Rosina Claudia Krecek

Independent Scholar and Researcher (USA). Visiting Professor University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health and encourages collaboration between diverse disciplines to address complex health problems. In this paper, 3 academics, with diverse training, experience and backgrounds who each work on different pathogenic parasites, will share their stories of tackl...

In 1997, the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology African Foundation(WAAVP AF) achieved a ‘first’ by establishing a successful endowment which awards travel scholarships to next-generation (NG) African veterinary parasitologists to present their research findings at the WAAVP Biennial Conferences (e.g. ed. Colwell 2009;...

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease known to be endemic to parts of western and sub-Saharan Africa. However, the epidemiology for humans and animals remains largely unknown in many of these countries with Cameroon being a typical example. Despite common knowledge that brucellosis affects livestock, the actual number of infected animals remains unknow...

An innovative training program entitled "AgSecure Africa ProgrammeTM" was developed in partnership with the South African Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (ARC-OVR) to train veterinarians, animal health technicians, researchers and laboratory personnel. Three blended courses consisting of both virtual and in person de...

The virtual reliance on anthelmintic drugs alone to control internal parasites of livestock is inappropriate and ultimately unsustainable. In the tropics and subtropics, widespread and high levels of anthelmintic resistance, particularly in nematode parasites of small ruminants, is rife. But more to the point, many farmers in these regions of the w...

Brucellosis is a bacterial endemic zoonotic disease of global significance with detrimental impacts on public health and food animal production. It is caused by Brucella spp., an expanding group of pathogens able to infect various host species. Bovines and small ruminants, which excrete the bacteria in milk and in reproductive discharges, are major...

Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) are livestock diseases characterized as highly contagious, fast-spreading, and capable of producing high morbidity and mortality. Accidental or intentional introduction of these diseases into the United States could devastate the economy, food security, and public health. Training of researchers, scientists and...

Introduction: After a large outbreak of dengue virus (DENV) serotype-3 in Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN) in 2008, we performed a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of anti-DENV immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in expatriate and local persons affiliated with an American veterinary school there. Methodology: This campus community comp...

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics, motivations, and expectations of humans who enroll their dogs, cats, and other pets into pet life-care centers. Pet life-care centers are groups or institutions that provide a permanent home for pets in the event of the owner’s illness, inability to care for their pet, or death. The long...

Pigmentation of the skin is a crucial component in the pathogenesis of melanocytic neoplasms and other skin-related tumors, as melanin is known to function in both the absorbance of ultraviolet radiation and as an antioxidant. Very limited information exists regarding the incidence and metastatic potential of neoplastic conditions of the skin in ga...

Background Brucellosis is an endemic zoonotic disease in most of the developing world that causes devastating losses to the livestock industry and small-scale livestock holders. Infected animals exhibit clinical signs that are of economic significance to stakeholders and include reduced fertility, abortion, poor weight gain, lost draught power, and...

To date, published epidemiological studies of parasitic infections in humans in the Caribbean region are very limited. Here, we report the seroprevalence of five parasitic pathogens, including Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Schistosoma mansoni, and Toxocara canis in 435 serum samples collected between 2008 and 2011 fr...

As part of the accreditation process, the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education has defined nine broad areas of core competencies that must be met by graduating students earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. To define competencies in veterinary parasitology, the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AA...

Lyme Disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, and is transmitted by the tick-vector Ixodes scapularis. It is the most prevalent arthropod-borne disease in the United States. To determine the seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi antibodies in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Texas, we analyzed serum samples (n = 1...

Growing concerns about a threatened environment, conflicts, inequities, poverty, ideological extremes, and consumerism are all indicative of a pressing need to reflect on the global status quo and to find constructive and long-term, sustainable strategies for planet and people. The need to give the younger generation “a better deal” for helping to...

Little is currently known of clinical toxoplasmosis in humans and animals in the Caribbean. We investigated the prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies in 437 pregnant women from 10 English speaking Caribbean countries. Overall, antibodies (IgG) to Toxoplasma gondii (modified agglutination test, MAT, cut-off 1:6) were found in 174 (39.8 %) of 437 huma...

One health is defined as a collaborative transdisciplinary effort to attain optimal sustainable health for humans, animals, and the environment. The underlying rationale is that extensive overlaps exist among these three domains and there are many external influences driven by other disciplines, such that changes—good or bad—in any one domain are i...

Adult mosquito surveys of Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN) were performed in the dry season (March 16-23, 2010) in Saint Kitts, and the rainy season (October 18-25, 2010) in SKN. Biogents (BG) Sentinel Traps were set with CO2 and BG Lure in urban, rural, mangrove, and dry forest habitats. Mosquitoes were identified to species, and reverse transcription-...

We designed a study to assess veterinarians' competency regarding parasitological procedures, skills, and areas of knowledge currently used in small-animal practice. The outcome will help us refine our curriculum on the basis of the parasitological working knowledge and skill sets that small-animal practitioners are using today. A questionnaire was...

Studies examining the prevalence of zoonotic agents in the Caribbean are very limited. The objective of this study was to examine the seroprevalence of seven zoonotic agents among individuals residing on 10 English-speaking Caribbean countries. Sera from healthy, pregnant women were collected from Antigua-Barbuda, Belize, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada...

A student-centered innovative method of teaching veterinary parasitology was launched and evaluated at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) in St. Kitts, where Parasitology is a required course for second-semester veterinary students. A novel method, named Iron Parasitology, compared lecturer-centered teaching with student-cent...

SUMMARY Blastocystis SSU-rDNA sequence data from 317 captive and free-living non-human primates (NHPs) representing 30 genera of apes, Old and New World (OW and NW) monkeys and prosimians were analysed to investigate subtype (ST) and allele distribution among hosts. Excluding 20 mixed ST infections, 27% of the sequences belonged to ST1, 22% to ST2,...

In November 2010, a male spot-fin porcupinefish, Diodon hystrix (L.), measuring 26.8 cm (total length) was observed swimming abnormally and was unresponsive to divers and snorkelers in the Caribbean coastal waters off the island of St. Kitts. Obvious lesions were profuse exophthalmia of the left eye and clouding of both eyes. The fish was caught wi...

Conservation programs to protect endangered sea turtles are being instituted worldwide. A common practice in these programs is to collect blood to evaluate the health of the turtles. Several different venipuncture sites are used to collect blood from sea turtles for hematologic and biochemistry tests, depending on the species. To date, it is unknow...

In 2007, in response to the Global Health Research Initiative spearheaded by the Canadian International Development Research Centre, the research program proposal entitled Caribbean EcoHealth Programme (CEHP), which was submitted for review was successful in receiving funding to conduct a variety of ambitious research programs throughout the Caribb...

This study is the first to examine zoonotic illnesses at the community level in 10 countries in the Caribbean. This report gives the findings for Antigua & Barbuda.

This study is the first to examine zoonotic illnesses at the community level in 10 countries in the Caribbean. This report gives the findings for Antigua & Barbuda.

This study is the first to examine zoonotic illnesses at the community level in 10 countries in the Caribbean. This report gives the findings for Antigua & Barbuda.

This study is the first to examine zoonotic illnesses at the community level in 10 countries in the Caribbean. This report presents the findings for Antigua & Barbuda.

This study is the first to examine zoonotic illnesses at the community level in 10 countries in the Caribbean. This report gives the findings for Antigua & Barbadu

This study is the first to examine zoonotic illnesses at the community level in 10 countries in the Caribbean. This report gives the findings for Antigua & Barbadu

This study is the first to examine zoonotic illnesses at the community level in 10 countries in the Caribbean. This report gives the findings for Antigua & Barbadu

There is a high prevalence of Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis in humans and pigs in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) of South Africa. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors of porcine cysticercosis in select districts of the ECP. Data were collected in 2003 by interviewing 217 pig producers from the area. Blood samples were c...

The genetic diversity of Amblyomma variegatum (Fabricius) from four Caribbean islands and five African countries was compared by analyzing the sequences of three gene fragments, two mitochondrial (12SrDNA and D-Loop-DL), and one nuclear (intergenic transcribed spacer 2 [ITS2]). Genetic variability of the ITS2 DNA fragment consisted of only uninform...

A series of studies were conducted, over a 10-year period (1998–2008), in KwaZulu-Natal, one of the poorest provinces in South Africa, involving on-farm research and extension and small-scale goat farmers. Initially, two farmers in the Impendle region participated, followed by nine farmers in Bulwer and latterly, 15 farmers in Bergville. The genera...

The origin of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) African Foundation is described. The 16th WAAVP Conference held in South Africa in 1997 generated a surplus of ZAR 430 460 (US$ 70 116). This was invested and a foundation established to manage the fund with the intention of using it to the mutual advantage o...

Objective: To estimate the cross-sectional associations between HIV and Taenia solium cysticercosis (CC) toxocariasis infections and to evaluate their interaction in clinically apparent neurological complications in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Methods: We are planning to enroll 300 patients under care in two academic hospitals. Patie...

Opportunities to train small-scale goat farmers within on-farm research projects - Volume 1 Issue 2 - A. F. Vatta, J. F. de Villiers, L. J. S. Harrison, R. C. Krecek, R. A. Pearson, F. H. J. Rijkenberg, A. Spickett, S. H. Worth

During 2005-2006, 100 stray cats on St. Kitts were examined using standard parasitological methods. Eggs identified were those of hookworms (88%), Trichuris spp. (71%), Eucoleus aerophillus (16%), Mammomonogamus spp. (45%), Physaloptera spp. (18%), Toxocara spp. (4%), Platynosomum spp. (81%) and taeniids (30%). Coccidian oocysts were found in 12% o...

The efficacy of medicated food pellets (containing 10mg of ivermectin per kg, UNIFEED, Veronesi, Verona, Italy) was evaluated for the control of intestinal strongyles in a group of captive zebras (Equus burchelli) at the Safari Park, Fasano (Apulia region, Brindisi Province, southern Italy). The egg reappearance period and the faecal egg counts in...

Three hundred and eighty-four samples of leaf litter, soil, faeces from domestic and game animals, compost and aqueous cultures of infective nematode larvae contaminated with unidentified fungi were plated out on water agar, baited with pure infective larvae of Haemonchus contortus, incubated and examined for the presence of nematophagous fungi. Du...

Comparison of those referred or not referred for CT scan. (0.03 MB DOC)

STROBE checklist. (0.08 MB DOC)

Few studies have estimated prevalence of neurocysticercosis (NCC) among persons with epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa. While the limitations of serological testing in identification of NCC are well known, the characteristics of persons who are misdiagnosed based on serology have not been explored. The first objective of this pilot study was to estima...

Cats are essential in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts in nature. Samples of serum, feces, and tissues from feral cats from St Kitts, West Indies were examined for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test,...

We investigated home ranges of grey rhebok and mountain reedbuck at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve in South Africa. Minimum convex polygon (MCP) and adaptive kernel methods were used to estimate home ranges and core areas for six grey rhebok herds and ten territorial male mountain reedbuck. MCP (95%) areas for rhebok herds varied between 30 and 10...

Fifty apparently healthy island dogs presenting to the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM), St. Kitts, West Indies for neutering were used in this prospective study. Twelve of the dogs (24%) were diagnosed with spirocercosis based on a positive fecal analysis and characteristic lesions seen during esophagoscopy. Routine thoracic s...

The potential economic benefits of combining tactical anthelmintic treatment for gastrointestinal nematodes and nutritional supplementation with urea-molasses blocks were examined in Boer goats raised under extensive grazing conditions in the summer rainfall area of South Africa. Eight groups of nine goats were monitored over a 12-month period from...

Six medium sized mixed breed dogs treated with milbemycin oxime (11.5mg on days 0, 7 and 28 and then monthly) stopped shedding Spirocerca lupi ova after 3-44 days. There was no evidence of subsequent shedding in repeated tests (about 5/dog) carried out from 31 to 133 days after initiation of treatment. Esophageal nodules disappeared in all dogs wit...

This study took place in a small-scale goat farming community, where farmers considered that the major problems affecting goat health and productivity (diarrhea, gastrointestinal helminth infection, and poor reproductive performance) were exacerbated by a lack of information on goat health and management. The objective was to collaborate with the f...

The pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, causative organism of porcine cysticercosis and human neurocysticercosis is known to occur in areas of South Africa including Eastern Cape Province but, despite increasing reports of its occurrence throughout the subregion, the prevalence is yet to be clearly established. The parasite presents a potentially serious...

Mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) occupy marginal habitat that is rarely used by cattle. They are fecund, produce good quality meat and have the potential to be cropped commercially. Body condition indices including dressing % (DP), kidney fat indices (KFI), leg fat percentages (LFP) and leg muscle percentages (LMP) were investigated at two n...

We investigated home ranges of grey rhebok and mountain reedbuck at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve in South Africa. Minimum convex polygon (MCP) and adaptive kernel methods were used to estimate home ranges and core areas for six grey rhebok herds and ten territorial male mountain reedbuck. MCP (95%) areas for rhebok herds varied between 30 and 10...

The prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii was determined in sera from 106 domestic cats from St. Kitts, West Indies. Using a modified agglutination test, antibodies to this parasite were found in 90 (84.9%) of the cats, with titers of 1:20 in 23 cats, 1:40 in 34 cats, 1:80 in 18 cats, 1:160 in 2 cats, 1:320 in 1 cat, and 1:1,280 or higher i...

This study was carried out with the cooperation of farmers owning communally grazed indigenous goats in southwestern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, where farmers had identified poor reproductive performance in their herds as one of their major problems. The aim was to quantify the effects of 3 interventions and the interaction between these...

https://www.cabi.org/isc/abstract/20103230202

Behavioural observations were carried out on grey rhebok and mountain reedbuck at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve, South Africa, for a period of 1 year between May 2001 and April 2002. Four harem herds of grey rhebok, five territorial male mountain reedbuck and female mountain reedbuck (herds grouped as one individual) were monitored to determine a...

To provide a comprehensive estimate of the societal costs of Taenia solium cysticercosis for the Eastern Cape Province (ECP), South Africa, as an objective measure of its impact in this endemic area. Epidemiological data on the prevalence of epilepsy, proportion of epilepsy cases due to neurocysticercosis (NCC) and consequences of cysticercosis wer...

The effectiveness of selective anthelmintic treatments and use of nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing levels of gastrointestinal nematodes in goats was investigated at Onderstepoort, South Africa. Nineteen (19) naturally infected indigenous male goats, aged 10 months, were separated into four groups and grazed in separate previous...

Extracted from text ... 44 0038-2809 Tydskr.S.Afr.vet.Ver. (2006) 77(1): 42-44 Book review - Boekresensie WHO/FAO/OIE guidelines for the surveillance, prevention and control of taeniosis/cysticercosis K D Murrell (Editor), and P Dorny, A Flisser, S Geerts, N C Kyvsgaard, D P McManus, T E Nash and Z S Pawlowski (Associate Editors) 2005. OIE, F...

Population dynamics of grey rhebok Pelea capreolus and mountain reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula were monitored at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve in South Africa over three breeding seasons. Birth and death rates were recorded in both species, and causes of death were investigated. Immigration and emigration were monitored in grey rhebok. Grey rhebok...

Problems have been identified in the delivery of extension messages about the maintenance of healthy and well-fed working animals. The different factors that need to be considered in developing effective disease control and prevention programmes for working oxen and equids including vector-borne diseases, helminth disease, and vaccination programme...

Helminths of mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula fulvorufula) and gray rhebok (Pelea capreolus) were investigated in South Africa between June 1999 and February 2002. Forty-one mountain reedbuck were culled at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve over 8 different periods, and 25 mountain reedbuck were culled at Tussen die Riviere Nature Reserve over...

Three hundred and eighty-four samples of leaf litter, soil, faeces from domestic and game animals, compost and aqueous cultures of infective nematode larvae contaminated with unidentified fungi were plated out on water agar, baited with pure infective larvae of Haemonchus contortus, incubated and examined for the presence of nematophagous fungi. Du...

THE 3RD MEETING ON A SERIOUS emerging parasitic disease in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region was held in Maputo, Mozambique, from 11–13 November 2004. The focus of this meeting was Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis and was held at the Faculty of Medicine,Eduardo Mondlane University, inMaputo. Two previous meetings of the Cysticercosi...

Specimens of Cylicocyclus insigne (Boulenger, 1917) from Equus caballus and Cylicocyclus gyalocephaloides Ortlepp, 1938 from Equus burchelli were studied to determine whether they should be recognized as separate species. Both are relatively large species with broader than deep buccal capsules with thick, concave walls and a distinct basal external...

The intestinal helminth communities of 8 horses, 12 donkeys, 21 Hartmann's mountain zebras, and 44 Burchell's zebras were compared using the original data from 6 studies in South Africa and Namibia. Necropsy and worm recovery techniques were comparable between the studies. Sixty helminth species (58 nematode, 1 cestode, and 1 trematode species) wer...

As part of a revision of the systematics of the Cyathostominea of equids, we determined that the single type-specimen of Cylicocyclus adersi Boulenger, 1920 is missing and a modern description of this rare species parasitic in donkeys Equus asinus L. and zebras E. burchelli (Gray) and E. zebra L. is not available. Systematists at a workshop on the...

This collection of articles provides an account of the papers delivered at the 19th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP)(held in New Orleans, LA, USA, from 10 to 14 August 2003) in a symposium session on assessing the burden of Taenia solium cysticercosis and echinococcosis organis...