CAMEL,GENES AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

The findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the dromedary camel has their genetic diversity shaped by ancient trade routes. Scientists examined DNA samples from more than 1,000 one-humped camels. Despite populations being hundreds of miles apart, they were genetically very similar.Scientists explained that centuries of cross-continental trade had led to this "blurring" of genetics. One of the team, Prof Olivier Hanotte, from Nottingham University, explained that what made the dromedary so biologically fascinating was its close link to human history. They have moved with people, through trading So analyzing dromedaries, can help find a signature of our own past. In search of this signature, the researchers compared samples of DNA - the carrier of genetic information - from populations across the camels' range. Our international collaboration meant we were able to get samples from West Africa, Pakistan, Oman and even Syria. The domesticated dromedary was adopted as a beast of burden around 3,000 years ago and, well into the 20th Century, trade caravans that sometimes consisted of thousands of animals, would transport goods across the deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Prof Hanotte explained: "People would travel hundreds of miles with their camels carrying all their precious goods. And when they reached the Mediterranean, the animals would be exhausted. "So they would leave those animals to recover and take new animals for their return journey." This caused centuries of genetic "shuffling", making dromedaries that are separated by entire continents remarkably similar. Crucially, this has also ensured that the animals maintained their genetic diversity - constantly mixing up the population. This means that dromedaries are likely to be much more adaptable in the face of a changing environment. Climate change, is characterized by rising temperatures, more extreme weather patterns and more areas becoming less suitable for livestock, .The dromedary will be our better option for livestock production - of meat and milk. These could replace cattle and even sheep and goats that are less well-adapted. read more from BBC NEWS.

CAMEL AND THE FOOD CHAIN.

. Women in Kenya have taken processing of camel to a whole new level. They process,package and sell dried camel meat and also process and package the milk as yoghurt. The first camel milk cooperative society called Anolei Women Camel Milk Cooperative in Isiolo county was launched this year. It started processing and packaging camel meat, which is locally known as nyirnyir. Gerald Mureithi, the manager, says the meat goes through various processes before it is packaged.First the meat is sliced into rows, then it is sun dried and after drying, it is cut into small pieces, deep fried and eventually packaged. A 50 gramme packet of dried camel meat costs Sh100.“When stored at room temperature, the dried camel meat has a shelve life of one month and if stored in the freezer, it can stay for almost three months,” says Mureithi, adding that they also make camel yoghurt. He says camel milk is pasteurised then starch and sugar is added to it before being innoculated with bacteria culture to help in fermenting.They sell the camel products to the local market. Mureithi says they now want to venture into supermarkets and other retail markets.A 150 ml bottle goes for Sh40, the 250 ml at Sh60 while 500ml and one litre bottles will cost you Sh120 and Sh140 respectively. “We receive about 800 to 3,000 or more litres of camel milk daily from our members. Our main market for camel milk is in Eastleigh but during the rainy season when production is high, the market is low and that is why we came up with the value addition,” says Mureithi. The women cooperative has 29 active members and there are other 91 members who are passive and only supply milk to the active ones. Story source; The star.

CAMELS AND MERS VIRUS.

Camels, which are bred and raised for their milk and meat and for racing, are thought to be the initial source of human outbreaks. The virus is particularly prevalent in juvenile camels, where infection results in symptoms that are similar to a common cold. The virus is thought to pass to humans when they have contact with an infected camel's body fluids. Circulation of Mers in camels poses a serious risk to human health and many scientists are worried that the virus might mutate to become better adapted to human spread. That's why scientists are trying to develop vaccines - to stop the virus infecting humans and also to reduce the amount of virus circulating in camels. Vaccination is aimed at protection;Vaccines train our immune response to recognize a virus and to wipe it out before it can infect us or before it can do any harm.The vaccine acts in 2 forms;there are two arms to this protection - antibodies and killer cells. Antibodies are proteins found in human blood and in body fluids like mucus and saliva and these attach to the virus and stop it infecting. The Killer cells, , track down virus infected cells and kill the cell before new virus is released. Some vaccines raise antibodies, some produce killer cells and some raise both. The MERS infection of humans was first described in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and Since then there have been more than 1,600 reported cases. One third of reported infections have resulted in death. Individuals with other illnesses - such as diabetes, long term lung disease or kidney failure - are particularly prone to developing life-threatening symptoms. Virus spread is limited to people who have close contact with those who are infected, such as family members and healthcare workers. There are no treatments for Mers but scientists are trying to develop an effective vaccine.