School of Public Health

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Browsing School of Public Health by Author "Abuom, Paul O."

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    Effect of Anthropogenic Activities on Physico- chemical Parameters and Benthic Macroinvertebrates of Mara River Tributaries, Kenya
    (Merit Research Journal of Environmental Science and Toxicology, 2014-05) Anyona, Douglas N.; Abuom, Paul O.; Dida, Gabriel O.; Gelder, Frank B.; Onyuka, Jackson O.; Matano, Ally-Said
    The impact of anthropogenic activities within Bomet and Mulot towns on water quality of Amala and Nyangores tributaries of Mara River, Kenya was assessed using a combination of solid waste, physico-chemical parameters and benthic macroinvertebrates. Site characteristics and on- going anthropogenic activities were observed and recorded, while solid waste was visually identified and categorized. Physico-chemical parameters were determined in situ while benthic macroinvertebrates were analyzed on sediment samples and classified using appropriate keys. Results indicated that all sites were disturbed by anthropogenic activities, except one that was relatively protected at the upper catchment spring draining into Nyangores tributary. Most (96.1%) solid waste encountered was recyclable, while polythene bags were dominant (48.9%). Significantly more solid waste was recorded along Amala than Nyangores tributary. Dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total suspended solids and total phosphorus levels varied significantly between sites, along Amala as well as Nyangores tributaries. Eight benthic macroinvertebrate taxa comprising 628 individuals were encountered in both tributaries, with Nyangores recording a significantly higher diversity than Amala tributary, as also confirmed by Shannon-Weiner diversity index. Dipterans were the most dominant taxa, contributing 81.9% and 70.9% of the total benthic macroinvertebrates encountered along Amala and Nyangores tributaries, respectively, while pollution sensitive taxa in the orders, Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera combined, accounted for less than 0.88% of the total benthic macroinvertebrate taxa in the two tributaries. These findings are indicative of perturbed systems whose severity seem to be driven by anthropogenic activities within and along the Mara River tributaries
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    Presence and distribution of mosquito larvae predators and factors influencing their abundance along the Mara River, Kenya and Tanzania
    (SpringerPlus, 2015-03-20) Dida, Gabriel O.; Gelder, Frank B.; Anyona, Douglas N.; Abuom, Paul O.; Onyuka, Jackson O.; Matano, Ally-Said; Kanangire, Canisius K.
    Among all the malaria controlling measures, biological control of mosquito larvae may be the cheapest and easiest to implement. This study investigated baseline predation of immature mosquitoes by macroinvertebrate predators along the Mara River, determined the diversity of predators and mosquito larvae habitats and the range of their adaptive capacity to water physico-chemical parameters. Between July and August 2011, sampling sites (n=39) along the Mara River were selected and investigated for the presence of macroinvertebrate predators and mosquito larvae. The selected sampling sites were geocoded and each dipped 20 times using standard mosquito larvae dipper to sample mosquito larvae, while a D-frame dip net was used to capture the macroinvertebrate predators. Water physico-chemical parameters (dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, conductivity, salinity and turbidity) were taken in situ at access points, while hardness and alkalinity were measured titrimetically. The influence of macroinvertebrate predator occurrence was correlated with mosquito larvae and water quality parameters using Generalized Linear Model (GLM). Predators (n=297) belonging to 3 orders of Hemiptera (54.2%), Odonata (22.9%) and Coleoptera (22.9%), and mosquito larvae (n=4001) belonging to 10 species, which included An.gambiae s.l (44.9%), Culex spp. (34.8%) and An. coustani complex (13.8%), An. maculipalpis (3.6%), An. phaorensis (1.2%), An. funestus group (0.5%), An. azaniae (0.4%), An. hamoni (0.3%), An. christyi (0.3%), An. ardensis (0.08%), An. faini (0.07%), An. sergentii (0.05%) and 0.05% of Aedes mosquito larvae which were not identified to species level, due to lack of an appropriate key, were captured from different habitats along the Mara river. It was established that invasion of habitats by the macroinvertebrate predators were partially driven by the presence of mosquito larvae (p < 0.001), and the prevailing water physico-chemical parameters (DO, temperature, and turbidity, p <0.001). Understanding abiotic and biotic factors which favour mosquitoes and macroinveterbrate co-occurrence may contribute to the control of malaria.