Province Of South Africa Research Articles

Exploring socioeconomic determinants of goat herd size: A case study of smallholder farmers in Lephalale local municipality, Limpopo, South Africa

Goat farming plays an important economic role in numerous developing countries, with Africa being a home to a considerable portion of the global goat population. This study examined the socioeconomic determinants affecting goat herd size among smallholder farmers in Lephalale Local Municipality of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 61 participants. The socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder goat farmers in Lephalale Local Municipality were identified and described using descriptive statistics on one hand. On the other hand, a Multiple linear regression model was employed to analyse the socioeconomic determinants affecting smallholder goat farmers’ herd sizes. Findings from the Multiple linear regression model highlighted several key determinants, including the age of the farmer, gender of the farmer, education level, and marital status of farmers, along with determinants like distance to the markets, provision of feed supplements, and access to veterinary services. Understanding these determinants is crucial for policymakers and practitioners to develop targeted strategies aimed at promoting sustainable goat farming practices and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the region.

The role of cyber intelligence in policing cybercrime in South Africa: Insights from law enforcement officers

ABSTRACT The rapid increase of technology and the sophistication in which it is used to obtain and manipulate information presents fertile ground for cybercriminals. Thus, the consequent increase of cybercrime in South Africa poses a threat to individuals, government, businesses, and security agencies; ultimately causing extensive financial losses to the economy. The huge preventive cost incurred by putting in place stringent preventative measures, affect the financial status of individuals and threatens the sustainability of many companies. This study aimed to examine the policing of cybercrime in South Africa by analysing the experiences of police officers who are involved in the policing of this crime. It focussed on the use of cyber intelligence and cybersecurity measures for monitoring, preventing, and combating cybercrime. An empirical study was conducted in five selected provinces of South Africa, and Tesch’s data analysis method was used. The findings indicate the challenges that investigators encounter in obtaining credible digital evidence such as the frequent expiry of digital forensic licences. These challenges are compounded by victims’ unwillingness to testify due to the fear of losing their clients, and the need to protect the reputation of their companies.

Job satisfaction and turnover: The role of creativity, engagement, and decent work amongst employees

Orientation: The South African public service faces the challenge of a high labour turnover among its employees. There is a need for strategies to not only keep employees happy at work but also to retain them.Research purpose: The study investigates the determinants of job satisfaction and turnover intention accounting for the role of employee creativity, engagement and decent work.Motivation for the study: There is a need for strategies to not only retain employees within the public service but also to ensure the employees are satisfied with their jobs.Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 304 employees working within the South African public service in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 25) and the Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) software packages were used to analyse data.Main findings: It was established that higher ratings of decent work experience relate positively to employee ratings of engagement in the work and that they also influenced outcomes such as job satisfaction and employee turnover intentions.Practical/managerial implications: The findings are a useful precursor in improving not just the work experience for employees but also work related outcomes such as job satisfaction and turnover intention.Contribution/value-add: The study findings give practical interventions to address the challenge of high turnover and the dearth of job satisfaction among public service employees.

Prevalence, Characteristics, and Distribution of Human Papillomavirus According to Age and HIV Status in Women of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection associated with the development of cervical cancer. This study investigated cervical HPV prevalence, characteristics, and distribution according to age and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status among women attending a public community health facility in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A total of 325 participants (aged 18 to 60) visiting a community health facility for any reason were recruited. Cervical HPV infection was detected using the Seegene Anyplex™ II HPV28 assay (Seegene Inc., Seoul, South Korea). Overall HPV prevalence was 65.2% (95% CI: 59.9–70.2%), with the highest prevalence of 80.9% (95% CI: 67.2–89.8%) observed in the 18–25-year-old age group and the lowest prevalence of 46.3% (95% CI: 35.8–57.1%) in the 46–60-year-old age group. HR-HPV infection was found to decrease with increasing age (p < 0.001) in the overall population and according to HIV status. In contrast, LR-HPV infection was found to significantly decrease with age among HIV-negative women (p = 0.001) but not for the overall population and HIV-positive women. A proportion of 12.9% were infected with one or more HPV types covered by the Cervarix® HPV vaccine (HPV-16 and/or -18), 18.8% (by those covered by Gardasil®4 (HPV-6, -11, -16 and/or -18), and 42.2% by those covered by Gardasil®9 (HPV-6, -11, -16, -18, -31, -33, -45, -52 and/or -58). The alpha-9 HPV species was the most dominant species (40.6%), followed by the alpha-7 species (29.8%). High overall HPV, HR-HPV, and alpha-9 species prevalence were observed among the women attending the public health facility. These findings contribute to the limited HPV distribution data among the Eastern Cape women, which could be used to improve HPV-related policy and assess the effectiveness of the HPV vaccination.

Actor Sensemaking and its Role in Implementation of the Decentralized Drug-Resistant TB Policy in South Africa.

South Africa has a high burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). A policy to decentralize DR-TB treatment from specialized central hospitals to more accessible district facilities was introduced in 2011, but to date implementation has been suboptimal, with variable pace, coverage and models of care emerging. This study explored multilevel policy implementation of DR-TB decentralization in two provinces of South Africa, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Applying interpretive policy analysis, this paper describes how actors across health system levels and geographies made sense of the DR-TB policy and how this shaped implementation. In an embedded qualitative case study, districts of the two provinces were compared, through data collected in 94 in-depth interviews, and analysed using Vickers' framework of reality, value and action judgements. Five district cases characterise variation in the pace of implementation and models of DR-TB care that emerged. Individual and collective attitudes for and against the policy were underpinned by different systems of meaning for interpreting policy problems and making decisions. These meaning systems were reflected in actor stances on whether DR-TB care needed to be specialized or generalized, nurse- or doctor-led, and institutionalized or ambulatory. Actors' stances influenced their actions and implementation strategies adopted. Resistance to decentralized DR-TB care related to perceived threats of budget cuts to and loss of authority of central facilities, and was often justified in fears of increased transmission, poor quality of care and inadequate resources at lower levels. New advances in diagnosis and treatment to address the growing burden of DR-TB in South Africa will have little impact unless implementation dynamics are better understood, and attention paid to the mindsets, interests and interpretations of policy by actors tasked with implementation. Deliberative policy implementation processes will enhance the quality of discourse, communication and cross-learning between policy actors, critical for reaching synthesis of meaning systems.

Cultural Practices and Constitutional Rights in Widowhood: Lived Experiences of Black Widowed Women in Makapanstad Village in South Africa

This paper aims to examine the various cultural practices that apply to widows vis à vis their constitutional rights. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (hereinafter referred to as the constitution) outlines inalienable human rights that do not prescribe their attainment requirements. This paper is part of a more extensive study conducted in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The research tools were piloted in Makapan village. The aim of this paper is to explain how cultural practices interact with constitutional rights and affect the lives of Black widows in Makapanstad village. The objective of the study is to describe the intersections in widowhood cultural practices, which are often not aligned with the constitution of South Africa. Qualitative research was used. Three widows were sampled in this paper. The research question that is addressed by this paper is the following: “What cultural processes in widowhood are still practiced by the community of Makapanstad that can be analyzed in line with the constitutional imperatives for the South African context?” The intersectionality theory was used in this study. Findings reveal that widowhood rites are gendered. Some Black cultural practices are embedded in culture and religion, and they undermine the constitution and human rights of widowed women.

Implementation facilitators and barriers of person and family-centred emergency care

Background: At the time of the research, the nurses in the designated hospital’s emergency department did not implement person- and family-centred care to the detriment of patients and families. They were, however, eager to embark on the implementation of the recommendations of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario for person- and family-centred care.Aim: This study therefore aimed to explore and describe the possible implementation facilitators and barriers prior to the use of the association’s recommendations.Setting: The study included eight nurses with different specialisation fields and more than 5 years of experience in an emergency department.Methods: During focus group interviews with nurse participants, the domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research were used to explore whether the recommendations of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario could be used to structure person- and family-centred care in the emergency department of the designated hospital in the Mpumalanga province in South Africa. The framework guided the deductive data analysis.Results: The identified facilitators referred to a positive match between the recommendations and existing practice in the department. The barriers referred to the department’s fast-paced work environment in which a combination of emergency and primary care is delivered.Conclusion: One of the facilitators referred to the participants being used to ongoing training by and communication from management to support their adjustment to improvements. One of the barriers referred to the department’s fast-paced work environment.Contributions: The article contributes to practice improvement with a description of the use of frameworks to explore possible facilitators and barriers prior to endeavours to implement recommendations.

Most Hampering Factors in the Implementation of Total Quality Management at Public Secondary Schools in South Africa

The study aims to investigate the most inhibiting factors to the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) at public secondary schools in the King Cetshwayo district of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The study adopted a posistivist paradigm and employed aa quantitative research approach in order to attend to the nature of the research problem and present numerical data. Three hundred (300) teachers and departmental heads were conveniently, but randomly sampled, and served with questionnaires to participate in the study. Empirical findings of this study revealed that the most factors hampering implementation of TQM at public secondary schools were the lack of resources/financial resources, failure by top management to create a suitable environment for quality improvement, lack of management skills, and poor commitment and philosophy to devise quality management strategies by top management. This paper indicates the suggested changes which the Department Basic Education needs to implement to improve the quality of education in public schools. The proposed changes are: to train and capacitate school principals regarding the best TQM to be implemented. There is a need to resource and fund schools to ensure all TQM-related infrastructure and human resources are available for effective or successful implementation. Received: 23 March 2024 / Accepted: 30 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024

Contested and nervous spaces: exploring the environment of healthcare provision for international migrants in the Gauteng province of South Africa

ABSTRACT Background Notwithstanding the global goal of inclusive universal health coverage, and the notion of migrant-sensitive health systems, limited healthcare access or the exclusion of migrants from national health systems persists. South Africa has a rights-based constitution, but there is an inability or a failure of the health system to recognise and address the health needs of migrants. Objective To explore the intersection of the environment of healthcare provision for migrants and the everyday practices and behaviours of health workers and patients in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Methods The conceptual frameworks of health system responsiveness and social exclusion informed this institutional ethnographic study at 13 healthcare facilities in Gauteng province. We developed an observation guide to explore the intersection of culture and environment and its influence on healthcare provision to patients, especially migrants. Following ethics approval, we observed the facilities for 234 person-days. We used thematic analysis to analyse the data. Results Busy, frantic or nervous spaces, and contestations between patients and health workers, and among health workers formed part of the social and cultural environment of healthcare provision. The presence of migrant patients during busy periods served as a detonator for rude or discriminatory remarks, exacerbated by staff shortages and language barriers. Simultaneously, migrants exercised their agency by rebutting or confronting rude health workers. We also observed encouraging examples of kindness, caring and professionalism of health workers. Conclusion The study has implications for achieving a migrant-sensitive health system in South Africa.

Temporal Dynamics of Scout Release-Behavior of Termitophagous Ponerine ant, Megaponera Analis

AbstractMegaponera analis is an obligate termitophagous species endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. The species forages by sending out scouts to search for termites. Once termites are located, the scouts return to the nest and recruit nest mates. Scouts face unpredictable environmental conditions, including sudden flooding, temperature changes, high winds and predation by natural enemies. We observed 519 scouting trips from 18 different colonies over three years to determine how long it takes for the colony to replace a scout that has likely died while on scouting duty or is lost due to environmental perturbations. Study areas were at Maremani, Musina, Masebe and D’nyala Nature Reserves in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. We introduced definitions of scouting turnover, scouting trip, and scouting session. Scouting turnover is the time it takes a successive scout to leave the nest for a trip, whereas a scouting trip is the journey a scout takes from the nest in search of food. Since M. analis shows bimodal foraging behavior, the morning observations were recorded as the first scouting session, while the subsequent session, which starts in the afternoon, was recorded as the second scouting session. The mean scouting turnover for all 519 trips was 9.36 ± 0.64 (SD) minutes. When turnover was divided into sessions, the first scouting session lasted a mean of 7.77 ± 12.17 (SD) minutes, while the second had 10.34 ± 18.32 (SD) minutes. The minimum turnover was zero minutes, and the maximum was 124 minutes.

Overcoming the Challenges of Including Learners with Visual Impairments Through Teacher Collaborations

In this article we report on a study undertaken with 255 teachers working with learners with visual impairments. The focus of our discussion is teachers’ implementation of inclusive education policies with learners with visual impairments in full-service schools in South Africa. We foreground the ways in which the teacher participants relied on teacher collaborations to overcome some of the challenges they faced as a result of limited resource provisions in schools in this country. We implemented an instrumental case study design and followed the approach of participatory reflection and action (PRA). The sample included teachers (n = 255) from seven full-service and ten special schools from five provinces in South Africa. In addition, 50 expert stakeholders who work in the field of visual impairment were involved. For data generation and documentation, we utilised PRA-based workshops, the observation-as-context-of-interaction method, audio-visual techniques, field notes, and reflective journals. The findings of our research confirm that full-service schools face distinct challenges regarding limited resources as well as teachers that are inexperienced to accommodate learners with visual impairments. Even though the teachers in our study were initially reluctant to implement inclusive education practices, their collaboration with fellow teachers and other informed stakeholders enabled them to address some of the challenges they experienced and implement inclusive practices. They subsequently formed a team and learnt from one another to facilitate positive changes through the implementation of inclusive practices, thereby following a socio-ecological approach to inclusive practices in full-service schools in South Africa.

Differentiated Service Delivery Model in Improving HIV Treatment Outcomes Among Female Sex Workers in Gauteng Province of South Africa: A Protocol Paper

Differentiated Service Delivery Model in Improving HIV Treatment Outcomes Among Female Sex Workers in Gauteng Province of South Africa: A Protocol Paper

Life Cycle Assessment of an Avocado: Grown in South Africa-Enjoyed in Europe.

Food production is known to have significant environmental impacts, with the main contributors residing in the farming and transportation life cycle phases. Of the various food products transported around the world, avocados have increasingly gained attention as a high-commodity superfood. Avocados require specific climatic and agricultural conditions for farming, with the most fertile land and conditions located outside Europe. Consequently, most avocados consumed in Europe are imported over vast geographical distances, with little information available to quantify the environmental impacts of this imported superfood. This paper aims to present the most detailed life cycle assessment results of an avocado cultivated, grown and harvested in the Limpopo Province of South Africa and exported to the European market for sale and consumption. A life cycle assessment was developed for the farming, harvesting, handling, packaging, ripening, transportation, and carbon sequestration potential of the avocado, and it was used to conduct a holistic life cycle assessment. Input data was obtained through an 18-month data collection campaign across the relevant stakeholders. A baseline 'business-as-usual' scenario is focused on throughout this study, and scope for optimisation is identified for each life cycle phase where applicable, accompanied by uncertainty analyses. Results show a total carbon input of 904.85 kg CO2e/tonne. Mitigating this, 521.88 kg CO2e/tonne is offset, resulting in a net carbon footprint of 382.97 kg CO2e/tonne with uncertainty ranges of -23.22 to +58.69 kg CO2e/tonne, normalised to 57.45 g CO2e/avocado grown in South Africa and sold in Europe. The environmental impacts of the avocado industry under consideration are largely mitigated by the "nature first" philosophy of the farming and logistics enterprises, which have made significant investments in reducing emissions. Sensitivity analyses indicate that implementing large-scale renewable energy, using alternative packaging instead of cardboard, and selling avocados unripened could further enable the farming enterprise to achieve Net Zero objectives. These measures could reduce baseline emissions from 382.97 kg CO2e/tonne to a theoretical -68.54 kg CO2e/tonne, representing a 117.9% decrease. Although this study does not quantify climate change impacts, qualitative analyses suggest that climate change will have a net negative effect on the avocado industry in South Africa. These regions, typically located in micro-climates, are projected to become wetter and warmer, adversely affecting crop phenology, pest control, road conditions, management complexity, farmer livelihoods, and food security. The study recommends large-scale implementation of the optimisation strategies identified to achieve Net Zero objectives and the development of proactive climate change mitigation strategies to enhance the resilience of avocado supply chains to future stressors. These insights are crucial for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and consumers aiming to promote sustainability in the avocado market.

Challenges Experienced by Teachers when Integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Natural Sciences Practical Work

This study explored what challenges teachers experienced when integrating indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), which are culture specific, into practical work in natural sciences classrooms with diverse learners. Using an exploratory qualitative case study based on an interpretive paradigm, three natural sciences teachers and two subject advisors were purposively selected from the Harry Gwala district in the KwaZulu–Natal province of South Africa. Semi-structured interviews, a focus group interview and practical work lesson observations were used to collect data that were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings show that when indigenous knowledge was integrated with practical work, real-life activities were simulated in the classrooms. The introduction of real-life situations and IKS-based practical activities invited IKS-based learner behaviour. When simulating real-life practices, the learners’ socio-cultural beliefs became manifest. It was reported that learners assigned traditional gender roles for the practical work activities. Recent initiates into adulthood did not participate in activities that included the use of open fires because it was forbidden in their culture. Learners were also not willing to work with clay soil based on the belief that it attracted goblins, despite evidence showing its use in the building of huts and making of pots. Furthermore, teachers recognised the need to manage the conflicts and controversies that might result from integrating IKS into practical work. The study recommends education districts to establish contextualised resource centres for IKS integration that take into account the socio-cultural beliefs of local learners as a way to support the teachers.

An Oxford Nanopore Technology-Based Hepatitis B Virus Sequencing Protocol Suitable for Genomic Surveillance Within Clinical Diagnostic Settings.

Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection remains a significant public health concern, particularly in Africa, where the burden is substantial. HBV is an enveloped virus, classified into ten phylogenetically distinct genotypes (A-J). Tests to determine HBV genotypes are based on full-genome sequencing or reverse hybridization. In practice, both approaches have limitations. Whereas diagnostic sequencing, generally using the Sanger approach, tends to focus only on the S-gene and yields little or no information on intra-patient HBV genetic diversity, reverse hybridization detects only known genotype-specific mutations. To resolve these limitations, we developed an Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT)-based HBV diagnostic sequencing protocol suitable for clinical virology that yields both complete genome sequences and extensive intra-patient HBV diversity data. Specifically, the protocol involves tiling-based PCR amplification of HBV sequences, library preparation using the ONT Rapid Barcoding Kit (Oxford nanopore Technologies, Oxford, OX4 4DQ, UK), ONT GridION sequencing, genotyping using genome detective software v1.132/1.133, a recombination analysis using jpHMM (26 October 2011 version) and RDP5.61 software, and drug resistance profiling using Geno2pheno v2.0 software. We prove the utility of our protocol by efficiently generating and characterizing high-quality near full-length HBV genomes from 148 residual diagnostic samples from HBV-infected patients in the Western Cape province of South Africa, providing valuable insights into the genetic diversity and epidemiology of HBV in this region of the world.

Supporting Learners with Mild Intellectual Developmental Disorders with Career Development in Mainstream Schools

Many learners with mild intellectual developmental disorders (IDD) in mainstream primary schools in the Free State Province of South Africa require support to maximise their learning potential and prepare them for work post-school. In this study, a qualitative approach and Critical Disability Theory were used to explore the experiences of education stakeholders (teachers, parents, and principals) in how schools support the career development of learners with mild IDD in mainstream schools. There were 25 participants in this study, and data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and demographic questionnaires. The findings indicated that teachers were optimistic that learners with intellectual developmental disorders could thrive if identified early and provided with specialised support services. The findings also showed that teachers had low self-efficacy regarding their training on inclusive education practices and had limited knowledge about career development services. All the participants were optimistic that learners with mild IDD could participate in the labour market if they were taught work-related skills at an early age. It is recommended that stronger collaborative partnerships should be developed between stakeholders to promote inclusive support interventions, transform teaching approaches, and equip mainstream teachers with the required skills.

Changing composition of street drug nyaope and its implications in South Africa

Nyaope is a Novel Psychoacve Substance (NPS) that connues to bring major challenges to the health and social well-being of users and their communies in South Africa. The acve ingredients that make up this cocktail drug Nyaope were first idenfied in 2015 using Time-of- flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) in the samples collected from the surrounding areas of the capital city Pretoria, and they were found to be variable across the samples. This variability had posed challenges to the treatment and rehabilitaon programmes. The current study was conducted in 2020, and included significantly a larger number of Nyaope samples collected from two provinces: Gauteng and Kwa Zulu-Natal of South Africa. The analycal method applied was also an improved model of TOF-MS analyser with a larger library of various drugs and their metabolites for matching the ingredients. Strikingly, many non-addicve drugs that were found in the previous samples were not found in this study. The new trend of formulaon has become more addicve and compact with major opiates and a few selected opioids, and with paracetamol and caffeine in different combinaons. This study reports differences in the physical appearance and the chemical composion of street drug Nyaope across the 2 provinces of South Africa: Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal (KZN), and also compared with the previous findings of 2015 in the samples collected in Gauteng province. The drug appears to be widely consumed and has serious health consequences as per previous studies, and therefore, understanding the chemical substances used in the drug will be helpful in both treatment and rehabilitaon efforts.

South Africa’s crowded cannabis market: identifying new market opportunities for Ilco Farming’s “green gold”

Learning outcomes Following a discussion of the case, students should be able to analyse competitive dynamics: provide an in-depth critical analysis of Ilco Farming’s microenvironment, using the structure–conduct–performance framework; evaluate strategic positioning: conduct a SWOT analysis of Ilco Farming’s medicinal cannabis business; and develop strategic approaches: propose actionable strategies that would provide effective solutions to the problem of constrained market conditions currently faced by Ilco Farming. Case overview/synopsis Coenie and Ilse Venter established Ilco Farming, a cannabis farm located in the Viljoenskroon district in the Free State province in South Africa, in 2021. From the beginning, they poured their hearts and souls into their new venture, which soon paid off. A few short months after Ilco Farming began operating, despite the presence of other large competitors, Ilco Farming supplied a large share of the domestic medicinal market with flower heads. But then an unexpected challenge presented itself. In March 2023, Ilco Farming was operating at only 23% (600 m2) of its production capacity of 2600 m2 and had considerable room for growth, the local market – at least the local legal market – for cannabis began to show signs of saturation. Coenie and Ilsa found themselves at the proverbial crossroads, grappling with the crucial decision of how to secure their farm’s future in the face of a fast-saturating local (legal) cannabis market and a thriving (illegal) black market. Coenie and Ilse refused to entertain the idea of going the black market route, as they were unwilling to risk losing their operating licence. They calculated that the farm would reach breakeven point within the next two years, with profits unlikely during this period. Should they persist with their current strategy of producing high-quality products and delivering a superior service in the hopes of growing their market share? Or should they consider other strategic options? Coenie and Ilse were sitting at their boardroom table having a cup of coffee and looking out of the window at Ilco Farming’s impressive SAHPRA- and GAP-approved warehouse and tunnels. “What should we do?” they both wondered. Complexity academic level The case study can be used in postgraduate courses in microeconomics (PGDIP/MBA) and agricultural economics (PGDIP/MBA). Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 5: International business.

Retrospective analysis of prevalence and risk factors of bovine lameness in dairy farms in South Africa

Lameness is a crippling problem in the dairy industry, posing a significant welfare challenge and leading to premature culling. The study aimed to determine the seasonal prevalence of lameness in two different provinces of South Africa. The data was collected in two local municipalities (Mpofana and Raymond Mhlaba). However, the computer software systems of four randomly selected dairy farms were used to collect retrospective secondary data for lameness and predisposing factors (2018–2022). The data's targeted parameters include breed, parity, weight, stage of lactation, diseases diagnosed (lameness), age, and milk production trends. The highest prevalence was observed in uMpofana municipality (58.8%) compared to Raymond Mhlaba municipality (41.2%). Among cattle above nine years of age, the prevalence of lameness was the highest (36%), compared to 7-8-year-old (24%), 4-6-year-old (21.7%), and 1-3-year-old (14.3%) cattle. Additionally, the highest prevalence of lameness was observed during the summer season, followed by spring, winter, and autumn. The strongest association is kept for the right front leg (p<0.0001), followed by the left front leg (p<0.001), right back leg (p<0.001), and left back leg (p<0.001). In conclusion, this study provides baseline information on several key factors influencing the prevalence of lameness in dairy cattle in various farms in uMpofana municipality and Raymond Mhlaba municipality. The study findings could be used for farm managerial decision-making and epidemiological interventions. Given the high prevalence of lameness in dairy farms in uMpofana municipality, there is a need for more focused research aimed at identifying the specific causes of lameness in these localities.

Exploring the associations of tobacco smoking and serum cotinine levels with selected inflammatory markers in adults with HIV in South Africa

This study examined the associations between tobacco smoking and serum cotinine levels, an objective biochemical measure of tobacco smoke exposure, with markers of inflammation, i.e., interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 2 (IL-2) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in people living with HIV (PLWH).These specific markers were selected because of their hypothesised associations with smoking, PLWH and their outcomes. In a random sample of ≥ 18-year-old PLWH receiving care at 17 public healthcare facilities across the Western Cape Province in South Africa, data collection included self-reported smoking history, and serum levels of cotinine and selected inflammatory markers. The inflammatory marker data were log transformed because of the skewedness of their distribution. Linear regression models (1) adjusted for age and gender, and (2) fully adjusted for age, gender, current alcohol use, body mass index and CD4 counts were used to examine the associations between smoking tobacco or serum cotinine and inflammatory markers. Level of significance was p < 0.05. Among 749 PLWH who were mainly women (79%), the mean age was 38.5 (8.9) years and similar when stratified by smoking status. Serum cotinine levels exhibited a striking discrepancy, with a median of 154 ng/mL among current smokers, in stark contrast to the consistent median values of 10 ng/mL observed among past and never smokers. In regression models adjusted for age and gender, current smoking and frequent smoking were associated with lower IL-2 but higher TNF-α. Log-cotinine exhibited associations with IFN-γ, IL-10, and TNF-α, while cotinine levels ≥ 10 ng/mL compared to < 10 ng/mL were associated with higher IFN-γ and TNF-α. In fully adjusted models, log-cotinine and cotinine levels ≥ 10 ng/mL displayed significant associations with higher IFN-γ and lower IL-2. This study underscores the importance of investigating the interplay between smoking tobacco or serum cotinine levels with pro-inflammatory cytokines in PLWH. It signals the need for comprehensive research to unravel the potential synergistic impacts of smoking tobacco and HIV infection on chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation, shedding light on critical avenues for intervention and management strategies.