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Article History

Received: 28 January 2026

Accepted: 29 April 2026

First Online: 8 May 2026

Declarations

:

: Ethical approval was obtained from the Ifakara Health Institute Institutional Review Board (IHI/IRB/No: 19–2023) and the National Health Research Ethics Review Committee (NatHREC) (Ref No. BD.242/437/01 C/199). In addition, animal welfare procedures were conducted in compliance with good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations. All experimental work was carried out exclusively in Tanzania in accordance with these regulations, and all required ethical approvals and certificates were obtained. Rabbits were group-housed and separated by sex under standard husbandry conditions. During experiments, animals were not anaesthetised but were placed in burrow-like cages to minimise movement and promote a natural resting posture. Following the experiments, rabbits were not routinely euthanised and remained under veterinary care. Any animals showing signs of illness were humanely euthanised by a licensed veterinarian. There, animals were first anaesthetised using ketamine–xylazine (or equivalent agents) and subsequently given an overdose of a barbiturate, in accordance with national regulations and internationally recognised animal welfare guidelines.

: All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission BMC Research Notes.

: The authors declare no competing interests.