College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and BioSecurity (CoVAB)
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Browsing College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and BioSecurity (CoVAB) by Subject "Acaricide resistant ticks"
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ItemAssessing the use of agro-chemicals in controlling acaricide-resistant ticks in Mbarara District, Western Uganda(Makerere University, 2019-09) Wobusobozi, JustineTicks have been reported as a major challenge in the livestock sector in Uganda. They cause financial losses directly through reduced production or indirectly through costs incurred on their control. Several control measures are being used to control these ticks with the use of acaricides being the most common. The increasing population of ticks and incidence of tick- borne diseases has been attributed to emergence multiple acaricide resistant ticks. The consequences of cases of tick- borne diseases include: losses due to deaths of animals and risen treatment costs. In absence of efficacious acaricides, farmers have resorted to use of crop pesticides to control acaricide-resistant ticks. This study therefore, assessed how wide spread agrochemicals are used in controlling acaricide-resistant ticks and established the sources of agrochemicals used, the agrochemicals commonly used, the perceptions of various respondents on the efficacy and safety of the practice and the drivers of the practice. The research approach focused on qualitative nature. Quantitative approach captured quantifiable data from which questions about measurable variables like the rate at which the use of crop pesticides has spread among different farmers, work and field experience of respondents in agro-chemical and veterinary drug shops, mortality of animals due to use of crop pesticides to control ticks among others, the perception of various respondents on the perceived efficacy and safety of the use of crop pesticides to control acaricide-resistant ticks, respondents included: veterinary professionals, veterinary and agro-chemical shop attendants. It was found that more than half 32/60 (53%) of the interviewed farmers admitted that they use crop pesticides to control acaricide-resistant ticks. Agro-chemical shops were the biggest source of crop pesticides used in tick control accounting for 42/60 (70%). Other sources included: markets, fellow farmers and veterinary drug shops. Insecticides were the only type of crop pesticides being used in control of acaricide-resistant ticks, especially, Lava 10/32 (31.7%), Ocelamectin 5/32 (16.7%), Dudu-Acelamectin 3/32 (10.1%) and Tick burn spray 1/32 (4.3%). Among perceptions of the practice, agro-chemicals were noted to cause several adverse effects to animals including coat irritation, blindness and deaths. In conclusion, there is wide use of agro-chemicals to control acaricide-resistant ticks in Mbarara District, among livestock farmers. However, the study shows that agro-chemicals have got adverse effects to both animals and humans therefore the practice should be stopped as soon as possible by regulatory bodies through mass awareness and strict restrictions on distribution of drugs.
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ItemSub-acute rabbit toxicity test for agrochemicals containing abamectin (2%) and acetamiprid (3%) formulation illicitly used to control acaricide-resistant ticks(Makerere University, 2024-10) Isuka, Faith MiriamThe increased occurrence of tick acaricide resistance to conventional acaricides has compelled farmers to use agrochemicals containing abamectin (2%) and acetamiprid (3%) solely or in combination with acaricides to control ticks, a practice that has been reported to cause blindness in cattle. This research assessed the ocular toxicity caused by the application of the above agrochemicals. It involved an experimental study in which eight New Zealand rabbits were kept in cages and acclimatized for two weeks in the experimental animal house. The rabbits were allocated to four groups (n=2), one of which served as a control. Proparacaine hydrochloride anesthetic was administered to all the rabbits five minutes before the application of the chemicals. Rabbits in group X were exposed to 0.03mg/ml abamectin, 0.045mg/ml acetamiprid (Dudu-acelamectin®), group Y, a combination of 0.166mg/ml Amitraz (Norotraz®), 0.013mg/ml abamectin and 0.02mg/ml acetamiprid (Dudu-acelamectin®), and group Z, 0.25mg/ml Amitraz (Norotraz®). Group C, the control was given the diluent, (distilled water). The pH of the treatment solutions was measured before use on the rabbits. Administration of the chemical was done every three days at a dose of 0.1mls, directly dropped into the left eye for a period of 21 days. Meloxicam analgesic was administered subcutaneous, eight hours after the application of the test chemicals. Measurements for body weight were done daily. At the end of the experiment on day 21, the rabbits were humanely sacrificed. Gross pathology, tissue processing, and histopathology were done on the eyes and the kidney. One-way ANOVA was used to test for significant differences in mean weight, blood, hepatic, and renal indices at 95% Confidence Interval using STATA. The pH of the diluted test chemicals was 6.9, 6.9 and 6.5 for Dudu-acelamectin (X), a combination of Dudu-acelamectin and Amitraz (Y) and Amitraz (Z), respectively. The weights of the rabbits in all groups generally increased from day 1 to 21. No observable changes were seen in the eyes of the rabbits during the course and at the end of the study. Biochemical and hematological results showed that there were no significant changes attributed to the chemicals. On histopathology, the eyes and kidneys were found to be normal with no significant lesions. It can therefore be deduced that sub-acute exposure at the above concentration of the chemical causes no significant ocular toxicity. Hence, more research should be done to assess the actual ratios of the chemicals used by farmers and investigate the outcome in a chronic (longer) ocular toxicity test.