Abstract
BackgroundThe wellbeing and livelihood of farmers in impoverished regions of the world is intrinsically linked to the health and welfare of their livestock; hence improved animal health is a pragmatic component of poverty alleviation. Prerequisite knowledge and understanding of the animal health challenges facing cattle keepers in Malawi is constrained by the lack of veterinary infrastructure, which inevitably accompanies under-resourced rural development in a poor country.MethodsWe collaborated with public and private paraveterinary services to locate 62 village Zebu calves and 60 dairy co-operative calves dispersed over a wide geographical area. All calves were visited twice about 2 to 3 weeks apart, when they were clinically examined and faecal samples were collected. The calves were treated with 7.5 mg/kg of a locally-available albendazole drench on the first visit, and pre- and post- treatment trichostrongyle and Toxocara faecal egg counts were performed using a modified McMaster method.ResultsOur clinical findings point towards a generally poor level of animal health, implying a role of ticks and tick-transmitted diseases in village calves and need for improvement in neonatal calf husbandry in the dairy co-operative holdings. High faecal trichostrongyle egg counts were not intuitive, based on our interpretation of the animal management information that was provided. This shows the need for better understanding of nematode parasite epidemiology within the context of local husbandry and environmental conditions. The albendazole anthelmintic was effective against Toxocara, while efficacy against trichostrongyle nematodes was poor in both village and dairy co-operative calves, demonstrating the need for further research to inform sustainable drug use.ConclusionsHere we describe the potential value of faecal nematode egg counting as a platform for communicating with and gaining access to cattle keepers and their animals, respectively, in southern Malawi, with the aim of providing informative background knowledge and understanding that may aid in the establishment of effective veterinary services in an under-resourced community.
Highlights
The wellbeing and livelihood of farmers in impoverished regions of the world is intrinsically linked to the health and welfare of their livestock; improved animal health is a pragmatic component of poverty alleviation
When health issues arise in village livestock, farmers or traditional village authorities usually contact a government-recognised person living within the community, known as a vet scout or Community Animal Health Worker (CAHW)
No Assistant Veterinary Officer (AVO) had previously treated any species of animal in the 12 villages. (5 village calves were treated with amitraz between the first and second visits, as a consequence of our intervention.)
Summary
The wellbeing and livelihood of farmers in impoverished regions of the world is intrinsically linked to the health and welfare of their livestock; improved animal health is a pragmatic component of poverty alleviation. In setting out its agenda for sustainable development, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has established specific goals, offering a vision of a fairer, more prosperous, peaceful and sustainable world in which no one is left behind [1]. These goals emphasise the need for improvement in the socioeconomic sustainability and efficiency of integrated livestock agriculture in order to meet the food requirements of the world’s population. Better animal health and welfare aids human wellbeing by addressing food security and ensuring a healthy diet, having socio-economic and environmental benefits, and improving health standards through the control of zoonoses [3]
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