A suspected case of digitalis toxicity secondary to therapeutic management of congestive heart failure in a Boerboel dog

A 15 months old male Boerboel, weighing 25kg presented to Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Abeokuta, Nigeria, with complaint of abdominal distention, emaciation and anorexia was diagnosed of congestive heart failure (CHF) of unknown etiology. At presentation, prominent S- wave voltages in lead II, III electrocardiogram, a positive R-wave in lead AVR and a mean electrical axis of -900 suggestive of right ventricular enlargement were evident. A right atrial enlargement was also suspected due to the presence of a tented P-wave on the electrocardiogram. Digoxin was administered at 0.01 mg/kg orally, once daily to increase cardiac contractility and reduce heart rate; Enalapril given at 0.5 mg/kg orally once daily was to blunt the renin angiotensin aldosterone response, Furosemide at 2mg/kg orally, once daily was administered to increase natriuresis and diuresis. After 2 weeks of medication the dogs exhibited signs of digitalis toxicity such as ventricular premature contraction, ventricular tachycardia. This case is a rare occurrence and has not been reported in our veterinary clinics. The management of CHF with standard dose regime of digitalis requires therapeutic drug monitoring as it could result in breed specific toxicity

Diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica isolated from fresh produce and environmental samples

In Nigeria, as in most developing countries, vegetable farmers depend largely on wastewater for irrigation and on untreated manure for soil enrichment. Salmonella is among the most important foodborne pathogens worldwide with fresh vegetables as major route of transmission to man. A total of 440 samples comprising vegetables and environmental samples (irrigation water and manure treated soil) were analyzed for the presence of Salmonella, resistance and virulence genes and diversity of isolates by genotyping. Samples were obtained from five irrigation fields in Kano and Plateau States and cultured using selective isolation with prior enrichment method. Presumptive isolates were identified and characterized using conventional biochemical methods and Microbact 24E (Oxoid, UK) identification kit. Amplification of virulence (invasive A and enterotoxin) genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) further confirmed Salmonella and its virulence potential. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic concensus (ERIC) fingerprinting PCR showed genetic diversity of confirmed isolates. Confirmed isolates were evaluated for susceptibilities to eight commonly used antimicrobial agents. Sixty-one (13.9%) samples were positive for Salmonella. The distribution of serotypes included; Salmonella typhi (7.7%), Salmonella paratyphi (2.0%) and Salmonella typhimurium (4.1%). S. typhi had the highest isolation rate and was most commonly detected in vegetables. Simultaneous resistance to all antibiotics assayed was found amongst the salmonellae. Fingerprinting pattern of the Salmonella strains from the different samples showed marked similarities and close genetic relatedness. Cluster analysis at a coefficient of similarity of 0.82 grouped the fifteen strains of Salmonella assayed into five different groups. Our results indicate that irrigated vegetables are vehicles of transmission of potentially pathogenic Salmonella isolates that can contribute to the development of salmonellosis and other Salmonella related infections in Nigeria. This study provides data that support the potential transmission strains of Salmonella harboring virulence and resistance factors from vegetables and environmental sources to cause infections in humans

Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of cattle in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

This study assessed the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in cattle presented for slaughter in abattoirs and compared with that of Teaching and Research farm of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Faeces were randomly collected from 205 cattle of less and greater than one year of age. Helminthes eggs and oocysts were detected by coproscopy and faecal egg load determined using McMaster technique. Result shows that prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 95.12%, helminthes had lower prevalence of 44.39% (91) compared to coccidial oocysts, 95.12% (195). Detected helminth eggs include Haemonchus spp, Ascaris, Trichostrongylus spp, Paramphistomum spp, Monieza spp and Fasciola spp. Furthermore, study revealed prevalence of 32.68%, 11.22% and 0.49% for nematode, trematode and cestodes, respectively. Analysis revealed significant (p<0.05) difference between the prevalence of nematodes and trematode as well as the mean faecal egg count of the cattle sampled in the abattoir and the University farm. In conclusion, gastrointestinal parasites are prevalent in cattle in the study area with Eimeria spp being most prevalent. Demonstration Fasciola spp, a zoonotic helminth, in the study area calls for serious public health concern and hence regular screening of gastrosintestinal parasites should be carried out for effective monitoring and control.Key words: Cestodes; Eggs/Oocyst; Nematodes; Prevalence; Trematodes