| foot-and-mouth disease transmission in africa: implications for control, a review. | in africa, for the control of foot-and-mouth disease (fmd), more information is needed on the spread of the disease at local, regional and inter-regional level. the aim of this review is to identify the role that animal husbandry, trade and wildlife have on the transmission of fmd and to provide a scientific basis for different fmd control measures in africa. review of literature, published reports and databases shows that there is more long distance spread of fmd virus serotypes within north, w ... | 2016 | 25052411 |
| foot and mouth disease: a look from the wild side. | we review the literature and discuss control options regarding foot and mouth disease (fmd) in wildlife around the world. there are more than 100 species of wild, feral, laboratory, or domesticated animals that have been infected naturally or experimentally with fmd virus. apart from the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in sub-saharan africa, wildlife has not been demonstrated to play a significant role in the maintenance of fmd. more often, wildlife are passively infected when outbreaks of fmd ... | 2013 | 24502706 |
| overview of foot and mouth disease in southern africa. | the prevalence of foot and mouth disease (fmd) in the southern african subcontinent between 1931 and 1990 is summarised, together with the major features of the epidemiology and control of the disease. the author emphasises the role of wildlife, especially african buffalo (syncerus caffer). a proposal is made for a more structured and co-operative approach to investigating the extent and nature of antigenic variation within the southern african territories (sat) types of fmd virus. quantificatio ... | 1995 | 8593386 |
| empirical selection between least-cost and current-flow designs for establishing wildlife corridors in gabon. | corridors are intended to increase species survival by abating landscape fragmentation resulting from the conversion of natural habitats into human-dominated matrices. conservation scientists often rely on 1 type of corridor model, typically the least-cost model or current-flow model, to construct a linkage design, and their choice is not usually based on theory or empirical evidence. we developed a method to empirically confirm whether corridors produced by these 2 models are used by target spe ... | 2019 | 30022531 |
| pathogens, endosymbionts, and blood-meal sources of host-seeking ticks in the fast-changing maasai mara wildlife ecosystem. | the role of questing ticks in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in kenya's maasai mara national reserve (mmnr), an ecosystem with intensified human-wildlife-livestock interactions, remains poorly understood. we surveyed the diversity of questing ticks, their blood-meal hosts, and tick-borne pathogens to understand potential effects on human and livestock health. by flagging and hand-picking from vegetation in 25 localities, we collected 1,465 host-seeking ticks, mostly rhipicephalus and am ... | 2020 | 32866142 |
| seroprevalence of rift valley fever in south african domestic and wild suids (1999-2016). | rift valley fever (rvf) is a vector-borne viral disease of domestic ruminants, camels and man, characterized by widespread abortions and neonatal deaths in animals, and flu-like symptoms, which can progress to hepatitis and encephalitis in humans. the disease is endemic in africa, saudi arabia and yemen, and outbreaks occur after periods of high rainfall, or in environments supporting the proliferation of rvf virus (rvfv)-infected mosquito vectors. the domestic and wild animal maintenance hosts ... | 2020 | 31655018 |
| drivers of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle at wild/domestic interface: insights from farmers, buffalo and lions. | humans live increasingly in the proximity of natural areas, leading to increased interactions between people, their livestock and wildlife. | 2017 | 32313434 |
| occurrence and characterisation of tongue worms, linguatula spp., in south africa. | a total of 509 mammalian vertebrates, belonging to 76 species, were examined for infection with pentastomid parasites. these animals were from 8 of the 9 provinces in south africa. linguatulid pentastomes were found only in 7 animals, specifically the african lion (n = 3) and african buffalo (n = 4). adult parasites were found in the lion but nymphs, of various stages, were found in the buffalo. a detailed morphological examination of adult parasites using both light and scanning electron micros ... | 2020 | 32211289 |
| running on empty: recharge dynamics from animal movement data. | vital rates such as survival and recruitment have always been important in the study of population and community ecology. at the individual level, physiological processes such as energetics are critical in understanding biomechanics and movement ecology and also scale up to influence food webs and trophic cascades. although vital rates and population-level characteristics are tied with individual-level animal movement, most statistical models for telemetry data are not equipped to provide infere ... | 2019 | 30548152 |
| the vetmax™ m. tuberculosis complex pcr kit detects mtbc dna in antemortem and postmortem samples from white rhinoceros (ceratotherium simum), african elephants (loxodonta africana) and african buffaloes (syncerus caffer). | bovine tuberculosis and tuberculosis are chronic infectious diseases caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex members, mycobacterium bovis and mycobacterium tuberculosis, respectively. infection with m. bovis and m. tuberculosis have significant implications for wildlife species management, public health, veterinary disease control, and conservation endeavours. | 2020 | 32600471 |
| mapping and assessing the impact of small-scale ephemeral water sources on wildlife in an african seasonal savannah. | in many savannah regions of africa, pronounced seasonal variability in rainfall results in wildlife being restricted to floodplains and other habitats adjacent to permanent surface water in the dry season. during the wet season, rainfall fills small-scale, ephemeral water sources that allow wildlife to exploit forage and other resources far from permanent surface water. these water sources remain difficult to quantify, however, due to their small and ephemeral nature, and as a result are rarely ... | 2020 | 32598524 |
| war-induced collapse and asymmetric recovery of large-mammal populations in gorongosa national park, mozambique. | how do large-mammal communities reassemble after being pushed to the brink of extinction? few data are available to answer this question, as it is rarely possible to document both the decline and recovery of wildlife populations. here we present the first in-depth quantitative account of war-induced collapse and postwar recovery in a diverse assemblage of large herbivores. in mozambique's gorongosa national park, we assembled data from 15 aerial wildlife counts conducted before (1968-1972) and a ... | 2019 | 30865663 |
| ixodid ticks of african buffalo (syncerus caffer), impala (aepyceros melampus) and elephant (loxodonta africana) in five protected park estates in the zambezi valley, zimbabwe. | wildlife hosts many pathogens of economic importance and is considered as a reservoir of important tick-borne diseases of livestock in southern africa. the species composition of ticks parasitizing buffalo (syncerus caffer), impala (aepyceros melampus) and elephant (loxodonta africana) was investigated in five protected parks in the zambezi valley, zimbabwe. a total of 1104 adult ticks was collected from 75 adult animals comprising five buffaloes, five elephants and five impalas drawn from five ... | 2018 | 30088213 |
| detection of bacillus anthracis in animal tissues using inbios active anthrax detect rapid test lateral flow immunoassay. | the active anthrax detect (aad) rapid test lateral flow immunoassay is a point-of-care assay that was under investigational use for detecting bacillus anthracis capsular polypeptide (polyglutamic acid) in human blood, serum and plasma. small sample volumes, rapid results and no refrigeration required allow for easy use in either the field or laboratory. although the test was developed for use in suspect cases of human inhalation anthrax, its features also make it a potentially powerful tool for ... | 2019 | 30776143 |
| the host-specificity of theileria sp. (sable) and theileria sp. (sable-like) in african bovidae and detection of novel theileria in antelope and giraffe. | tick-borne diseases caused by theileria are of economic importance in domestic and wildlife ruminants. the majority of theileria infects a limited number of host species, supporting the concept of host specificity. however, some theileria seem to be generalists challenging the host specificity paradigm, such as theileria sp. (sable) reported from various vertebrate hosts, including african buffalo, cattle, dogs and different antelope species. we tested the hypothesis that t. sp. (sable) uses bov ... | 2020 | 31566155 |
| differential antigen recognition by serum antibodies from three bovid hosts of mycobacterium bovis infection. | cattle, bison and buffaloes are susceptible to mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent for bovine tuberculosis. accurate and timely identification of infected animals is critical for improved management and control of disease in these species. bovids develop humoral immune responses to m. bovis infection making serological tests attractive for tuberculosis screening. however, optimization and validation of antibody assays designed for various animal species require understanding of antigen reco ... | 2020 | 31972498 |
| antigen gene and variable number tandem repeat (vntr) diversity in theileria parva parasites from ankole cattle in south-western uganda: evidence for conservation in antigen gene sequences combined with extensive polymorphism at vntr loci. | theileria parva is a tick-transmitted apicomplexan protozoan parasite that infects lymphocytes of cattle and african cape buffalo (syncerus caffer), causing a frequently fatal disease of cattle in eastern, central and southern africa. a live vaccination procedure, known as infection and treatment method (itm), the most frequently used version of which comprises the muguga, serengeti-transformed and kiambu 5 stocks of t. parva, delivered as a trivalent cocktail, is generally effective. however, i ... | 2020 | 32174038 |
| challenges for controlling bovine tuberculosis in south africa. | all effects taken together, bovine tuberculosis (btb) has a long-term detrimental effect on bovine herds and many wildlife species in south africa. the disease is not only found in domestic cattle but also in african buffaloes and has to date been diagnosed in 21 wildlife species, including several rare and endangered species, thus having a potentially serious effect on conservation and biodiversity. in cattle, btb is mostly characterised by sporadic outbreaks, but bovine herds chronically infec ... | 2020 | 32129639 |
| 16s rrna gene profiling of bacterial communities mediating production of tsetse attractive phenols in mammalian urine. | several types of odours are involved in the location of host animals by tsetse (diptera: glossinidae), a vector of animal african trypanosomiasis. host animals' ageing urine has been shown to be the source of a phenolic blend attractive to the tsetse. nevertheless, limited research has been performed on the microbial communities' role in the production of phenols. this study aimed at profiling bacterial communities mediating the production of tsetse attractive phenols in mammalian urine. urine s ... | 2019 | 31368325 |
| investigations into the host specificity of theileria taurotragi. | all theileria parasites have definitive natural hosts that act as carriers. incidental infections of uncommon hosts do occur raising questions regarding host specificity and its drivers. reported hosts for theileria taurotragi include bushbuck, cattle and eland. more recently t. taurotragi was detected in african buffalo, which may have implications for accurate diagnostics of t. parva. the current study therefore investigated the host specificity of t. taurotragi by developing a specific and se ... | 2018 | 29657008 |
| tick control on eland (taurotragus oryx) and buffalo (syncerus caffer) with flumethrin 1% pour-on through a duncan applicator. | eland (taurotragus oryx) and buffalo (syncerus caffer) in the game ranching research station at the mushandike sanctuary in zimbabwe were treated with 1% flumethrin pour-on to control unacceptably high tick numbers. the pour-on was at first applied with a drenching gun and later by means of a duncan applicator. this device allows contact with a saturated treatment column while the animals consume a specially formulated attractant lick from the feed bin. tick counts done over 3 summer seasons dem ... | 1992 | 1569544 |
| variant analysis of the sporozoite surface antigen gene reveals that asymptomatic cattle from wildlife-livestock interface areas in northern tanzania harbour buffalo-derived t. parva. | buffalo-derived theileria parva can 'break through' the immunity induced by the infection and treatment vaccination method (itm) in cattle. however, no such 'breakthroughs' have been reported in northern tanzania where there has been long and widespread itm use in pastoralist cattle, and the cape buffalo (syncerus caffer) is also present. we studied the exposure of vaccinated and unvaccinated cattle in northern tanzania to buffalo-derived t. parva using p67 gene polymorphisms and compared this t ... | 2020 | 33009946 |
| genetic diversity, relatedness and inbreeding of ranched and fragmented cape buffalo populations in southern africa. | wildlife ranching, although not considered a conventional conservation system, provides a sustainable model for wildlife utilization and could be a source of valuable genetic material. however, increased fragmentation and intensive management may threaten the evolutionary potential and conservation value of species. disease-free cape buffalo (syncerus caffer caffer) in southern africa exist in populations with a variety of histories and management practices. we compared the genetic diversity of ... | 2020 | 32797056 |
| genetic characterisation of novel g29p[14] and g10p[11] rotavirus strains from african buffalo. | we report the first description of rotavirus a strains in african buffalo (syncerus caffer). following rna extraction from stool samples, cdna was prepared, followed either by sequence-independent amplification and 454 pyrosequencing or direct sequencing on an illumina miseq platform. rva/buffalo-wt/zaf/4426/2002/g29p[14] exhibited a novel g29p[14] combination and an artiodactyl backbone: i2-r2-c2-m2-a11-n2-t6-e2-h3. rva/buffalo-wt/zaf/1442/2007/g10p[11] also exhibited an artiodactyl backbone: i ... | 2020 | 32693063 |
| the rhipicephalus appendiculatus tick vector of theileria parva is absent from cape buffalo (syncerus caffer) populations and associated ecosystems in northern uganda. | rhipicephalus appendiculatus is the major tick vector of theileria parva, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that causes the most economically important and lethal disease of cattle in east and central africa. the african cape buffalo (syncerus caffer) is the major wildlife host of t. parva from southern uganda and kenya to southern africa. we show herein that r. appendiculatus appears to be absent from the two largest national parks in northern uganda. syncerus caffer is common in both of these ... | 2020 | 32500369 |
| the role of african buffalo in the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease in sympatric cattle and buffalo populations in kenya. | quantitative knowledge on the contribution of african buffalo to the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease virus (fmdv) in east africa is lacking, and this information is essential for the design of control programs in the region. the objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of fmdv in buffalo, including the role of buffalo in the circulation of fmdv in livestock populations. we collected blood and oropharyngeal fluids from 92 wild buffalo and 98 sympatric cattle in central k ... | 2020 | 32303117 |
| tracing cross species transmission of mycobacterium bovis at the wildlife/livestock interface in south africa. | bovine tuberculosis (btb) affects cattle and wildlife in south africa with the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) as the principal maintenance host. the presence of a wildlife maintenance host at the wildlife/livestock interface acting as spill-over host makes it much more challenging to control and eradicate btb in cattle. spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number of tandem repeat (miru-vntr) genotyping methods were performed to investigate the genetic diversit ... | 2020 | 32131736 |
| investigations into the carrier-state of theileria sp. (buffalo) in cattle. | the theileria are apicomplexan parasites transmitted by ticks to vertebrate hosts. most theileria species exhibit some form of host or vector specificity, since under endemic conditions only a limited number of tick species act as vectors and not all vertebrate hosts are able to maintain a persistent carrier state. data for theileria sp. (buffalo) suggest host specificity for african buffalo (syncerus caffer). however, t. sp. (buffalo) infections in cattle co-grazing with african buffalo have be ... | 2020 | 32071860 |
| age of first infection across a range of parasite taxa in a wild mammalian population. | newborn mammals have an immature immune system that cannot sufficiently protect them against infectious diseases. however, variation in the effectiveness of maternal immunity against different parasites may couple with temporal trends in parasite exposure to influence disparities in the timing of infection risk. determining the relationship between age and infection risk is critical in identifying the portion of a host population that contributes to parasite dynamics, as well as the parasites th ... | 2020 | 32070234 |
| theileria parva: a parasite of african buffalo, which has adapted to infect and undergo transmission in cattle. | the tick-borne protozoan parasite theileria parva causes an acute, often fatal disease in cattle throughout a large part of eastern and southern africa. infection of african buffalo (syncerus caffer) is also widespread in this region but does not cause clinical disease in this species. this difference most likely reflects the evolutionary history of the parasites in these species, in that cattle were only introduced into africa within the last 8000 years. in both hosts, t. parva establishes a ca ... | 2020 | 32032592 |
| seasonal movements and habitat use of african buffalo in ruaha national park, tanzania. | assessing wildlife movements and habitat use is important for species conservation and management and can be informative for understanding population dynamics. the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) population of ruaha national park, tanzania has been declining, and little was known about the movement, habitat selection, and space use of the population, which is important for understanding possible reasons behind the decline. a total of 12 african buffalo cows from four different herds were colla ... | 2020 | 32013942 |
| elucidating cryptic dynamics of theileria communities in african buffalo using a high-throughput sequencing informatics approach. | increasing access to next-generation sequencing (ngs) technologies is revolutionizing the life sciences. in disease ecology, ngs-based methods have the potential to provide higher-resolution data on communities of parasites found in individual hosts as well as host populations.here, we demonstrate how a novel analytical method, utilizing high-throughput sequencing of pcr amplicons, can be used to explore variation in blood-borne parasite (theileria-apicomplexa: piroplasmida) communities of afric ... | 2020 | 31988717 |
| characterization of sat2 foot-and-mouth disease 2013/2014 outbreak viruses at the wildlife-livestock interface in south africa. | the southern african territories (sat)-type foot-and-mouth disease viruses (fmdv) are endemic to the greater kruger national park (knp) area in south africa, where they are maintained through persistent infections in african buffalo. the occurrence of fmdv within the greater knp area constitutes a continual threat to the livestock industry. to expand on knowledge of fmdv diversity, the genetic and antigenic relatedness of sat2-type viruses isolated from cattle during a fmd outbreak in mpumalanga ... | 2020 | 31984622 |
| health of african buffalos (syncerus caffer) in ruaha national park, tanzania. | in association with a study investigating the apparent decline of african buffalos (syncerus caffer) in ruaha national park, tanzania, 40 buffalos were screened for selected diseases. bovine tuberculosis was detected in 23%, and exposure to brucella abortus and rift valley fever virus in 18% and 8%, respectively, of buffalos tested. | 2020 | 31833815 |
| test characteristics of assays to detect mycobacterium bovis infection in high-prevalence african buffalo (syncerus caffer) herds. | a herd of african buffaloes (syncerus caffer) was tested for mycobacterium bovis infection using three cytokine release assays. all animals were subsequently euthanized and mycobacterial culture determined the infection prevalence (52%) and diagnostic characteristics. sensitivities were lower than previously reported and results provide new insight into the practical utility of these assays. | 2020 | 31750773 |
| detection of native interferon-γ in nyala (tragelaphus angasii): towards diagnosing tuberculosis. | mycobacterium bovis is the main cause of tuberculosis in wildlife. in south africa, african buffaloes (syncerus caffer) are a wildlife maintenance host while a number of other species are considered spillover hosts. nyala (tragelaphus angasii), a large antelope species from southern africa, is frequently traded and can be infected with m. bovis. interferon gamma (ifn-γ) release assays that detect cell-mediated immune (cmi) responses to m. bovis infection have shown promise in elephants, rhinocer ... | 2019 | 31714142 |
| immune stability predicts tuberculosis infection risk in a wild mammal. | immunity is one of the most variable phenotypic traits in animals; however, some individuals may show less fluctuation in immune traits, resulting in stable patterns of immune variation over time. it is currently unknown whether immune variation has consequences for infectious disease risk. in this study, we identified moderately stable immune traits in wild african buffalo and asked whether the stability of these traits affected bovine tuberculosis (tb) infection risk. we found that adaptive im ... | 2019 | 31575363 |
| spatial and seasonal patterns of fmd primary outbreaks in cattle in zimbabwe between 1931 and 2016. | foot and mouth disease (fmd) is an important livestock disease impacting mainly intensive production systems. in southern africa, the fmd virus is maintained in wildlife and its control is therefore complicated. however, fmd control is an important task to allow countries access to lucrative foreign meat market and veterinary services implement drastic control measures on livestock populations living in the periphery of protected areas, negatively impacting local small-scale livestock producers. ... | 2019 | 31551078 |
| a natural gene drive system influences bovine tuberculosis susceptibility in african buffalo: possible implications for disease management. | bovine tuberculosis (btb) is endemic to the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) of hluhluwe-imfolozi park (hip) and kruger national park, south africa. in hip, the disease has been actively managed since 1999 through a test-and-cull procedure targeting btb-positive buffalo. prior studies in kruger showed associations between microsatellite alleles, btb and body condition. a sex chromosomal meiotic drive, a form of natural gene drive, was hypothesized to be ultimately responsible. these association ... | 2019 | 31483802 |
| impact of mycobacterium bovis-induced pathology on interpretation of quantiferon®-tb gold assay results in african buffaloes (syncerus caffer). | the cytokine interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 (ip-10) is a sensitive biomarker of mycobacterium bovis (m. bovis) infection in african buffaloes (syncerus caffer). however, elevated levels of ip-10 in quantiferon®-tb gold (qft) unstimulated whole blood compromises the utility of this biomarker. in this study, ip-10 and interferon gamma (ifn-γ) concentrations in whole blood samples from m. bovis culture-confirmed buffaloes with varying degrees of pathological changes (n = 72) and uninfected c ... | 2019 | 31470250 |
| parallel measurement of ifn-γ and ip-10 in quantiferon®-tb gold (qft) plasma improves the detection of mycobacterium bovis infection in african buffaloes (syncerus caffer). | the quantiferon®-tb gold (qft) stimulation platform for cytokine release is a novel approach for diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in wildlife species. plasma interferon gamma (ifn-γ) is routinely measured to detect immune sensitization to mycobacterium bovis. however, the cytokine interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 (ip-10) has been proposed as an alternative, more sensitive, diagnostic biomarker. in this study, we investigated the use of the qft system with measurement of ifn-γ and ip-10 in p ... | 2019 | 31311648 |
| risk alleles for tuberculosis infection associate with reduced immune reactivity in a wild mammalian host. | integrating biological processes across scales remains a central challenge in disease ecology. genetic variation drives differences in host immune responses, which, along with environmental factors, generates temporal and spatial infection patterns in natural populations that epidemiologists seek to predict and control. however, genetics and immunology are typically studied in model systems, whereas population-level patterns of infection status and susceptibility are uniquely observable in natur ... | 2019 | 31311473 |
| bovine tuberculosis disturbs parasite functional trait composition in african buffalo. | novel parasites can have wide-ranging impacts, not only on host populations, but also on the resident parasite community. historically, impacts of novel parasites have been assessed by examining pairwise interactions between parasite species. however, parasite communities are complex networks of interacting species. here we used multivariate taxonomic and trait-based approaches to determine how parasite community composition changed when african buffalo (syncerus caffer) acquired an emerging dis ... | 2019 | 31262813 |
| why did the buffalo cross the park? resource shortages, but not infections, drive dispersal in female african buffalo (syncerus caffer). | dispersal facilitates population health and maintains resilience in species via gene flow. adult dispersal occurs in some species, is often facultative, and is poorly understood, but has important management implications, particularly with respect to disease spread. although the role of adult dispersal in spreading disease has been documented, the potential influence of disease on dispersal has received little attention. african buffalo (syncerus caffer) are wide-ranging and harbor many pathogen ... | 2019 | 31160988 |
| serological and phylogenetic characterization of foot and mouth disease viruses from uganda during cross-sectional surveillance study in cattle between 2014 and 2017. | here, we report the results of a cross-sectional study designed to monitor the circulation and genetic diversity of foot and mouth disease virus (fmdv) in uganda between 2014 and 2017. in this study, 13,614 sera and 2,068 oral-pharyngeal fluid samples were collected from cattle and analysed to determine fmdv seroprevalence, circulating serotypes and their phylogenetic relationships. circulation of fmdv was evidenced by the detection of antibodies against non-structural proteins of fmdv or viral ... | 2019 | 31127983 |
| persistent infection of african buffalo (syncerus caffer) with foot-and-mouth disease virus: limited viral evolution and no evidence of antibody neutralization escape. | african buffaloes (syncerus caffer) are the principal "carrier" hosts of foot-and-mouth disease virus (fmdv). currently, the epithelia and lymphoid germinal centers of the oropharynx have been identified as sites for fmdv persistence. we carried out studies in fmdv sat1 persistently infected buffaloes to characterize the diversity of viruses in oropharyngeal epithelia, germinal centers, probang samples (oropharyngeal scrapings), and tonsil swabs to determine if sufficient virus variation is gene ... | 2019 | 31092573 |
| similar levels of diversity in the gene encoding the p67 sporozoite surface protein of theileria parva are observed in blood samples from buffalo and cattle naturally infected from buffalo. | theileria parva is a tick-transmitted, apicomplexan protozoan found in buffalo (syncerus caffer) and cattle in eastern, central and southern africa. the parasite causes a fatal, lymphoproliferative disease in susceptible cattle. previous studies have shown that the parasites in buffalo comprise a more heterogeneous population than those in cattle, which has led to the concept that the population of parasites circulating in cattle represents a restricted subpopulation of those in buffalo. the pre ... | 2019 | 31079824 |
| phylogeographical and cross-species transmission dynamics of sat1 and sat2 foot-and-mouth disease virus in eastern africa. | understanding the dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease virus (fmdv), an endemic and economically constraining disease, is critical in designing control programmes in africa. this study investigates the evolutionary epidemiology of sat1 and sat2 fmdv in eastern africa, as well as between cattle and wild african buffalo. bayesian phylodynamic models were used to analyse sat1 and sat2 vp1 gene segments collected between 1975 and 2016, focusing on the sat1 and sat2 viruses currently circulating in eas ... | 2019 | 31074125 |
| buffalo species identification and delineation using genetic barcoding markers. | enrichment of barcode databases with mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit i (coi) barcode sequences in different animal taxa has become important for identification of animal source in food samples to prevent commercial fraud. in this study, coi barcode sequence in seventy one river buffalo samples were determined, analyzed and deposited in genbank barcode database and barcode of life database (bold) to contribute for construction of public reference library for coi barcode sequence in riv ... | 2018 | 30733766 |
| context-dependent costs and benefits of tuberculosis resistance traits in a wild mammalian host. | disease acts as a powerful driver of evolution in natural host populations, yet individuals in a population often vary in their susceptibility to infection. energetic trade-offs between immune and reproductive investment lead to the evolution of distinct life history strategies, driven by the relative fitness costs and benefits of resisting infection. however, examples quantifying the cost of resistance outside of the laboratory are rare. here, we observe two distinct forms of resistance to bovi ... | 2018 | 30619576 |
| parallel testing increases detection of mycobacterium bovis-infected african buffaloes (syncerus caffer). | the diagnosis of mycobacterium bovis (m. bovis) infection in african buffaloes (syncerus caffer) relies on detection of the cell-mediated immune response to m. bovis antigens using the single comparative intradermal tuberculin test (scitt) or interferon gamma release assays (igras). the aim of the present study was to determine whether parallel testing with the scitt and an igra increases the number of m. bovis-infected buffaloes detected by these assays. culture-confirmed animals (n = 71) teste ... | 2018 | 30596379 |
| opposite outcomes of coinfection at individual and population scales. | coinfecting parasites and pathogens remain a leading challenge for global public health due to their consequences for individual-level infection risk and disease progression. however, a clear understanding of the population-level consequences of coinfection is lacking. here, we constructed a model that includes three individual-level effects of coinfection: mortality, fecundity, and transmission. we used the model to investigate how these individual-level consequences of coinfection scale up to ... | 2018 | 29967175 |
| corrigendum to "detection of mycobacterium bovis infection in african buffaloes (syncerus caffer) using quantiferon®-tb gold (qft) tubes and the qiagen cattletype® ifn-gamma elisa" [j. vet. immunol. immunopathol. 196 (2018) 48-52]. | | 2018 | 29921441 |
| antigen-specific interferon-gamma release is decreased following the single intradermal comparative cervical skin test in african buffaloes (syncerus caffer). | effective disease management of wildlife relies on the strategic application of ante-mortem diagnostic tests for early identification and removal of m. bovis-infected animals. to improve diagnostic performance, interferon-gamma release assays (igras) are often used in conjunction with the tuberculin skin test (tst). since buffaloes are major maintenance hosts of m. bovis, optimal application of bovine tb diagnostic tests are especially important. we aimed to determine whether the timing of blood ... | 2018 | 29914675 |
| stakeholder perceptions of foot-and-mouth disease control in south africa. | foot-and-mouth disease (fmd) prevention and control is a challenge worldwide but the situation in southern africa is particularly complex because the virus is endemic in wild african buffalo (syncerus caffer). the objective of this study was to compare stakeholder perceptions of the fmd control methods employed to restrict fmd virus to the infected zone of south africa. data collection was performed using an online questionnaire distributed to fmd experts, government veterinarians, private lives ... | 2018 | 29891144 |
| theileria parva antigens recognized by cd8+ t cells show varying degrees of diversity in buffalo-derived infected cell lines. | the extent of sequence diversity among the genes encoding 10 antigens (tp1-10) known to be recognized by cd8+ t lymphocytes from cattle immune to theileria parva was analysed. the sequences were derived from parasites in 23 buffalo-derived cell lines, three cattle-derived isolates and one cloned cell line obtained from a buffalo-derived stabilate. the results revealed substantial variation among the antigens through sequence diversity. the greatest nucleotide and amino acid diversity were observ ... | 2018 | 29729680 |
| detection of mycobacterium bovis infection in african buffaloes (syncerus caffer) using quantiferon®-tb gold (qft) tubes and the qiagen cattletype® ifn-gamma elisa. | african buffaloes (syncerus caffer) are wildlife maintenance hosts of mycobacterium bovis, the cause of bovine tuberculosis. consequently, m. bovis infected buffaloes pose a transmission risk for cattle and other wildlife species. previously, a modification to the qiagen quantiferon®-tb gold (qft) system, using qft tubes and an in-house bovine interferon-gamma (ifn-γ) elisa, was evaluated for the detection of m. bovis infection in buffaloes. subsequently, qiagen has developed a commercially avai ... | 2018 | 29695324 |
| correcting for missing and irregular data in home-range estimation. | home-range estimation is an important application of animal tracking data that is frequently complicated by autocorrelation, sampling irregularity, and small effective sample sizes. we introduce a novel, optimal weighting method that accounts for temporal sampling bias in autocorrelated tracking data. this method corrects for irregular and missing data, such that oversampled times are downweighted and undersampled times are upweighted to minimize error in the home-range estimate. we also introdu ... | 2018 | 29450936 |
| occurrence of ticks (parasitiformes, ixodida, amblyommidae) on the skin of african buffalo syncerus caffer (sparrman, 1779) (mammalia, artiodactyla) originating from an area of the republic of south africa | most ticks of the genus amblyomma and rhipicephalus are typical ectoparasites of bovine. however, information about survival in different environmental conditions or coexistence of different species is lacking. amblyomma hebraeum koch, 1844, rhipicephalus appendiculatus neumann, 1901 and r. maculatus neumann, 1901 were found in the skin (fixed in the salt) of an african buffalo syncerus caffer (sparrman, 1779), brought to poland from the republic of south africa. most of the ticks were still ali ... | 2018 | 29420874 |
| genetic responsiveness of african buffalo to environmental stressors: a role for epigenetics in balancing autosomal and sex chromosome interactions? | in the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) population of the kruger national park (south africa) a primary sex-ratio distorter and a primary sex-ratio suppressor have been shown to occur on the y chromosome. a subsequent autosomal microsatellite study indicated that two types of deleterious alleles with a negative effect on male body condition, but a positive effect on relative fitness when averaged across sexes and generations, occur genome-wide and at high frequencies in the same population. one ... | 2018 | 29415077 |
| ancient diversity and geographical sub-structuring in african buffalo theileria parva populations revealed through metagenetic analysis of antigen-encoding loci. | an infection and treatment protocol involving infection with a mixture of three parasite isolates and simultaneous treatment with oxytetracycline is currently used to vaccinate cattle against theileria parva. while vaccination results in high levels of protection in some regions, little or no protection is observed in areas where animals are challenged predominantly by parasites of buffalo origin. a previous study involving sequencing of two antigen-encoding genes from a series of parasite isola ... | 2018 | 29408266 |
| serological evidence of vaccination and perceptions concerning foot-and-mouth disease control in cattle at the wildlife-livestock interface of the kruger national park, south africa. | communal livestock farming areas adjoining the greater kruger national park area within south africa are part of the foot-and-mouth disease (fmd) protection zone with vaccination due to the proximity to wildlife reservoirs. fmd and its control affect the productivity of resource-poor farmers who often depend on livestock for their livelihoods. a cross-sectional study was performed with the objectives to evaluate the perceptions of farmers concerning fmd control, estimate the proportion of cattle ... | 2017 | 29254716 |
| host immunity, nutrition and coinfection alter longitudinal infection patterns of schistosomes in a free ranging african buffalo population. | schistosomes are trematode parasites of global importance, causing infections in millions of people, livestock, and wildlife. most studies on schistosomiasis, involve human subjects; as such, there is a paucity of longitudinal studies investigating parasite dynamics in the absence of intervention. as a consequence, despite decades of research on schistosomiasis, our understanding of its ecology in natural host populations is centered around how environmental exposure and acquired immunity influe ... | 2017 | 29253882 |
| an investigation of enterococcus species isolated from the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in serengeti national park, tanzania. | we isolated enterococcus species that colonized in the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in order to investigate their genetic relatedness and antimicrobial susceptibility. a total of 219 isolates were obtained and a 16s rrna gene sequence analysis showed they were classified into enterococcus avium, e. casseliflavus, e. faecalis, e. faecium, e. hirae, or e. mundtii. multilocus sequence typing of e. faecalis and e. faecium isolates indicated that some of the isolates showed an evolutionary dista ... | 2017 | 29081464 |
| modeling the spatial distribution of african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in the kruger national park, south africa. | the population density of wildlife reservoirs contributes to disease transmission risk for domestic animals. the objective of this study was to model the african buffalo distribution of the kruger national park. a secondary objective was to collect field data to evaluate models and determine environmental predictors of buffalo detection. spatial distribution models were created using buffalo census information and archived data from previous research. field data were collected during the dry (au ... | 2017 | 28902858 |
| screening for bovine tuberculosis in african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in ngorongoro conservation area, northern tanzania: implications for public health. | in the ngorongoro conservation area (nca), tanzania, where wildlife and livestock interaction is intense, greater potential for intra- and interspecies disease transmission is expected. we assessed the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in african buffalo (syncerus caffer) residing on the valley floor of the crater in the nca. apparently healthy animals were randomly selected from herds in nine sites of the ngorongoro crater. syncerus caffer buffalo herds were located using very high-frequency ra ... | 2017 | 28657858 |
| serum biochemistry panels in african buffalo: defining reference intervals and assessing variability across season, age and sex. | serum biochemical parameters can be utilized to evaluate the physiological status of an animal, and relate it to the animal's health. in order to accurately interpret individual animal biochemical results, species-specific reference intervals (ri) must be established. reference intervals for biochemical parameters differ between species, and physiological differences including reproductive status, nutritional resource availability, disease status, and age affect parameters within the same specie ... | 2017 | 28472180 |
| parameters-tuning of pid controller for automatic voltage regulators using the african buffalo optimization. | in this paper, an attempt is made to apply the african buffalo optimization (abo) to tune the parameters of a pid controller for an effective automatic voltage regulator (avr). existing metaheuristic tuning methods have been proven to be quite successful but there were observable areas that need improvements especially in terms of the system's gain overshoot and steady steady state errors. using the abo algorithm where each buffalo location in the herd is a candidate solution to the proportional ... | 2017 | 28441390 |
| experimental insight into the process of parasite community assembly. | community assembly is a fundamental process that has long been a central focus in ecology. extending community assembly theory to communities of co-infecting parasites, we used a gastrointestinal nematode removal experiment in free-ranging african buffalo to examine the community assembly patterns and processes. we first asked whether reassembled communities differ from undisturbed communities by comparing anthelmintic-treated and control hosts. next, we examined the temporal dynamics of assembl ... | 2016 | 27174037 |
| within guild co-infections influence parasite community membership: a longitudinal study in african buffalo. | experimental studies in laboratory settings have demonstrated a critical role of parasite interactions in shaping parasite communities. the sum of these interactions can produce diverse effects on individual hosts as well as influence disease emergence and persistence at the population level. a predictive framework for the effects of parasite interactions in the wild remains elusive, largely because of limited longitudinal or experimental data on parasite communities of free-ranging hosts. this ... | 2016 | 27084785 |
| erratum to: genetic structure of fragmented southern populations of african cape buffalo (syncerus caffer caffer). | | 2016 | 26792580 |
| behaviour-related scalar habitat use by cape buffalo (syncerus caffer caffer). | studies of habitat use by animals must consider behavioural resource requirements at different scales, which could influence the functional value of different sites. using cape buffalo (syncerus caffer caffer) in the okavango delta, botswana, we tested the hypotheses that behaviour affected use between and within habitats, hereafter referred to as macro- and microhabitats, respectively. we fitted gps-enabled collars to fifteen buffalo and used the distances and turning angles between consecutive ... | 2015 | 26673623 |
| the use of thiafentanil oxalate and azaperone for reversible immobilisation of african buffalo (syncerus caffer) within a nature reserve - short communication. | although thiafentanil oxalate has been widely used for wildlife immobilisation on different species, no report has been published about its usefulness on african buffalo (syncerus caffer). thirty-four african buffaloes were successfully immobilised at loskop dam nature reserve, south africa in july 2013. the animals were kept in bomas of the nature reserve. the purpose of the immobilisation was to provide opportunity for microchip implantation, ear tag placement, intradermal tuberculin test and ... | 2015 | 25655411 |
| a combined parasitological molecular approach for noninvasive characterization of parasitic nematode communities in wild hosts. | most hosts are concurrently or sequentially infected with multiple parasites; thus, fully understanding interactions between individual parasite species and their hosts depends on accurate characterization of the parasite community. for parasitic nematodes, noninvasive methods for obtaining quantitative, species-specific infection data in wildlife are often unreliable. consequently, characterization of gastrointestinal nematode communities of wild hosts has largely relied on lethal sampling to i ... | 2015 | 25644900 |
| challenges and prospects for the control of foot-and-mouth disease: an african perspective. | the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease (fmd) in africa is unique in the sense that six of the seven serotypes of fmd viruses (southern african territories [sat] 1, sat2, sat3, a, o, and c), with the exception of asia-1, have occurred in the last decade. due to underreporting of fmd, the current strains circulating throughout sub-saharan africa are in many cases unknown. for sat1, sat2, and serotype a viruses, the genetic diversity is reflected in antigenic variation, and indications are that ... | 2014 | 32670853 |
| nematode-coccidia parasite co-infections in african buffalo: epidemiology and associations with host condition and pregnancy. | co-infections are common in natural populations and interactions among co-infecting parasites can significantly alter the transmission and host fitness costs of infection. because both exposure and susceptibility vary over time, predicting the consequences of parasite interactions on host fitness and disease dynamics may require detailed information on their effects across different environmental (season) and host demographic (age, sex) conditions. this study examines five years of seasonal heal ... | 2014 | 25161911 |
| habitat selection by african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in response to landscape-level fluctuations in water availability on two temporal scales. | seasonal fluctuations in water availability cause predictable changes in the profitability of habitats in tropical ecosystems, and animals evolve adaptive behavioural and spatial responses to these fluctuations. however, stochastic changes in the distribution and abundance of surface water between years can alter resource availability at a landscape scale, causing shifts in animal behaviour. in the okavango delta, botswana, a flood-pulsed ecosystem, the volume of water entering the system double ... | 2014 | 24983377 |
| pan-african genetic structure in the african buffalo (syncerus caffer): investigating intraspecific divergence. | the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) exhibits extreme morphological variability, which has led to controversies about the validity and taxonomic status of the various recognized subspecies. the present study aims to clarify these by inferring the pan-african spatial distribution of genetic diversity, using a comprehensive set of mitochondrial d-loop sequences from across the entire range of the species. all analyses converged on the existence of two distinct lineages, corresponding to a group e ... | 2013 | 23437100 |
| contrasting historical and recent gene flow among african buffalo herds in the caprivi strip of namibia. | population genetic structure is often used to infer population connectivity, but genetic structure may largely reflect historical rather than recent processes. we contrasted genetic structure with recent gene-flow estimates among 6 herds of african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in the caprivi strip, namibia, using 134 individuals genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci. we tested whether historical and recent gene flows were influenced by distance, potential barriers (rivers), or landscape resistance (d ... | 2013 | 23341534 |
| direct and indirect costs of co-infection in the wild: linking gastrointestinal parasite communities, host hematology, and immune function. | most animals are concurrently infected with multiple parasites, and interactions among these parasites may influence both disease dynamics and host fitness. however, the sublethal costs of parasite infections are difficult to measure and the effects of concomitant infections with multiple parasite species on individual physiology and fitness are poorly described for wild hosts. to understand the direct and indirect physiological costs of co-infection, we investigated the relationships among gast ... | 2012 | 24533308 |
| home on the range: factors explaining partial migration of african buffalo in a tropical environment. | partial migration (when only some individuals in a population undertake seasonal migrations) is common in many species and geographical contexts. despite the development of modern statistical methods for analyzing partial migration, there have been no studies on what influences partial migration in tropical environments. we present research on factors affecting partial migration in african buffalo (syncerus caffer) in northeastern namibia. our dataset is derived from 32 satellite tracking collar ... | 2012 | 22570722 |
| from host immunity to pathogen invasion: the effects of helminth coinfection on the dynamics of microparasites. | concurrent infections with multiple parasites are ubiquitous in nature. coinfecting parasites can interact with one another in a variety of ways, including through the host's immune system via mechanisms such as immune trade-offs and immunosuppression. these within-host immune processes mediating interactions among parasites have been described in detail, but how they scale up to determine disease dynamic patterns at the population level is only beginning to be explored. in this review, we use h ... | 2011 | 21727178 |
| gousiekte in african buffalo (syncerus caffer). | three african buffalo (syncerus caffer) that died after capture and translocation from mutirikwe recreational park in southern zimbabwe showed macroscopic and microscopic lesions of cardiomyopathy compatible with a diagnosis of gousiekte. the buffalo had had access to pavetta schumanniana, a plant that is known to cause gousiekte. death was attributed to cardiac failure as a result of previous consumption of the plant, exacerbated by the stress of translocation. | 2010 | 21247044 |
| preliminary report of transfrontier disease surveillance in free-ranging buffalo in the caprivi strip, namibia. | a capture operation to ascertain the health status of free-ranging buffalo (syncerus caffer) from six areas in the caprivi strip in the north-east corner of namibia is described. in-depth reports on buffalo capture operations and their cost, with detailed descriptions of diseases for research purposes, sampling techniques, field processing of samples and laboratory-related costs are still lacking in the literature. this paper describes materials, methods and the related costs of a disease survei ... | 2010 | 20857377 |
| repair of horn and frontal bone avulsion in a forest buffalo (syncerus caffer nanus) with a polymethylmethacrylate dressing. | a 2-yr-old female forest buffalo (syncerus caffer nanus) presented with acute trauma to the right horn following a fight with a conspecific resulting in fracture and avulsion of the frontal bone, cornual process, horn, and juxtaposed skin. the animal was sedated for wound care and debridement followed by placement of an antibacterial-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate (pmma) dressing. the dressing was noted to be intact on examination at day 7 post-injury, but had become dislodged and had to be ... | 2008 | 18432102 |
| locoh: nonparameteric kernel methods for constructing home ranges and utilization distributions. | parametric kernel methods currently dominate the literature regarding the construction of animal home ranges (hrs) and utilization distributions (uds). these methods frequently fail to capture the kinds of hard boundaries common to many natural systems. recently a local convex hull (locoh) nonparametric kernel method, which generalizes the minimum convex polygon (mcp) method, was shown to be more appropriate than parametric kernel methods for constructing hrs and uds, because of its ability to i ... | 2007 | 17299587 |
| independent and competing disease risks: implications for host populations in variable environments. | disease models usually assume disease to act independently of other mortality- and morbidity-causing factors. alternatively, disease may function as a competing risk factor, for example, killing already moribund hosts. using tuberculosis (tb) in african buffalo as a model system, we explore consequences of competing or independent disease effects for host population dynamics. we include scenarios with density-dependent and density-independent effects of environmental variation, exemplified by va ... | 2006 | 16671018 |
| comparison of equilibration times when freezing epididymal sperm from african buffalo (syncerus caffer) using triladyl or andromed. | because of risks of disease transmission, it is not possible to move african buffalo (syncerus caffer) within south africa. therefore, new ways must be found to enable exchange of genetic material and to increase genetic diversity. in this study epididymal sperm from 11 african buffaloes was exposed to 8 different pre-freezing equilibration times, using 2 different semen extenders. to test the influence of equilibration time and to find a practical way of freezing sperm in the field equilibratio ... | 2006 | 16620923 |
| comparison of three different media for freezing of epididymal sperm from the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) and influence of equilibration time on the post-thaw sperm quality. | assisted reproductive techniques might prove themselves useful tools in producing buffaloes free of specific diseases (bfsd), which are in demand in south africa. freezing protocols for african buffalo semen must not only result in good post-thaw qualities, but must also be practical. epididymal sperm from six mature african buffalo bulls was collected, diluted with three different semen extenders and frozen. pre-freezing equilibration times between 2 and 9 h were tested. total and progressive m ... | 2004 | 15580769 |
| midazolam/ketamine induction and isoflurane maintenance of anaesthesia in a 2-month-old, hand-raised african buffalo (syncerus caffer). | the use of a midazolam/ketamine combination for induction of anaesthesia in a 2-month-old, hand-raised buffalo calf (syncerus caffer) is described to allow endotracheal intubation for the maintenance of anaesthesia with isoflurane and oxygen. intraoperative complications were hypotension and hypothermia. for postoperative analgesia meloxicam and butorphanol was administered intramuscularly. | 2004 | 15214695 |
| phylogeography of the african buffalo based on mitochondrial and y-chromosomal loci: pleistocene origin and population expansion of the cape buffalo subspecies. | population genetics and phylogeography of the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) are inferred from genetic diversity at mitochondrial d-loop hypervariable region i sequences and a y-chromosomal microsatellite. three buffalo subspecies from different parts of africa are included. nucleotide diversity of the subspecies cape buffalo at hypervariable region i is high, with little differentiation between populations. a mutation rate of 13-18% substitutions/million years is estimated for hypervariable ... | 2002 | 11856427 |
| microsatellite analysis of genetic diversity in african buffalo (syncerus caffer) populations throughout africa. | genetic diversity in nine african buffalo (syncerus caffer) populations throughout africa was analysed with 14 microsatellites to study the effects of rinderpest epidemics and habitat fragmentation during the 20th century. a gradient of declining expected heterozygosity was observed among populations in save valley conservancy (zimbabwe), and northern and southern kruger national park (south africa). this was explained by a high mortality in northern kruger national park during the rinderpest pa ... | 2000 | 11123614 |
| the effect of cryopreservation on the survivability, viability and motility of epididymal african buffalo (syncerus caffer) spermatozoa. | the effect of cryopreservation on the viability and motility of epididymal african buffalo spermatozoa was studied in samples obtained from 17 and 13 animals in 1995 and 1996, respectively. cryopreservation significantly reduced the viability and motility of the epididymal spermatozoa. the average percentage of live (+/- se) spermatozoa declined significantly from 90.4 +/- 2.0% (1995) and 84.4 +/- 1.1% (1996) in fresh epididymal samples, to 57.0 +/- 2.0% and 56.3 +/- 1.1%, respectively, in froze ... | 1999 | 10735101 |
| stability in a multi-species assemblage of large herbivores in east africa. | animal census data from lake manyara national park in northern tanzania are presented. the data refer to large mammalian herbivores, that is individually heavier than twenty kg, of which the numbers were counted in nine different years between 1959 and 1984. the total biomass of these herbivores was comprised mainly of african buffalo and african elephant. five functional groups of herbivores were distinguished (buffalo, "elephant-as-grazer", "elephant-as-browser", "other grazers", and "other br ... | 1990 | 28313013 |
| demodicosis of an african buffalo (syncerus caffer caffer) in captivity. | | 1984 | 6516637 |
| colonic absorption and secretion of fluids, electrolytes and organic acids in east african wild ruminants. | in sixteen species of wild ruminants colonic absorption of fluids averaged 48% of the fluids entering the large bowel. values ranged from 26% (steenbok) to 65% (gerenuk). absorption of sodium, potassium, chloride and organic acids were variable between species. colonic absorption of potassium ions were found to be related to diet selection and body weight of the animals. colonic absorption of volatile fatty acids were significantly greater in browsers (28.4 mmol/l) than grazers (9.6 mmol/l). the ... | 1984 | 6141031 |
| chromosome constitution of a hybrid between east african buffalo (syncerus caffer caffer) and dwarf forest buffalo (syncerus caffer nanus). | | 1980 | 22896172 |
| phagocytosis of trypanosoma (nannomonas) congolense by circulating macrophages in the african buffalo (syncerus caffer). | nineteen african buffalo were short in the mara region of kenya. leucocytes were separated from the buffalo samples by sedimentation and centrifugation. in leucocyte smears of six buffalo, trypanosomes were detected and in two of them, high levels of phagocytosis of trypanosoma (nannomonas) congolense by circulating macrophages were demonstrated. | 1975 | 1153894 |
| notes on three species of anoetidae, two of which are new, living as commensals or parasites in the ear of an african buffalo. | | 1974 | 4836971 |
| the population dynamics of ashworthius lerouxi (nematoda:trichostrongylidae) in african buffalo in uganda. | | 1972 | 5073261 |