School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources (SVAR) Collection

Acaricidal activity of Tephrosia Vogelii on Rhipicephallus decoloratus ticks collected from Kamira sub county in Luwero district

2025-02-27T13:38:43Z

Acaricidal activity of Tephrosia Vogelii on Rhipicephallus decoloratus ticks collected from Kamira sub county in Luwero district Sseruwu, Francis In Uganda, tick management among cattle farmers has become an important problem due to the increasing tick resistance to most of the synthetic acaricides on the market. The increasing acaricide resistance has been accelerated by farmers using wrong dilutions, application methods, and the increased acaricide pressure, hence lowering the productivity of the animal.Furthermore, the increasing ticks and TBDs of cattle due to resistance have resulted into increased demand for alternative control strategies in order to reduce on the livestock losses. This experimental study was intended to evaluate the acaricidal efficacy and phytochemical composition of Tephrosia vogelii methanolic leaf extracts on the ticks collected from Kamira Sub County in Luwero district. The Phytochemical screening of the methanolic leaf extract revealed the presence of various classes of compounds such as Alkaloids, Tannins, Phenols, and Flavanoids with minor presence of Saponins and traces of Terpenoids and Glycosides. When the adult immersion test was carried out the results showed that the average tick mortality increased with increasing concentration of T.vogelii leaf extract and time. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in tick mortality for all the treatments after 24hrs and 48hrs post treatment. After 72hrs post treatment, a significant difference was observed (p<0.05) in all the concentrations of 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 40%, and the Amitraz with respective mortalities of 16.5%, 44.0%, 38.5%, 50.0%,67.0%, and 11.0%. Therefore, from the results obtained from this study, we can conclude that indeed Tephrosi avogelii leaf extracts have an acaricidal activity on ticks. A special research project report submitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a Degree of Bachelor of Animal Production Technology and Management of Makerere University.

Acute and subacute dermal toxicity of Dudu-Acelamectin in wistar albino rats

2023-10-26T08:25:45Z

Acute and subacute dermal toxicity of Dudu-Acelamectin in wistar albino rats Kawuma, Denis Dudu-acelamectin is a crop pesticide misused by some farmers in Uganda for tick control. The farmers who use it allege that it causes adverse effects on livestock and on human who get exposed to it during the spraying. Therefore, acute and subacute dermal toxicity studies were conducted based on OECD 402 (2017) and OECD 410 (1981) guidelines to assess the allegations on the toxicity of Dudu-acelamectin via dermal route. A total of 24 Wistar Albino Rats were used, where Dudu-Acelamectin was applied on about 10𝑐𝑚2 of shaved skin. In the acute toxicity study, 3 rats were used per dose level. The rats in each group were weighed on day 1, 7 and 14. A dose-range finding study at 200, 1000 and 2000 mg/Kg was conducted where rats were exposed once to the given dose and then observed for clinical signs and mortalities for 14 subsequent days. For the subacute toxicity study, 3 rats per dose were weighed on day 1, 7, 14 and 21, and were tested daily for 21 days at 1, 100, and 200mg/Kg to determine the clinical signs, histo pathological lesions, and the defects on renal and hepatic function tests. The mean values of body weights and the renal and hepatic function tests were statistically analysed, relative to the negative control, using One-way ANOVA at a significance level of 0.05. It was found that Dudu-Acelamectin has a dermal LD50 > 2000 mg/Kg in wistar albino rats. Mild dermal irritation was noted at 1000 and 2000 mg/Kg. Lethargy was observed at 200, 1000, and 2000 mg/Kg. On Day 1, the mean body weight was statistically significant (P 2000 mg/Kg, and causes damages to the skin, liver and kidneys in Wistar Albino Rats. Hence, these adverse effects should be used as experimental evidence of the adverse effects of Dudu-Acelamectin upon dermal exposure in Wistar Albino Rats A special project report submitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a Degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine of Makerere University

Aflatoxin contamination status in selected animal feeds and concentrates sold in feed stores in Kampala, Uganda

2026-01-30T13:19:50Z

Aflatoxin contamination status in selected animal feeds and concentrates sold in feed stores in Kampala, Uganda Ogwang, Paul Oscar This study was conducted to evaluate the status of aflatoxin contamination in commercial animal feeds and concentrates sold in feed stores in Kampala, Uganda. Aflatoxins are toxic metabolites produced by Aspergillus species, known to reduce animal productivity and pose public health risks through residues in milk, meat, and eggs. Despite existing regulatory limits, there has been limited systematic surveillance of commercial feeds in Kampala, where most livestock farmers source their feeds. A cross-sectional analytical design was employed, and 60 feed samples were collected across five divisions of Kampala, representing four feed categories (layers mash, dairy meal, pig concentrate, and fish feed). Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) was used to detect aflatoxins. Findings showed that 48.3% of samples tested positive for aflatoxins. Among the contaminated samples, 70% contained aflatoxin G, while 30% contained aflatoxin B. Layers mash recorded the highest contamination (66.7%), followed by dairy meal (53.3%), fish feeds (46.7%), and pig concentrate (33.3%). Contamination levels also varied by manufacturing period, with prevalence rates of 35%, 45%, and 80% in May, June, and July, respectively. These findings indicate that aflatoxin contamination is widespread in Kampala’s feed stores and influenced by both feed type and season of manufacture. The high levels observed, particularly in poultry and dairy feeds during wetter months, raise concerns about food safety and livestock productivity. Furthermore, according to the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS, 2018), the maximum permissible level of aflatoxins in animal feeds is 10 µg/kg; however, there is limited data on the extent to which feeds on the Ugandan market comply with this standard. The study concludes that aflatoxin contamination poses a significant threat to the livestock sector and recommends nationwide surveillance and quantitative assessments to strengthen evidence for policy and interventions. A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Bachelor’s Degree of Animal Production, Management and Technology of Makerere University.

Agro-pesticides and acaricide use practices in the control of ticks from the 3 selected sub-counties of Kiboga district

2023-10-23T09:44:17Z

Agro-pesticides and acaricide use practices in the control of ticks from the 3 selected sub-counties of Kiboga district Lunkuse, Sharon Ticks present a significant threat to the livestock industry in Uganda, vectoring diseases that cause economic losses and negatively affect animal welfare. The persistent use of acaricides, often accompanied by poor application practices, has contributed to heightened resistance in ticks. As a result, farmers have begun using agricultural pesticides to manage the tick problem, raising concerns regarding their efficacy and potential side effects. For this reason, a cross-sectional study was conducted in three sub-counties of Kiboga district; Kapeke, Dwaniro, and Lwamata to identify the predominant acaricides and agrochemicals used for tick control, understand the associated usage practices, and evaluate perceived adverse effects on humans and animals. In this study, a chi-square analysis was also conducted to assess the statistical significance of the data, revealing valuable insights between socio-demographic characteristics with use of agro-pesticides. Eighty three (83) farmers participated, distributed as 28 from Kapeke, 30 from Dwaniro, and 25 from Lwamata. Results showed that majority of the respondents (61.5%, 51/83) primarily used amitrazbased acaricides. Most (56.6%, 47/83) depended on personal knowledge for acaricide application. A significant 86.7% (72/83) mixed acaricides with agrochemicals, while 6% (5/83) combined multiple acaricide brands. About 68.9% (58/83) switched acaricide once the current one became ineffective. The commonly used agrochemicals as acaricide were dudu acelamectin (73.5%, 61/83), ocelamectin (12%, 10/83) and dudu force (3.6%, 3/83). Level of education was significantly associated with use of agro-pesticides as acaricides in tick control (p =0.04 ) with people of lower level of education more likely to use these agro-pesticides. Adverse effects noted from agrochemical included blindness, and skin irritation in livestock, sneezing and eye irritation in human handlers. The findings of this study emphasize an urgent need for better tick control practices. There is a requirement for effective acaricide rotation, implementation of safety protocols, and a deeper exploration into the implications using in tick control. A special research report submitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine of Makerere University, Kampala Uganda