ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to confirm and genetically characterize dengue virus (DENV) present in sera collected from patients with dengue fever during the 2013 and 2014 dengue outbreaks in Tanzania. Sera were collected from patients who met the clinical case definition for dengue fever. Dengue fever was diagnosed in patients included in this study by detection of IgM and IgG DENV antibodies using a combination of a rapid test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). DE...
ABSTRACT Mosquito-borne viruses cause emerging and re-emerging infections affecting humans and animals. These diseases present themselves mainly with fever. The present study aimed at determining socio-demographic and clinical characteristics among febrile patients, and detection of selected mosquito-borne viruses circulating in Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Using a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study design, in total 400 febrile patients were recruited after consenting into...
ABSTRACT African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family that causes African swine fever (ASF), a highly contagious and fatal hemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs. African swine fever presents a serious threat to the food security and livelihoods of pig-keeping farmers. The aim of this study was to diagnose and genotype ASFV in domestic pigs following reports of ASF outbreaks in northern and southern Tanzania during 2014. Fifteen tissue sample...
ABSTRACT Orf virus (ORFV) is a member of the parapoxvirus genus that causes orf, a zoonotic and epitheliotropic highly contagious disease mainly affecting sheep, goats, wild ruminants and humans. In the present study, an outbreak of a disease in goats with clinical signs suggestive of orf in 11 flocks with a total of 259 goats was investigated between May and June 2015. Eight villages in districts of Bagamoyo (2), Ilala (1), Kinondoni (1) and Kisarawe (4) in Coast and Dar es Salaam regions o...
ABSTRACT Since the discovered of Campylobacter in 1913, is known to cause diseases in human. Investigations were done in broiler poultry by culture method, biochemical molecular technique followed by antimicrobial susceptibility of thermophilic Campylobacter sp in Morogoro Municipal, Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to establish prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter by molecular and biochemical approach followed by antimicrobial susceptibility at each stage of broiler production...
ABSTRACT This was an experiment to determine the presence and level of expression of OsCIPK15 salt responsive gene in Tanzanian rice breeders’ lines. Abiotic stress is one of the factors affecting rice cultivation in Tanzania. The calcineurin B- like protein interacting protein kinases (OsCIPKs) responsive genes have been observed to express in abiotic stress. The calcineurin B- like protein interacting protein kinases-15 (OsCIPK15) salt responsive gene, which is usually a silent gene expr...
ABSTRACT Rapid and accurate diagnosis is paramount in understanding the infection status of foot and-mouth disease (FMD) virus (FMDV) in animals. In this study, the singleplex real time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay employing the Callahan 3DF-2, 3DF-R primers and Callahan 3DP-1 probe were used in screening for FMDV genome on esophageal– pharyngeal (OP) fluids. The OP samples were collected from cattle and African buffaloes in livestock-wildlife interface areas of Mikumi, Mkomazi and Ruaha Nationa...
ABSTRACT Mosquito-borne viruses primarily infect animals and humans causing significant public and veterinary health threat. Transmitted by hematophagous mosquitoes, dengue virus and Rift Valley fever virus are the most common outbreaks that occurred in parts of Tanzania especially in malaria endemic areas. Several studies reported the presence of the viruses in circulation in animals and humans. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the diversity of mosquito-borne virus vectors and to...
ABSTRACT Chikungunya is a viral disease caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) that is transmitted to humans by infected Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Chikungunya infection among febrile patients seeking healthcare in Mzuzu City, Malawi. Blood samples were collected during 2019 from outpatients attending Mzuzu Central Hospital who presented with fever but who were malaria and sepsis negative. Sera from outpatients...