas with mineral deficiencies [22].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Temporal and spatial distribution of anthrax outbreaks among Kenyan wildlife, 1999–2017

et al. 2019

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The burden of anthrax in wildlife is demonstrated through high numbers of sudden mortalities among herbivore species, including endangered animal species. East Africa is home of multiple species of faunal wildlife numbering in the millions but there are limited disease surveillance programmes, resulting in a paucity of information on the role of anthrax and other infectious diseases on declining wildlife populations in the region. We reviewed historical data on anthrax outbreaks from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spanning from 1999 to 2017 in Kenya to determine the burden, characteristics and spatial distribution of anthrax outbreaks. A total of 51 anthrax outbreaks associated with 1014 animal deaths were reported across 20 of 60 wildlife conservation areas located in six of the seven agro-ecological zones. Overall, 67% of the outbreaks were reported during the dry seasons, affecting 24 different wildlife species. Over 90% (22 of 24) of the affected species were herbivore, including 12 grazers, five browsers and five mixed grazers and browsers. Buffaloes (23.5%), black rhinos (21.6%) and elephants (17.6%) were the most frequently affected species. Our findings demonstrate the extensive geographic distribution of wildlife anthrax in the country, making it one of the important infectious diseases that threaten wildlife conservation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Temporal and spatial distribution of anthrax outbreaks among Kenyan wildlife, 1999–2017

et al. 2019

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“…Anthrax is frequently fatal in domestic and wild animals and large outbreaks can occur in both groups. 2 Anthrax can also be lethal in humans, causing overwhelming gastrointestinal or pulmonary disease. 2 B anthracis is ubiquitous and can survive as a viable spore under extreme weather conditions in the soil for a 100 years, 3 and thus cannot be eradicated.…”

Section: A One-health Lens For Anthraxmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 Anthrax can also be lethal in humans, causing overwhelming gastrointestinal or pulmonary disease. 2 B anthracis is ubiquitous and can survive as a viable spore under extreme weather conditions in the soil for a 100 years, 3 and thus cannot be eradicated. Anthrax remains a severely under-reported disease in Africa, Asia, and South America, where humans frequently butcher and eat animals infected with B anthracis.…”

Section: A One-health Lens For Anthraxmentioning

confidence: 99%

A One-Health lens for anthrax

Kock

Haider

Mboera

et al. 2019

The Lancet Planetary Health

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“…The second set of activities involves the management of serious animal or related human disease, whether a singular occurrence, or outbreak. For serious diseases, such as anthrax, this may include emergency vaccination, treatment of humans and animals, quarantine, and safe disposal or condemnation of infected meat, carcasses or animals [51]. Given there is no formal surveillance of foodborne disease in Tanzania however [52], many less spectacular disease incidents remain undetected, un-investigated and unreported.…”

Section: Regionalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Street-level diplomacy and local enforcement for meat safety in northern Tanzania: knowledge, pragmatism and trust

et al. 2019

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Background With increasing demand for red meat in Tanzania comes heightened potential for zoonotic infections in animals and humans that disproportionately affect poor communities. A range of frontline government employees work to protect public health, providing services for people engaged in animal-based livelihoods (livestock owners and butchers), and enforcing meat safety and food premises standards. In contrast to literature which emphasises the inadequacy of extension support and food safety policy implementation in low- and middle-income countries, this paper foregrounds the ‘street-level diplomacy’ deployed by frontline actors operating in challenging contexts. Methods This research is based on semi-structured interviews with 61 government employees, including livestock extension officers/meat inspectors and health officers, across 10 randomly-selected rural and urban wards. Results Frontline actors combined formal and informal strategies including the leveraging of formal policy texts and relationships with other state employees, remaining flexible and recognising that poverty constrained people’s ability to comply with health regulations. They emphasised the need to work with livestock keepers and butchers to build their knowledge to self-regulate and to work collaboratively to ensure meat safety. Remaining adaptive and being hesitant to act punitively unless absolutely necessary cultivated trust and positive relations, making those engaged in animal-based livelihoods more open to learning from and cooperating with extension officers and inspectors. This may result in higher levels of meat safety than might be the case if frontline actors stringently enforced regulations. Conclusion The current tendency to view frontline actors’ partial enforcement of meat safety regulations as a failure obscures the creative and proactive ways in which they seek to ensure meat safety in a context of limited resources. Their application of ‘street-level diplomacy’ enables them to be sensitive to local socio-economic realities, to respect local social norms and expectations and to build support for health safety interventions when necessary. More explicitly acknowledging the role of trust and positive state-society relations and the diplomatic skills deployed by frontline actors as a formal part of their inspection duties offers new perspectives and enhanced understandings on the complicated nature of their work and what might be done to support them. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-7067-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Anthrax outbreaks in the humans - livestock and wildlife interface areas of Northern Tanzania: a retrospective record review 2006–2016

Cited by 81 publications

References 19 publications

Temporal and spatial distribution of anthrax outbreaks among Kenyan wildlife, 1999–2017

Temporal and spatial distribution of anthrax outbreaks among Kenyan wildlife, 1999–2017

A One-Health lens for anthrax

Street-level diplomacy and local enforcement for meat safety in northern Tanzania: knowledge, pragmatism and trust

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