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Ethical dimensions of zoonotic disease research: Perspectives of traditional livestock keepers in Zambia.

ABSTRACT: Background: With the increase in zoonotic disease research using livestock belonging to traditional livestock keepers (LKs) as research subjects, careful attention to both animal and livestock keeper interests is critically important in Zambia and other similar contexts. Methods: The study aimed to explore ethics-related challenges during zoonotic disease research among LKs where their livestock are included as research subjects. The study was implemented in the Southern province of Zambia in July 2020. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) involving 30 adult male LKs living in livestock-wildlife interface areas where zoonotic diseases are likely to occur, were carried out. The FGDs were done in the local language and audio recorded. Thematic analysis was done using field notes and translated and transcribed recorded interviews. Results: The study found that trust between the researchers and LKs when their livestock are used as research subjects was very cardinal and depended on the continual presence of the local veterinary assistant (VA) during the conduct of research. Conclusions: The LKs could be considered a vulnerable population when their livestock were used as research subjects as, being resource poor, they were looking to researchers to provide benefits yet not fully understanding the research, and thus did not worry so much about consent procedures, bringing into question the validity of the oral consent obtained. The study also found that opportunities to strengthen trust and enhance the research experience could be exploited by researchers conducting research that is locally relevant and desired, being aware of procedural preferences for entering into livestock keeping communities, adequate disclosure of research procedures, respecting conventions and traditional cultural beliefs, and returning results of research. The findings of this study can be used by both researchers as they carry-out zoonotic disease research and by Research Ethics Committees.

SUBMITTER: Zulu VC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10366554 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Ethical dimensions of zoonotic disease research: Perspectives of traditional livestock keepers in Zambia.

Zulu Victor Chisha VC Syakalima Michelo M Ali Joseph J

Wellcome open research 20220101

<b>Background</b>: With the increase in zoonotic disease research using livestock belonging to traditional livestock keepers (LKs) as research subjects, careful attention to both animal and livestock keeper interests is critically important in Zambia and other similar contexts. <b>Methods:</b> The study aimed to explore ethics-related challenges during zoonotic disease research among LKs where their livestock are included as research subjects. The study was implemented in the Southern province o ...[more]

PMID: 37496727

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Project description:BackgroundCorsica is a large French island in the Mediterranean Sea with high human and animal migration rates, especially near wetlands where these migrations are particularly frequent. Among the livestock populations, cattle and sheep are widely present all across the entire Mediterranean region. Trade can be responsible for the circulation of numerous pathogens and their vectors, thereby representing a health and economic threat for the livestock industry.ObjectivesThe objective of our study was to investigate the presence of pathogens in cattle and sheep farms in the wetlands of Corsica using a high-throughput screening technique.MethodsIn our study, blood samples and ticks were collected from cattle and sheep in 20 municipalities near Corsican wetlands to screen for the presence of various types of pathogens. The samples were processed using a high-throughput screening technique based on real-time microfluidic PCR: 45 pathogens were screened in 47 samples simultaneously.ResultsA total of 372 cattle and 74 sheep were sampled, and 444 ticks were collected from cattle. Out of the eight tick species detected, the main one was Rhipicephalus bursa (38.7% of the ticks collected). From cattle blood samples, one species and two genera were found: Anaplasma marginale, Trypanosoma sp. and Babesia sp. in respectively 61.5%, 58.3% and 12.2% of the cattle blood samples. From sheep blood samples, 74.3% were positive for Anaplasma sp, 2.7% for Anaplasma ovis and 1.4% for Anaplasma capra. This is the first report of A. ovis DNA in blood samples from sheep in Corsica. Out of 444 the tick samples, 114 were positive: 77.2% for Rickettsia aeschlimannii, 20.2% for Rickettsia sp., 3.5% for Babesia sp. and 1.8% for Anaplasma sp. Among them, 2.7% were co-infected with R. aeschlimannii and Babesia sp.ConclusionsOur results confirm the extent of possible circulation of different pathogens near Corsican wetlands, not only in ticks collected from livestock but also directly in cattle and sheep, with two (Trypanosoma sp. and Babesia sp.) being detected for the first time in cattle, one for the first time in sheep (A. ovis) and one for the first time in Corsica (A. capra).

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Ethical dimensions of zoonotic disease research: Perspectives of traditional livestock keepers in Zambia.

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Ethical dimensions of zoonotic disease research: Perspectives of traditional livestock keepers in Zambia.

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