Mr Mollel, Jackson
Country (Nationality)
Tanzania
Grantee Title
Areas of research interest: Urban Waste Management; Climate ChangeControl of infectious diseases and Investigating biological activities of natural products.
Grantee Description
Home Institution Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Tanzania
Host Institution Makerere University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeria
Summary of research
Cholera is among the major public health problems in most developing countries. In Tanzania cholera outbreaks have been reported since 1974. The disease is caused by a marine bacterium V. cholerae. As an environmental pathogen; seasonal variation and climate changes influence cholera epidemics. For example in the coastal region of mainland Tanzania, a significant association between the number of cholera cases and climatic has been established. Bacteriophage infecting V. cholerae (vibriophages) is a biological factor known to impart a natural control and evolution of V. cholerae. There is mounting evidence that vibriophages in water bodies down-regulates the prevalence of V. cholerae and eventually decrease re-emergence of cholera outbreaks. Despite such an important association, the impact of climatic conditions on vibriophages remains unknown. The present study aims to assess the effects of climatic conditions on vibriophages and establish its association with seasonal variation of V. cholerae in water bodies in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.