Domestic animal health data from Mambwe District, Zambia (2013)

The dataset describes the results of a laboratory analysis investigating the presence of various infectious agents in goats, cattle, pigs, dogs and sheep from Mambwe District, Eastern Province, Zambia. Blood samples were collected in June, July and August 2013 and stored on Whatman FTA (Flinders Technology Associates) cards. Laboratory analysis was conducted using polymerase chain reactions (PCR) for African trypanosomes and tick-borne infections. In addition, serum was tested for Brucella using the Rose Bengal test. Cattle and dogs were tested for African trypanosomes, tick-borne infections and Brucella. Goats and sheep were tested for African trypanosomes and Brucella. Pigs were tested for African trypanosomes only. The objective was to evaluate the health status of domestic animals in the Mambwe District. This work was conducted alongside a human wellbeing questionnaire survey. The research was part of a wider research project, the Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium (DDDAC). The research was funded by NERC project no NE/J000701/1 with support from the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation Programme (ESPA). Blood samples were collected from domestic animals at the household level alongside a structured questionnaire survey. The work was preceded by a census, which provided the sample frame from which the study households were randomly selected, so as to provide the minimum sample size of animal-owning households necessary for estimating trypanosomiasis prevalence. Written consent was obtained prior to commencing the sampling. A total of 473 goats, 340 cattle, 246 pigs, 199 dogs and 22 sheep were sampled. Blood samples were collected from ear veins and stored on Whatman (Flinders Technology Associates) FTA cards prior to analysis for African trypanosomes and tick-borne infections. Trypanosomes were identified using the ITS-PCR (Internal transcribed spacer - Polymerase chain reaction) and tick-borne infections were identified using reverse line blotting. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein for brucellosis and serum analysed using the Rose Bengal Test. Only sexually mature animals were tested for brucellosis. Data were collated in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and exported as a comma separated file for ingestion into the Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC).

Schaten, K.; Machila, N.; Chirwa, C.; Shaw, A.P.M.; Mashili, J.; Hang'andu, F.; Simukonda, S.; Simuunza, M.; Anderson, N.E.; MacLeod, E.T.; Thrusfield, M.; Welburn, S.C. (2017). Domestic animal health data from Mambwe District, Zambia (2013). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/f81ede76-a1d4-4367-aa8c-de087350457e