Zoonoses: a potential obstacle to the growing wildlife industry of Namibia

Abstract

Zoonoses, which account for approximately 75% of emerging human infectious diseases worldwide, pose a re-emerging threat to public health. With an ever-increasing interrelationship between humans, livestock and wildlife species, the threat to human health will rise to unprecedented levels. Wildlife species contribute to the majority of emerging diseases; therefore, there is an urgent need to define control systems of zoonoses of wildlife origin but very little information exists. In this review, we examine prevalent zoonotic infections reported in Namibia between 1990 and 2009 and assess their potential impact on the growing wildlife industry. A wide spectrum of zoonotic diseases was confirmed in both livestock and wildlife species, with rabies and anthrax cases being over-represented and also showing the widest species distribution. Whilst vaccination and ante-mortem inspection against these diseases may curb infected livestock species from entering the human food chain, such practices are difficult to implement in free-ranging wildlife species. In this context, there is a need to improve existing control measures and/or develop novel and better interventional strategies to reduce the threat of this re-emerging global problem. This review provides the basis for initiating a multidisciplinary evidence-based approach to control zoonoses in countries with thriving wildlife and game farming.

Health-seeking behaviour of tuberculosis patients and related factors in the central region of Ghana

“…A strong influence of patient's insurance status on delay to first health provider was seen in the study. More than two thirds of the respondents with health insurance sought care between the first and the third week after the onset of symptoms conforming to previous studies (Magwedere et al, 2012;Yip et al, monitoring capacity of TB control programmes. The NTP should prioritize Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) programmes related to gender, stigma and other socio-cultural issues such as care-seeking practices, medical, cultural and traditional beliefs.…”

Rabies in Nonhuman Primates and Potential for Transmission to Humans: A Literature Review and Examination of Selected French National Data

“…Imported cases from Peru and Colombia, however were confirmed by fluorescent rabies antibody examination of brain tissue, demonstration of negri bodies on microscopic examination or rabies induced in mice inoculated with brain tissue [12], [13]. Cases reported in wild NHPs in various countries in Africa by the SEARG (Appendix S1) and other authors [14]–[18], in India [20] and Jordan [26], as well as in the imported cases from Sierra Leone [19] India [21] and the Philippines [12] were all confirmed by brain tissue histology, fluorescent antibody testing of brain tissue and mouse inoculation.…”

Low seroprevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in blood donors in central Namibia

“…2,27,25 As toxoplasmosis has been reported in domestic and wild animals in Namibia, there is the potential risk of transmission to humans since the reservoir for the parasite exists in the country. 28,29 However, it is notable that the majority of respondents in this study were dog and/or cat owners, but their exposure to toxoplasmosis was very low. This result is supported by that in another study in which an association between the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma spp.…”