Prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthes in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) slaughtered at Kano, Nigeria

A preliminary study was carried out in August 2004 to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthes in camels slaughtered at Kano metropolitan abattoir. A total of 177 fecal samples made up of 98 from males and 79 from females were collected and analyzed for the presence of helminth eggs and worm burden by sodium chloride floatation method and McMaster technique for egg counts. An overall prevalence rate of 78.5% was recorded. Eight types of helminthes were diagnosed, with Oesophagostomum radiatum, Haemonchus contortus, and Strongylus species being the most common. Of the 177 camels sampled, 61.0% (108) had single infection, while 17.5% (31) had multiple infections. A prevalence rate of 75.5% in males and 43.0% in females, and 24.5% in males and 8.9% in females was recorded for single and multiple infections respectively. There was no significant difference between infection rate in males and females. Interview on management system revealed that most infections emanated from poor management practices, which included lack of routine anthelminthic therapy. Therefore, improvement in herd health management through general hygiene, routine deworming and provision of proper nutrition will help in alleviating the severe effects of helminthoses on camel health and productivity. Keywords: Gastrointestinal helminthes; dromedary camels; slaughterhouse; NigeriaAnimal Production Research Advances Vol. 2 (3) 2006: pp. 164-16

Sustainable education and training in laboratory animal science and ethics in low- and middle-income countries in Africa - challenges, successes, and the way forward.

Despite the recognised need for education and training in laboratory animal science (LAS) and ethics in Africa, access to such opportunities has historically been limited. To address this, the Pan-African Network for Laboratory Animal Science and Ethics (PAN-LASE) was established to pioneer a support network for the development of education and training in LAS and ethics across the African continent. In the 4.5 years since the establishment of PAN-LASE, 3635 individuals from 28 African countries have participated in our educational activities. Returning to their home institutions, they have both established and strengthened institutional and regional hubs of knowledge and competence across the continent. Additionally, PAN-LASE supported the development of guidelines for establishment of institutional Animal Ethics Committees, a critical step in the implementation of ethical review processes across the continent, and in enhancing animal welfare and scientific research standards. Key challenges and opportunities for PAN-LASE going forward include the formalisation of the network; the sustainability of education and training programmes; implementation of effective hub-and-spoke models of educational provision; strengthening governance frameworks at institutional, national and regional levels; and the availability of Africa-centric open access educational resources. Our activities are enhancing animal welfare and the quality of animal research undertaken across Africa, enabling African researchers to undertake world-leading research to offer solutions to the challenges facing the continent. The challenges, successes and the lessons learnt from PAN-LASE’s journey are applicable to other low- and middle-income countries across the world seeking to enhance animal welfare, research ethics and ethical review in their own country or region