ZOOTOX

– Collaborative research in environmental toxicology and zoonotic diseases in the Human Domestic animal Wildlife interface areas of Eastern and Southern Africa – A South-North Veterinary Network

Foto: Clovice Kankya

The veterinary network ZOOTOX has united faculties at Universities in Uganda (Makerere University), Tanzania (Sokoine University of Agriculture), Zambia (University of Zambia), Mozambique (Eduardo Mondlane University), Zimbabwe (University of Zimbabwe) and South Africa (University of Pretoria) with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute with the aim of initiating collaborative research and educating young researchers within the areas of zoonoses and environmental toxicology. The project was funded by the Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education (NUFA) at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and a continuation of the project NUFU PRO 08/02, utilising already established collaborations of senior researchers and PhD scholars.

ZOOTOX has addressed specific health issues pertaining to the human-livestock-wildlife interface areas in Eastern and Southern Africa, focussing on the use of modern epidemiological tools (modelling, risk assessment, etc.) and new serological and molecular tools for disease diagnostics. Challenges in the research environment were elucidated by determining access to research literature, leading to the establishment of a literature information system through distant and open-source learning platforms. To support the greater distribution of competences in different diagnostic techniques, centres of excellences were set up at partner facilities for the sharing of knowledge and resources. Four PhD students were trained in the ZOOTOX network, working on disease modelling and risk assessment with regard to non-tuberculosis mycobacterial species infections, zoonosis and cyanotoxins.

Forskning.no: Trues av farlige bakterier

Project periode: 2007–2011

Theses:

  • Munyeme M. (2011). Epidemiological investigations of zoonotic tuberculosis in the livestock and wildlife interface areas of the Kafue Basin in Zambia.
  • Nonga H. (2011). Impacts of cyanobacter and cyanobacter toxins (CTs) pollution of water bodies in humans, domestic animal and wildlife in Tanzania.
  • Muwonge A. (2012). The Public Health importance tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria in Mubende district, Uganda.
  • Kankya C. (2011). Molecular epidemiology, socio-economics and geo-spatial distribution of environmental mycobacterioses – Mycobacterium avium- intracellular complex (MAC) at the human-environment-livestock interphase in the pastoral areas of Uganda.

Publications:

  • Mdegela RH, Mosha RD, Sandvik M, Skaare JU (2010). Assessment of acetylcholinesterase activity in Clarias gariepinus as a biomarker of organophosphate and carbamate exposure. Ecotox 19, 855-863
  • Nonga HE, Mdegela RH, Lie E, Sandvik M, Skaare JU (2011). Assessment of farming practices and uses of agrochemicals in Lake Manyara basin, Tanzania. African J. Agricul. Res 6, 2216-2230
  • Mdegela RH, Braathen M, Mosha RD, Skaare JU, Sandvik M. (2010). Assessment of pollution in sewage ponds using biomarker responses in wild African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Tanzania. Ecotox 19, 722-734.
  • Nonga HE, Sandvik M, Miles CO, Mdegela RH, Lie E, Haande S, Skaare JU (2012), Occurrence of cyanobacteria and microcystin productions in Lake Manyara basin, Tanzania. Environ Sci Technol doi: 10.1021/es301808h
  • Nonga, H. E., Mdegela, R. H., Sandvik, M., Lie, E., Miles, C. O., & Skaare, J. U. (2017). Cyanobacteria and cyanobacterial toxins in the alkaline-saline Lakes Natron and Momela, Tanzania. Tanzania Vet J 32, 108-116
  • Pedro O, Rundberget T, Lie E, Correia, D Skaare JU, Berdal KG, Neves L, Sandvik M. (2012). Occurrence of microcystins in freshwater bodies in Southern Mozambique. J. Res. Environ. Sci. Toxicol. 1, 58-65.
  • Nonga HE, Morten S, Miles CO, Lie E, Mdegela RH, Mwamengele G, Semguruka W, Skaare JU (2011). Possible involvement of microcystins in the unexplained mass mortalities of Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor Geoffroy) at Lake Manyara in Tanzania. Hydrobiologia. 678, 167-78.
  • Pedro, O., Lie, E., Correia, D., Neves, L., Skaare, J. U., Sandvik, M., & Berdal, K. G. (2013). Quantification of microcystin-producing microcystis in freshwater bodies in the Southern Mozambique using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. African J. Biotechnol 12, 4850-4857.
  • Nonga, H.E., Kihwele, E.S., Mdegela, R.H., Lie, E., Sandvik, M., Lugomela, C, Skaare, J. U. Occurrences of toxic cynobacteria in Manyara soda lake, Tanzania. 8th International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria (ICTC8), 29th of August to 4th of September 2010, Istanbul, Turkey