(7) Articles avaiable http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/860 2026-04-13T17:07:27Z 2026-04-13T17:07:27Z Abraham, Amon http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/988 2024-10-03T08:56:36Z 2024-02-01T00:00:00Z

Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Broiler Chicken Farmers On Antibiotic Use And Residues In Blantyre, Malawi Abraham, Amon Antibiotics are used in livestock farming for treatment, disease prevention, growth promotion, preventing outbreaks, and controlling disease outbreaks. Antibiotic use has become more common among farmers due to the high demand for poultry products. Across cross-sectional quantitative survey across ten urban and peri-urban areas of Blantyre was undertaken amongst 50 small, medium, and large-scale broiler farmers. The study’s objectives were to assess farmers' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) on antibiotic use in broiler production, analyze antibiotic residues in chicken meat samples, and examine correlations between farmers' KAP on the use of antibiotics and antibiotics residue accumulation. 40 meat samples were collected among the farmers and analyzed for ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin, and trimethoprim residues. To evaluate the farmer's KAP on antibiotic use a pretested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data through face-to-face interviews. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and chi-square tests were used to determine the association. Statistical significance was determined using a p-value of less than 0.05. All the farmers administered antibiotics to their flocks, and 46% (23/50) of them claimed to use antibiotics to treat any disease. 62% (31/50) of farmers have never attended any training on antibiotic use. 58% (29/50) of farmers had never heard of AMR. 66% (33/50) follow recommendations from other farmers. 82% (41/50) of farmers adhere to withdrawal periods, and 38% of farmers reported using antibiotics for a longer period in sick chickens. The High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) screening showed that amoxicillin represents the highest residue percentage (92.5%), trimethoprim (32.5%), ciprofloxacin (10%), and least sulfamethoxazole (2.5%). Contaminated samples were higher, lower, and least in commercial, medium, and small-scale broiler management systems respectively. Amoxicillin residue ranged from 0.058926 - 5.138996 μg/kg, trimethoprim was 0.33909 – 3.25580 μg/g, sulfamethoxazole was 0.058926 - 5.138996 μg/g and ciprofloxacin was ND - 0.956627 μg/g. These residue levels were below the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) recommended limit according to the European Union (EC). This study revealed that chicken samples collected from broiler farmers from urban and peri-urban areas of Blantyre contain antibiotic residues. Therefore, it is important to monitor antibiotic use in broiler chickens to ensure that residue levels remain below the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) and to prevent the potential development of antibiotic resistance. A Dissertation Submitted to the Department Environmental Health, Faculty of Applied Sciences, in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of a Degree of Master of Science in Environmental Health

2024-02-01T00:00:00Z Chirwa, Alick Aniter Sayaya http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/985 2024-10-02T15:42:45Z 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z

Impact Of Seasonal Variation And High Industrial Effluent Discharge On Water Quality In Nankhaka River, Lilongwe, Malawi Chirwa, Alick Aniter Sayaya Water quality is influenced by physico-chemical and biological factors, and in Malawi, surface water faces significant pressure from diverse forms of pollution, including domestic, agrochemical, and industrial effluent. This study aimed to assess the impact of seasonal variation and industrial effluent on water quality of Nankhaka River. Standard laboratory methods and on-site measurements were employed at six sampling sites along the river to generate data on various parameters. The study assessed Turbidity, pH, Alkalinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Biological Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Suspended Solids, Temperature, Electrical Conductivity, Escherichia coli, Lead, Cadmium, Iron, Copper, and Zinc. Statistical analyses, including one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and paired sample t-tests, were conducted to examine differences between upstream and downstream and seasonal variations in water quality at a 95% confidence interval. Results revealed significant seasonal and spatial differences between upstream and downstream in certain parameters. EC, TDS, BOD, and E. coli were notably higher downstream during dry season. Conversely, Temperature and TSS were higher in rainy season. pH, turbidity, DO, and COD showed no significant seasonal variation. The findings suggest fluctuation in selected water quality parameters in Nankhaka River, with higher concentrations downstream attributed to increased industrial activities and effluent disposal. Cadmium, Lead, EC, Turbidity and Alkalinity showed significant risk to downstream water users of Nankhaka river in both seasons. The study emphasizes the importance of industrial effluent treatment before discharge into waterbodies. Additionally, it recommends strict enforcement of existing by-laws by local environmental authorities to prevent high effluent discharge into waterbodies. A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Public and Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of a Degree of Master of Science Environmental Health

2024-06-01T00:00:00Z Peter Phiri, Phillimon http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/970 2024-09-17T16:04:57Z 2021-11-01T00:00:00Z

An Application Of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) In The Preparation Of Traditional Opaque Sweet Beverage (Thobwa) In Blantyre City Vendors Peter Phiri, Phillimon While the selling of a traditional opaque sweet beverage locally known as “thobwa”, is on the rise in all the cities of Malawi, diarrhoeal diseases are also on the rise. This is more common among low-income earners. The rising cases of diarrhoea might be due to several factors including food handling and preparation. thobwa, especially the locally prepared is one of the high-risk drinks due to its preparation stages, and the purpose of this study was to assess the levels of contamination in this locally prepared thobwa and how it can be minimised by following the Hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP). This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional method involving both qualitative and quantitative data. The methods involved the use of structured questionnaires to collect data. The questionnaire was administered to a population of 30 who were doing thobwa selling business around Makata Industrial Area. Observation checklist and laboratory investigations were also used to a randomly selected 14 respondents from the 30, to capture the stages in the thobwa preparation, during the collection of laboratory samples. These 14 were followed up in all the stages of thobwa preparation, including taking samples at every stage of preparation. These samples were thobwa and the water used in thobwa preparation, hand swabs of food handlers plus swabs from bottles used in packaging the thobwa. Furthermore, additional notes were being taken during observation in the process of preparing the thobwa, including behaviours which might affect the quality of the thobwa, either negatively or positively. In addition to the samples, following the HACCP principles, the study identified critical points where thobwa gets contaminated in the process of preparation, so that control measures are put in place to control or minimise the contamination levels. Of the 37 samples of thobwa processed within 48 hours, 56.7% (n=21) had E. coli and 67% (n=25) had Salmonella while 75% (n=28) had Staphylococcus growth. In terms of levels of contamination, Staphylococcus was more present in most samples collected. Furthermore, out of the 23 samples of water analysed, 69% (n=16) were having positive coliforms while 30% (n=7) were having positive E. coli. The study further revealed that thobwa contamination increases at each stage of preparation for both E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus, with positive correlation which was not statistically significant. On the HACCP, it was established that four stages constitute the critical points which are cooking, cooling, bottling, and handling in general apart from the water used at both household and selling point level. This contributes to the increased level of contamination to thobwa. On sanitation part, waste disposal is an issue as 66.7% of the respondents dump their wastes in the open pit while only 13.3% are putting their wastes in plastic containers and bins. xii In general, the study has revealed the presence of contamination in the thobwa which is bought from venders, and this contamination is caused by the handling process during preparation at both household and market level. Furthermore, the study has also established the behaviour and hygiene practises done by the food handlers in the home, especially during the preparation of the thobwa. Furthermore, the study has also established the increased levels of contamination of the thobwa as the stages in preparation are advancing. Following the HACCP principles, it has also been revealed in the study that there are specific areas and specific points when contamination can take place during the preparation of thobwa. The study examines microbial contamination in "thobwa," a traditional Malawian beverage, and its link to rising diarrheal diseases. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the research found high levels of contamination, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus, in thobwa samples and water used in its preparation. The study identifies critical contamination points in the cooking, cooling, bottling, and handling stages, highlighting poor hygiene practices and waste disposal. It recommends following HACCP principles to minimize contamination and improve food safety.

2021-11-01T00:00:00Z Ndhlovu, Ellen Martha Sithembile http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/889 2022-05-27T17:31:56Z 2018-04-01T00:00:00Z

Detection of sexual stage parasites in anopheles mid gut post membrane fed with plasmodium falciparum gametocytes - Ellen Ndhlovu Ndhlovu, Ellen Martha Sithembile The study was conducted to detect the sexual stage parasites (oocysts) of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) in mosquitoes post membrane feeding. The main aim was to investigate the sexual development of laboratory cultured(Pf) gametocytes in Anopheles host using membrane feeding with the ultimate goal of understanding malaria transmission. Specifically, the focus was to determine optimal feeding density and feeding duration, assessing infection success and infection rate and identifying bottlenecks to successful Pf gametocytes transfer through membrane feeding. Mosquitoes were reared in the laboratory to produce F1 generation which is parasite free and later were inoculated with cultured Pf gametocytes (stage V). The gametocytes were fed to the mosquitoes through membrane feeding. Mosquito midguts were later dissected to detect the sexual stage parasites (oocysts) using microscopy after incubation period of 9 days. Mosquito rearing and parasite culturing were successful. Successful parasite inoculation was confirmed by presence of gametocytes in the mosquitoes within 24 hours post feeding. However, oocysts were not detected in the mid gut after 9 days. The study results showed that P. falciparum infection into the Anopheles was not complete as shown by failure to detect oocysts on the midgut and sporozoites on the salivary glands. This could be due to several factors such as but not limited to parasite maturity, parasite acquisition to its host, temperature maintenance and transmission efficiency, The study concluded that gametocytes detection in the midgut has to be meticulously conducted to care for other factors that affect the viability of the parasites. However, the study successfully demonstrated the possibility of inoculating Pf gametocytes into mosquitoes through membrane feeding. It is recommended that the three novel approaches; in vitro parasite culturing of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes, rearing of Anopheles vector and membrane feeding, being the most critical procedures for the success of the study, have to be done according to the stipulated standards of operating procedures so that required results are yielded.

2018-04-01T00:00:00Z