Department of Horticulture and Crop Production Publications

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Browsing Department of Horticulture and Crop Production Publications by Author "Gandiwa, Edson"

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    An assessment of rodent-flea diversity and association in a semi-arid tropical ecosystem of south-western Zimbabwe
    (Wiley, 2021-04-12) Banda, Annabel; Gandiwa, Edson; Muboko, Never; Muposhi, Victor K.
    The present study assessed the rodent-flea diversity and their association in Nkayi and Umzingwane districts, south-western Zimbabwe. Although both districts occur in the same agriculture region IV zone, they, however, differ in plague disease occurrence with Nkayi district being a plague disease endemic area whilst Umzingwane district is reported as not (Munyenyiwa et al., 2019). The information generated from the study will potentially assist health personnel in surveillance and potential predictions for fu- ture possibilities of an outbreak or high-risk areas of plague disease. Further, the study results could potentially be used to develop ro- dents and flea control programmes.
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    Ecological interactions, local people awareness and practices on rodent-borne diseases in Africa: A review
    (Acta Tropica, Elsevier Science Direct, 2022-11-04) Banda, Annabel; Gandiwa, Edson; Muposhi, Victor K.; Muboko, Never
    Several anthropogenic activities exposure humans to the risk of rodent-borne diseases. These activities are but not limited to logging, clearing land for crop cultivation, and consuming rodents. Rodents are a highly diverse mammalian group and harbor many zoonotic diseases. This review focuses on dominant rodent-flea species, rodent-borne zoonotic diseases and awareness and management practices against rodent-borne diseases in Africa. Relevant academic literature spanning from 1974 to 2021 was analysed. Dominant rodent species reported in Africa included:- Mastomys natalensis and Rattus rattus, while dominant flea species included Xenopsylla brasiliensis and Xenopsylla cheopis. Rodents were reported as hosts to a wide range of parasites which can be passed to humans. Rodents were also reported as hosts to some protozoans, trematodes, cestodes, nematodes, bacteria and viruses which are transmissible to humans. Some studies conducted in West Africa revealed good knowledge and practices on plague and Lassa fever diseases among respondents, whereas other studies reported poor practices on Lassa fever management. In part of Southern Africa, some studies reported poor knowledge and practices on plague disease. Further research on rodent-borne disease awareness and management strategies in African countries is desirable.
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    Local community awareness and practices on Yersinia pestis plague disease management in Nkayi and Umzingwane districts, south-western Zimbabwe
    (Taylor and Francis Group [Commercial Publisher] Taylor and Francis [Imprint], 2022-03-03) Banda, Annabel; Gandiwa, Edson; Muboko, Never; Mutanga, Chiedza N.; Mashapa, Clayton
    This study investigated the level of awareness and practices of local communities on Yersinia pestis plague disease in Nkayi and Umzingwane districts, south-western Zimbabwe. The research used a two-way case study where Umzingwane district was used as a quasi-control site and Nkayi district the treatment site. Purposive sampling was used to select four villages, i.e. two from Nkayi district (plague endemic area) and two from Umzingwane district (non-plague area). Data were collected through focus group discussions involving 35 respondents held between August 2017 and April 2018. The study respondents confirmed some awareness of zoonotic diseases albeit limited knowledge on specific rodent-borne diseases. Respondents from areas that had previous plague outbreaks (Nkayi district) were more knowledgeable of the disease compared to those from areas without previous known outbreaks (Umzingwane district). Several practises, e.g. use of traps, keeping domestic cats (Felis catus) and use of rodenticides to control rodents and educating people on plague disease, were highlighted from both study sites as local plague management strategies. Overall, the study results indicate that the awareness and practices employed by local people in the study area are generally influenced by local contextual factors and past experiences.
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    Prevalence of Yersinia pestis among rodents captured in a semi-arid tropical ecosystem of south-western Zimbabwe
    (De Gruyter, 2022-01-03) Banda, Annabel; Gandiwa, Edson; Muboko, Never; Muposhi, Victor K.
    This study assessed the prevalence of plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) among rodents captured in Umzingwane and Nkayi districts, south-western Zimbabwe. A total of 44 rodents were captured on three consecutive days per trapping session in the study sites using a removal trapping method in April 2018. Captured rodents were euthanized, and blood samples were collected. The Giemsa stain method was used to detect plague bacteria. The trapping success was not significantly different (χ² = 1.50, df = 1, P = 0.221), 8.5% for the Nkayi district, while in the Umzingwane district, it was 8%. Overall, only one rodent species, i.e., Mastomys natalensis, tested positive for Y. pestis in the Umzingwane district, thus yielding a prevalence rate of 2.3% for the entire study area. This was the most important finding of a Y. pestis-positive rodent in a non-endemic wild area in the Umzingwane district. These results point to a low prevalence of Y. pestis in the study area and the importance of an active plague disease surveillance and monitoring system.