Abstract: Akagera National Park and its surroundings are home to tsetse flies and a number of their mammalian hosts in Rwanda. A One-health approach is being used in the control and surveillance of both animal and human try-panosomosis in Rwanda. Determination of the infection level in tsetse flies, species of trypanosomes circulating in vectors, the source of tsetse blood meal and endosymbionts is crucial in understanding the epidemiology of the disease in animals and humans in the region. ...
Abstract: Anaplasmosis, caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, is an important veterinary and zoonotic disease. Transmission by ticks has been characterized but little is known about non-tick vectors of livestock anaplasmosis. This study investigated the pres-ence of Anaplasma spp. in camels in northern Kenya and whether the hematophagous camel ked, Hippobosca camelina, acts as a vector. Camels (n = 976) and > 10,000 keds were sampled over a three-year study period and the...
Abstract: Myrmarachne assimilis, an ant-like jumping spider (Araneae, Salticidae) from the Philippines and a Batesian mimic of Oecophylla smaragdina, the Asian weaver ant, aggregates on leaves in the company of its model. All stages in this species’ lifecycle are sometimes found in nest complexes (nests connected to each other by silk). Although aggregating and forming nest complexes is known for a few other salticid species, the aggregations of M. assimilis have some unusual haracteristic...
Abstract: Background Outdoor and early evening mosquito biting needs to be addressed if malaria elimination is to be achieved. While indoor-targeted interventions, such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, remain essential, complementary approaches that tackle persisting outdoor transmission are urgently required to maximize the impact. Major malaria vectors principally bite human hosts around the feet and ankles. Consequently, this study investigated whether sandals tre...
Description: A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Applied Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Nairobi