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Contribution of land use to rodent flea load distribution in the plague endemic area of Lushoto District, Tanzania

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dc.creator Hieronimo, Proches
dc.creator Kihupi, Nganga I.
dc.creator Kimaro, Didas N.
dc.creator Gulinck, Hubert
dc.creator Mulungu, Loth S.
dc.creator Msanya, B. M.
dc.creator Leirs, Herwing
dc.creator Deckers, Jozef A.
dc.date 2021-07-12T12:18:11Z
dc.date 2021-07-12T12:18:11Z
dc.date 2014-07-01
dc.date.accessioned 2022-10-25T08:52:19Z
dc.date.available 2022-10-25T08:52:19Z
dc.identifier PROCHES HIERONIMO et al... [2014] Contribution of land use to rodent flea load distribution in the plague endemic area of Lushoto District, Tanzania
dc.identifier https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/3714
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/92438
dc.description to investigate the contribution of land use to rodent flea load distribution at fine scale in the plague endemic area of north-eastern Tanzania.
dc.description Fleas associated with different rodent species are considered as the major vectors of bubonic plague, which is still rampant in different parts of the world. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of land use to rodent flea load distribution at fine scale in the plague endemic area of north-eastern Tanzania. Data was collected in three case areas namely, Shume, Lukozi and Mwangoi, differing in plague incidence levels. Data collection was carried out during both wet and dry seasons of 2012. Analysis of Variance and Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) statistical methods were used to clarify the relationships between fleas and specific land use characteristics. There was a significant variation (P ≤ 0.05) of flea indices in different land use types. Fallow and natural forest had higher flea indices whereas plantation forest mono-crop and mixed annual crops had the lowest flea indices among the aggregated land use types. The influence of individual land use types on flea indices was variable with fallow having a positive effect and land tillage showing a negative effect. The results also demonstrated a seasonal effect, part of which can be attributed to different land use practices such as application of pesticides, or the presence of grass strips around fields. These findings suggest that land use factors have a major influence on rodent flea abundance which can be taken as a proxy for plague infection risk. The results further point to the need for a comprehensive package that includes land tillage and crop type considerations on one hand and the associated human activities on the other, in planning and implementation of plague control interventions. ________________________________________________________________________________
dc.description Sokoine University of Agriculture - Flemish Interuniversity Council (SUA-VLIR) Own Initiative Project - ‘Landscape-Ecological Clarification of Bubonic Plague Distribution and Outbreaks in the Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania’ (Acronym: LEPUS), funded by the Flemish Interuniversity Council, Belgium. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Anne Laudisoit (Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Belgium) for the identification of flea species. The authors also greatly appreciate the cooperation of many people including farmers in the study area, staff of Lushoto District Council and Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University.
dc.format application/pdf
dc.language en
dc.publisher Sokoine University of Agriculture,
dc.relation Journal;03
dc.subject plague
dc.subject land use
dc.subject rodent
dc.subject fleas
dc.subject Tanzania
dc.title Contribution of land use to rodent flea load distribution in the plague endemic area of Lushoto District, Tanzania
dc.type Article


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