Contraceptive Use: Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitudes of Refugee Youths in Oru Refugee Camp, Nigeria

Refugee youths are vulnerable persons who have a need for contraception, yet face challenges that limit its use. Data on perceptions, knowledge, access and attitudes toward contraceptive use were collected from208 refugee youths living in Oru refugee camp, Nigeria. Findings revealed that respondents experience difficulty gaining access to family planning services, which are not available in the camp. Most respondentshad little correct information about contraceptives; 42.9% had misperceptions about its safety, believing that contraceptives are dangerous and that chemicals in contraceptives can damage their reproductive system. Such beliefs have resulted in the low use of contraceptives (31.6% use last sex) and many unintended pregnancies, which have caused some refugee girls to drop out of school. Findings may aid in the development of targeted interventions to educate refugee youths in order to dispel misperceptions about the safety of contraceptives and ensure adequate access to family planning services (Afr J Reprod Health 2010; 14[4]: 17-26)

Torus palatinus and torus Mandibularis in a Nigerian population

Objective: The objectives of this study was to determine the prevalence, size, clinical characteristics, and location of torus palatinus (TP) and torus mandibularis (TM) in relation to age, sex and social stratification in a Nigerian population. Methods: One thousand three hundred and ninety two subjects were examined for the presence of both tori at the Out patient clinic of the Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, School of Dentistry University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria. Results: Out of the 1,392 subjects examined, 52 (3.7%) had either Torus Palatinus (TP), Torus Mandibularis (TM) or both. The prevalence of TP and TM in the subjects were 1.8% and 2.5%, respectively. TP was significantly more common in females than in males (1.2% versus 0.6%). TP were frequently found in medium and small sizes and majority were solitary type. The prevalence of TM was higher in females than in males (1.9% versus 0.6%). TM occurred most commonly in small size, bilateral multiple forms, and was often located at the canine to premolar area. Females have both tori occurring concurrently more than male (Ratio 2 to 1). Most subjects with tori fall into class II social stratification, 51.9% compare with 21.1% and 23.0% as seen in Classes I and III respectively, 4.0% of subjects were unclassified. Conclusions: The prevalence of both tori in this Nigerian population was comparable to the Black Americans and other African populations. Key words: Torus mandibularis; torus palatinus; prevalence; social stratificatio

Antibiotic usage pattern in selected poultry farms in Ogun state

A survey was conducted from March 2011 to July 2011 on antibiotic usage pattern in selected poultry farms in Ogun State. Using a well-structured questionnaire, a total of 58 poultry farms were randomly surveyed from the four geo-political zones of Ogun State. All the 58 (100%) poultry farms used one or more antibiotics. Antibiotics were commonly administered either for therapy (36.2%), prophylaxis (29.3%), or both (32.8%) and to lesser extent for growth promotion (6.9%). While NeocerylR (a commercially prepared broad spectrum antibiotics consisting of neomycin, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, streptomycin and colistin), Enrofloxacin and Furazolidone were the commonest antibiotics used in the study area. Fluoroquinolones were the class of antibiotics commonly used. Thirty-three different patterns of antibiotic usage were observed among the poultry farms, 70.7% multi-drug usage practices (MDUP) was also observed among the poultry farms. In this study, 50% of poultry farmers have their antibiotics prescribed by veterinary doctors while 91.4% acquired antibiotics from veterinary stores. This study has provided information on commonly used antibiotics and reasons for their use in the study location. It is anticipated that the findings of this survey will contribute to the development of strategies for prudent use of antibiotics in poultry farms.Keywords: Antibiotics, Antibiotic usage pattern, Ogun State, Poultry farms, Surve

BACTERIAL QUALITY AND CYTOTOXICITY SCREENING OF FRESH VEGETABLES IRRIGATED WITH POLLUTED WATERS

The mutagenic effects of raw vegetables irrigated with polluted water and their bacterial quality were studied. Two vegetables, lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and fluted pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis) were planted in sterile soil and irrigated with sewage-polluted stream, rain, tap and well waters, and harvested. The presence of pathogenic bacteria on the vegetable leaf surfaces was determined. The Allium cepa assay was then used to evaluate the genetic and acute effects of the vegetable leaf extracts. The heavy metal concentrations of the vegetables were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Pathogenic bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella paratyphii, Shigella dysenteriae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Aeromonas hydrophila and Enterobacter aerogenes. In A. cepa assay, none of the treatments induced chromosome aberration at the tested concentrations, but retardation of growth and suppression of mitotic activity occurred. The concentrations of heavy metals in the vegetables were lead (0.261-0.531mg/kg), zinc (0.142-1.618mg/kg), cadmium (0.00-0.13mg/kg), copper (0.021-0.057mg/kg), iron (0.711-1.122mg/kg) and chromium (0.00-0.14mg/kg). This study shows that irrigation waters could have effects on the quality of edible vegetables.Â

Bacterial colonisation and localisation in ovine interdigital dermatitis and footrot

Ovine footrot is the major cause of lameness in sheep within the UK and an economic and welfare concern for sheep farmers globally. It is characterised by under-running of the hoof-horn and preceded by interdigital dermatitis (ID). Under-running footrot is attributed to the host immune response, which is provoked primarily by Dichelobacter nodosus in addition to other bacteria pathogens. However, the precise role of these other bacteria is yet unknown. Therefore, we hypothesise that bacterial invasion and colonisation of the ovine interdigital skin contributes to a strong host inflammatory response leading to the characteristic histopathology observed. In this context, this study examined host inflammatory response [inflammatory cell infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β)], histopathological lesions and virulent D. nodosus abundance in healthy, ID and footrot conditions in an attempt to gain further insights into the pathogenesis of this important disease. To investigate this hypothesis, two studies were designed: (i) to grade histological lesions in different clinical conditions and (ii) to determine bacterial localisation in post-slaughtered interdigital skin biopsies from the abattoir. Standardised histology lesion grading systems were developed and applied using histochemical techniques (haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), periodic acid Schiff PAS). Bacterial localisation was determined in serial horizontal sections across skin depths combining histology (transverse cryosections + H&E) and qPCR technique for the quantification of bacterial DNA. Furthermore, parallel data of IL-1β expression and virulent D. nodosus load obtained from a different study were compared to histology lesions. Key findings were as follows: (i) histological lesions (cell ballooning, parakeratosis, epidermal micro-abscesses and inflammatory cell infiltration) were similar in all clinical conditions, (ii) increased inflammatory cell infiltration score corresponded significantly with high levels of IL-1β expression (p<0.05) in footrot, and virulent D. nodosus load (p<0.001) across all clinical conditions, (iii) across different skin depths, eubacteria localisation was consistent, D. nodosus localisation was highly variable while F. necrophorum was localised in deeper sections of healthy feet. In addition, eubacteria load was significantly higher (p=0.0002) in the epidermis near the skin surface (≤200µm) of footrot disease samples when compared to healthy samples. Eubacteria components may play contributory roles in footrot pathogenesis based on their localisation in interdigital skin. In conclusion, contrary to previous notion that the severity of disease condition was dictated by progressive pathology, data in this study showed no appreciable difference in the levels of histological lesions and inflammatory response between healthy and diseased (ID, footrot) conditions. Histological lesions and the bacterial components of the skin including the virulent D. nodosus contribute to the local inflammatory response which probably drives the progression of footrot disease

Normal Aerobic Vaginal Bacterial Flora of The African Giant Rats (AGR) Captured from Their Natural Habitat in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

The genital tract of female animals, especially the caudal region, is known to habour non specific bacteria that are sometimes called the normal bacterial flora. In this study, we examined 12 apparently healthy female African giant rats (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse) (AGR) to determine their vaginal bacterial flora. Swab collected from the vagina of each rat after previous chloroform anaesthesia was seeded onto blood and MacConkey agar plates and incubated aerobically at 370C for up to 48hours. Isolates were then characterized using various character parameters. The results indicated that 7 bacterial genera inhabit the vagina of the 12 African giant rats that were studied. The distribution of the bacteria species in the AGR were highlighted in the text. It is inferred from the results that under stress condition, these bacteria could cause disease in the African giant rats

Isolation of Tatumella ptyseos from Beef in Ibadan, Nigeria

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(3): 2011; 222 - 22

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF HONEY FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE TROPICAL RAIN FOREST BELT OF NIGERIA, ON SELECTED BACTERIAL ISOLATES

Honey has been used for various purposes including treatment of diseases. This study was carried out to determine antibacterial activities of honey samples obtained from different locations in the tropical Rainforest Belt of Nigeria (Abeokuta, Aiyetoro, Ajebo, and Saki) against reference bacterial isolates: Escherichia coli (E.coli) (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), using agar well diffusion technique. Staphylococcus aureus showed sensitivity to all honey samples used with the zone of inhibition ranging between 1.9 and 2.6mm. Escherichia coli was resistant to all concentrations of honey samples used. However, the present study did not explore the possible causative agent(s) involved in the antibacterial activity of the honey used.Â

Acquired incisor malocclusion in an adult rabbit buck. A case report

A rare case of dental malocclusion in an adult white chinchilla rabbit buck is reported. A diagnosis of acquired incisor malocclusion was made based on the history, physical examination of the rabbit and postmortem examination of the skull. To the best of our knowledge, this appears to be the first reported case of this condition in Nigeria. It is suggested that the condition may be more common among rabbits in Nigeria and elsewhere than the paucity of reports on the incidence. Measures to be adopted in order to forestall dental malocclusion in rabbits are discussed. Keywords: Malocclusion, rabbit, incisor

Quinolone Resistance in Bacterial Isolates from Chicken Carcasses in Abeokuta, Nigeria: A Retrospective Study from 2005-2011

Quinolone resistance in bacteria from food animals is now globally recognized as a serious veterinary and public health problem. To determine the rate of quinolone resistance in pathogenic bacteria isolated from samples from dead chickens submitted for microbiological examination, a six-year retrospective study (April, 2005 – March, 2011) was carried out. Data from records of bacteriological investigations at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Nigeria were evaluated. Two hundred bacterial isolates including Escherichia coli (95; 47.5%), Salmonella serotypes (78; 38.0%), Klebsiella (17; 8.5%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12; 6.0%) were isolated from chicken carcasses within the six-year period. On the overall, the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (40.5%), enrofloxacin (21.0%), nalidixic acid (9.5%) and norfloxacin (44.0%). Overall, resistance to quinolones (except nalidixic acid) was highest in S. aureus (ciprofloxacin, 58.3%; enrofloxacin, 33.3%; and norfloxacin, 83.3%) followed by Klebsiella spp (ciprofloxacin, 41.2%; enrofloxacin, 29.4%; and norfloxacin, 64.7%), E. coli (ciprofloxacin, 40.0%; enrofloxacin, 23.2%; and norfloxacin, 41.1%) and least in Salmonella (ciprofloxacin, 38.6%; enrofloxacin,14.5%; and norfloxacin, 36.8%). However, resistance to nalidixic acid was highest in Klebsiella spp (23.5%) followed by S. aureus (16.7%), E. coli (9.5%) and least in Salmonella (5.3%). There was a general decline in quinolone resistance in the last three years (2009-2011) of this investigation. Quinolone resistance in avian pathogenic bacteria could lead to increase in economic loss from bacterial infection and refractory to treatment. Their possible transmission to humans is of public health significance.Keywords: Bacterial isolates, Commercial poultry chickens,QuinoloneresistanceNigerian Veterinary Journal, VOL:33 (2) 483-49