In South-Kivu province, cattle farming is an integral component of farmers’ livelihoods and one of the few income-generating opportunities for smallholders. However, very few studies have been conducted to characterize smallholders’ cattle production systems. This study documents cattle production systems to better understand their current situation, constraints they face and opportunities they offer. For that purpose, an investigation was conducted based on a structured survey questionnaire and participatory interviews with 863 farmers in South-Kivu province. Collected data were analysed using factorial analysis of mixed data and clustering techniques. The results revealed three types of smallholder cattle farms differing mainly in their herds’ sizes and landholding. The first category is the most common and includes farmers raising small herds (6.3 ± 6.7 cattle) of local breeds in herding system (in this work, “herding system” refers to a rearing system for which the farmer drives and stays with his animals on pastures and fallow land during the day) and grazing fodder in community pastures, fallow lands and roadside grasses, while land constitutes a scarce resource. In the second category, some farmers have small tracts of land (< 5 ha) and others have large tracts (> 5 ha), but all have medium-size herds (45.1 ± 19.4 cattle) made up of local breeds, which they rear in herding system. They also exploit community pastures, fallow land and roadside fodder for animal feeding. The third and last category includes farmers with large cattle herds (78.1 ± 28.1 cattle) of local, crossbred and exotic breeds raised free range in the fenced paddocks on vast areas of land (> 5 ha) found in high-altitude regions. However, while being different according to the above-considered characteristics, the three categories of cattle farming remain extensive pastoral farms dominated by male farmers. Agriculture and/or animal husbandry are their main source of income while their livestock are also composed of goats and poultry, beside cattle. Still, the three farming groups require more inputs and improvement strategies for increased productivity in the challenging environment characterized by low land accessibility and high demand for milk and meat. Fodder cultivation and crop-livestock integration through agro-ecological systems as well as access to credit and extension services are the proposed strategies for the improvement of this economic sector.

Glyphosate formulations, widely applied non‐selective systemic herbicides, are progressively becoming the most controversial pesticides on the market due the adverse effects they pose to humans and environment. The information on these potential hazardous effects to the handlers of the pesticide remains obscure. This study investigated effects of glyphosate‐based herbicide on growth performance, seminal parameters and hemato‐biochemical profiles in male guinea pig. Forty sexually mature male guinea pigs weighing between 393.3 and 418.4 g were divided into four groups of 10 animals each and orally administered 0, 186, 280 and 560 mg/kg body weight of WILLOSATE daily for 60 days. Daily feed intake and body weight gain were recorded. At the end of experimental period all animals were humanely sacrificed, and blood samples and vital organs were collected for appropriate analysis. Results showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in body weight gain (−102.2%), final body weight (−9.8%) and feed intake (−13.1%) of animals following sub‐chronic exposure of WILLOSATE. The weights of the liver and kidney increased significantly (p < 0.05) by 25.4% and 28.8%, respectively, while testicular weights decreased (p < 0.05) by 24% with increasing doses of WILLOSATE. A decrease in sperm motility (−67.9%), viability (−52.7%) and concentration per vas deferens (−40.7%), and an increase in sperm major (28.1%) and minor (45.3%) morphological aberrations were recorded in WILLOSATE – exposed guinea pigs when compared to controls. There was a dose‐dependent increase (p < 0.05) in MCV and WBC and a decrease in Hb content and RBC, as well as serum content in total protein (−11.8%). The serum content of cholesterol (37.8%), urea (87.1%), creatinine (22.4%), ALAT (74.2%) and ASAT (88.7%) were significantly higher in treated groups compared to controls. These results point toward the toxic effects of WILLOSATE on vital organs and reproductive function of the body at high doses and long‐term exposure.

It is now well established that climate changes is affecting smallholder farmers and threatening agricultural production and livelihoods in South Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), due to their limited capacity to cope with climate change. In the DRC, data on smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change effects and related shocks remain limited. This study was carried out to assess smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and their perceptions of related disruptions in livestock production in South Kivu Province. Specifically, the study assesses smallholder farmers’ exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to climate change, as well as their perception of related shocks and the strategies they use to mitigate the shocks they experience. The study was conducted from May to October 2022 in five territories of South Kivu Province. Vulnerability was determined by considering the vulnerability index, potential impact index, and the adaptive capacity index. The findings revealed that livestock farmers in low-altitude zones are the most exposed and sensitive to the effects of climate change. However, their adaptive capacity is comparable to those of medium- and high-altitude zones. Most farmers believe that the observed effects of climate change and its impacts are due to poor agricultural and livestock practices. Their adaptive strategies include income diversification (57.6%), controlling livestock diseases (72%), adopting integrated production systems (65.2%), planting trees (56.9%), improving pasture management (45.5%), and using improved livestock breeds (41.3%). Despite their efforts, limited resources and access to technology constrain adaptation. This study highlights the critical role of farmers’ attitudes and perceptions in shaping their adaptive behaviors. It underscores the need for localized interventions that integrate Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices, built on traditional knowledge systems, to enhance resilience. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to improve the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities in similar contexts.

Human-induced fire is one of the most important determinants of forest cover and change in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Yet its impact on forest cover and forest cover change remains unclear, as fires in Africa generally do not spread over very large area. This is particularly the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a region of the world that is still poorly investigated. Here, we propose to study the effect of human-induced fire on land use and land cover change in a protected area of the DRC, i.e. the Luki Biosphere Reserve (LBR). We investigate tree cover changes in and around the reserve between 2002 and 2019 using Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS and MODIS MCD12Q1 images and quantify human induced fires using MODIS MCD64A1 images. The study combines land use and land cover (LULC) change detection analysis of four images, two acquired in 2002 and two acquired in 2019, with multi-temporal assessment of annual burnt area acquired between 2002 and 2019 from MODIS MCD64A1 to assess the role of fire in LULC changes and the sensitivity of different LULC types to fire. The results show a dynamic conversion of primary forest to secondary forest over about 16% of the area, the evolution of savanna to secondary forest over 9.6% (Landsat image) and the replacement of secondary forest by savanna over 8.1% (MODIS image) of the total area of Luki Reserve. Of the total area undergoing land use change, 34.1% (Landsat image) and 35.7% (MODIS image) were caused by fire, which however did not cause a significant LULC change. For the LULC types that experienced fire events, the least stable type was primary forest, which had the lowest stability rate (34.2% and 23% for Landsat and MODIS image analysis, respectively) compared to others. This result illustrates the importance of fire as a driver of primary forest loss and degradation in the region. Despite the high exposure of savannas to fire events, they were not significantly destabilized by fire (stability rates of 86.3 and 97% for Landsat and MODIS analysis, respectively). Future analyses should focus on discriminating between different fire types to better understand the complex relationship between fire and ecosystem conditions.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with clinical manifestation cases that are almost similar to those of common respiratory viral infections. This study determined the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and other acute respiratory viruses among patients with flu-like symptoms in Bukavu city, Democratic Republic of Congo. We screened 1352 individuals with flu-like illnesses seeking treatment in 10 health facilities. Nasopharyngeal swab specimens were collected to detect SARS-CoV-2 using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and 10 common respiratory viruses were detected by multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. Overall, 13.9 (188/1352) of patients were confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2. Influenza A 5.6 (56/1352) and Influenza B 0.9 (12/1352) were the most common respiratory viruses detected. Overall, more than two cases of the other acute respiratory viruses were detected. Frequently observed symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity were shivering (47.8; OR=1.8; CI: 0.881.35), cough (89.6; OR=6.5, CI: 2.1628.2), and myalgia and dizziness (59.7; OR=2.7; CI: 1.365.85). Moreover, coinfection was observed in 12 (11.5) specimens. SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A were the most cooccurring infections, accounting for 33.3 of all positive cases. This study demonstrates cases of COVID-19 infections cooccurring with other acute respiratory infections in Bukavu city during the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, testing for respiratory viruses should be performed in all patients with flu-like symptoms for effective surveillance of the transmission patterns in the COVID-19 affected areas for optimal treatment and effective disease management.