title: Environmental predictors of bovine Eimeria infection in western Kenya.
abstract: Eimeriosis is caused by a protozoan infection affecting most domestic animal species. Outbreaks in cattle are associated with various environmental factors in temperate climates but limited work has been done in tropical settings. The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence and environmental factors associated with bovine Eimeria spp. infection in a mixed farming area of western Kenya. A total of 983 cattle were sampled from 226 cattle-keeping households. Faecal samples were collected directly from the rectum via digital extraction and analysed for the presence of Eimeria spp. infection using the MacMaster technique. Individual and household level predictors of infection were explored using mixed effects logistic regression. The prevalence of individual animal Eimeria infection was 32.8% (95% CI 29.9-35.9). A positive linear relationship was found between risk of Eimeria infection and increasing temperature (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.06-1.86) and distance to areas at risk of flooding (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.17-1.91). There was weak evidence of non-linear relationship between Eimeria infection and the proportion of the area around a household that was classified as swamp (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 0.87-1.44; OR (quadratic term) = 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-1.00), and the sand content of the soil (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 0.91-1.53; OR (quadratic term) = 1.1, 95% CI 0.99-1.23). The risk of animal Eimeria spp. infection is influenced by a number of climatic and soil-associated conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, PO BOX 29053-00625, Kenya. dennmak003@gmail.com.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Makau
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, PO BOX 29053-00625, Kenya.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Gitau
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, PO BOX 29053-00625, Kenya.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Muchemi
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, PO Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.|Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, PO Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.|Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK.
authors.forename: E A J
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Wardrop
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, PO Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.|Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Fèvre
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, PO Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Will.deGlanville@glasgow.ac.uk.|Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK. Will.deGlanville@glasgow.ac.uk.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: de Glanville
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000469:parasitology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004539:Eimeria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004777:Environment; D005243:Feces; D005843:Geography; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Bovine; Eimeria; Environmental; Extensive production systems; Tropical