First reported case of dog associated pig rabies in Ghana

Background: Pig rabies is uncommon and there is paucity of information on rabies in pigs in West African countries other than Nigeria. This communication presents a case of dog associated pig rabies in Adidome, Ghana.Materials and Methods: Case history, Dog assessment in adjoining communities, human exposure, clinical presentations and mortality in affected pigs were evaluated using standard techniques. Laboratory screening of brain samples collected was by Fluorescent antibody technique.Results: Stray dog bitten affected pigs showed anorexia, constipation, hyper excitation, twitching of head, roaring and foaming with resultant category 1 and 11 human exposure, 17% mortality and 75% case fatality rate. Laboratory examination of swine brain specimens tested positive for Rabies virus using Fluorescent Agglutination Test.Conclusion: This report described the first documented case of dog associated pig rabies in Ghana and emphasis was laid on continued advocacy and prompt reporting of suspected neurological conditions in pigs in GhanaKey words: Dog associated Rabies, Pig, Ghan

Clinicopathological evaluation of intranasal, subcutaneous and intramuscular routes of vaccination against intratracheal challenge of Peste des petits ruminants virus in goats

An experiment was conducted to compare the efficacy of intranasal vaccination against caprine Peste des petits ruminant lineage 1 variant virus infection with intramuscular and subcutaneous vaccinations. Twenty four goats were divided into four equal groups. Group 1 was vaccinated intranasally, group 2 was vaccinated subcutaneously, and group 3 intramuscularly, while group 4 was the unvaccinated control. In each group, the vaccinations were carried out once. All goats were challenged intratracheally with PPR virus at a concentration of 106.5 TCID50 two weeks after vaccination and were euthanised 21 days after the challenge. The clinical, lung consolidation, gross and histopathological scores were employed using standard techniques. All data were analysed statistically using the paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Group 3 had the highest clinical score following the challenge of vaccinated group while deaths were observed only in group 4. Three goats in group 2 and 3 had pneumonic lung lesions, compared with none in group 1 and all the goats in group 4. The lung lesions in group 4 were significantly (P 0.05) while group 1 had no consolidation. This study showed that PPR vaccination using subcutaneous, intramuscular and intranasal routes were protective but that of intranasal was found to be easy to apply hence it could be used for the prevention of the disease in small ruminants

FIRST REPORTED CASE OF DOG ASSOCIATED PIG RABIES IN GHANA

Background: Pig rabies is uncommon and there is paucity of information on rabies in pigs in West African countries other than Nigeria. This communication presents a case of dog associated pig rabies in Adidome, Ghana. Materials and Methods: Case history, Dog assessment in adjoining communities, human exposure, clinical presentations and mortality in affected pigs were evaluated using standard techniques. Laboratory screening of brain samples collected was by Fluorescent antibody technique. Results: Stray dog bitten affected pigs showed anorexia, constipation, hyper excitation, twitching of head, roaring and foaming with resultant category 1 and 11 human exposure, 17% mortality and 75% case fatality rate. Laboratory examination of swine brain specimens tested positive for Rabies virus using Fluorescent Agglutination Test. Conclusion: This report described the first documented case of dog associated pig rabies in Ghana and emphasis was laid on continued advocacy and prompt reporting of suspected neurological conditions in pigs in Ghan

Evaluation of the shedding routes and serological patterns in experimentally-induced Brucella melitensis infection in dexamethasonetreated and transport-stressed goats

Aim: To identify and evaluate the shedding routes and patterns following experimentally-induced Brucella melitensis infection in dexamethasone-treated and transport-stressed goats. Materials and Methods: Twenty four healthy, adult goats were divided into 4 groups: A, B, C and D respectively. Group A was treated with dexamethasone for 8 days prior to inoculation with 10 (7) Colony Forming Units of B. melitensis via the intraocular route. Group B was transported for 3 hours prior to inoculation with a similar dose. Group C was inoculated with a similar dose without subjecting the animals to any prior treatment, and this group served as our positive control. Group D was not inoculated with the infective dose and served as our negative control. Blood samples along with nasal, ocular, and vaginal swabs were collected on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, and weekly thereafter until day 63 post inoculation (pi) and were analyzed by PCR, Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), and indirect ELISAtechniques. Results: The nasal, ocular and vaginal swabs tested positive for Brucellosis with PCR from day 7, with nasal route being the first and most consistent route to reveal the positive results. Group B showed the earliest onset of shedding the bacterium (day 7) followed by group Awhich started from day 10 and shed relatively more positive of the bacterium via the routes examined. Blood samples tested positive with PCR from day 7 through 14 and the results were inconsistent subsequently. Sera samples tested positive with RBPT on day 14 in all the 3 infected groups but more consistent in group C. On the other hand, tests using ELISAshowed positive results from day 7 pi, with group C having a 100% seroconvertion –while groups Aand B showed only 50% seroconvertion. Conclusion: The consistent shedding via the nasal, ocular, and vaginal routes in groups A and B implied possible immunosuppression in the infected animals. We recommend that programs designed to control Brucellosis should consider analyzing a larger number of biological samples to enhance the accuracy of identification of shedders

Potential antimalarial activity of Methyl Jasmonate and its effect on lipid profiles in Plasmodium Berghei infected mice

Background: The antimalarial activity and lipid profiles of Methyl Jasmonate (MJ) were investigated against established malaria infection in vivo using BALB/c mice. Methods: Arteether (AE) and chloroquine (CQ) were used as reference drugs while ethanol was used as the vehicle for drug delivery for MJ. Results: Mice treated with 10 and 25 mg/kg MJ showed a remarkable reduction in percentage parasitemia by 68.3% and 78.2% on day 10(post treatment) respectively while 45.4% and 87.2% reduction in percentage parasitemia were observed in the group treated with 50 mg/kg on day 3 and 10 ( post treatment ) respectively. The highest mean survival time was observed in CQ followed by AE and MJ in dose-dependent manner. A progressive decrease in packed cell volume (PCV) was observed in infected untreated mice which led to the death of all the mice by day 9 (post treatment). Infected mice treated with MJ showed reduced level of HDL and LDL compared with infected untreated group. As the dose of MJ increased in infected mice cholesterol levels increased while there was reduction in triglyceride. Conclusion: Overall there was marked decrease in parasitemia in Plasmodium berghei infected mice treated with graded doses of MJ but appears to have reduced antimalarial activity compared with CQ and AE

THE PREVALENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE AND THEIR HANDLERS IN NORTH TONGU, VOLTA REGION, GHANA

Background: The need to understand the contribution of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) to the general tuberculosis burden in a poor resource setting is paramount. The aim of this study is to determine the burden of BTB among herdsmen and cattle in the North Tongu district of Volta Region in Ghana. Materials and Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region between the period of October 2011- March 2012. A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic information and possible risk factor information on cattle from participants. Sputum samples from 68 herdsmen and blood samples from 200 cattle belonging to these herdsmen were also collected. Sputum samples were analyzed using Ziehl- Neelsen staining while Anigen Rapid BTB Test was used for Cattle blood samples. Results: Ninety percent (61/68) of respondents were also found to consume fresh milk while 84% (57/68) do not use protective clothing. Of a total of 1580 cattle owned by the herdsmen, 200 cattle consisting of 14 bulls and 186 cows were screened where the prevalence of bovine TB was 19% (38/200) and those affected were all females. All (100%) human sample tested negative for Acid- Fast Bacilli (AFB). However, the seropositivity of cattle and kraal density were statistically associated (p= 0.001). Conclusion: Bovine TB is prevalent in cattle in North Tongu district. Although herdsmen indulge in risky lifestyles that expose them to BTB, a zero prevalence of BTB was observed, further study is envisaged using a larger sample size

Clofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) agonist, and Its molecular mechanisms of action against sodium fluoride–induced toxicity

AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIALS : Data will be made available based on request from the corresponding author.Sodium fluoride (NaF) is one of the neglected environmental pollutants. It is ubiquitously found in the soil, water, and environment. Interestingly, fluoride has been extensively utilized for prevention of dental caries and tartar formation, and may be added to mouthwash, mouth rinse, and toothpastes. This study is aimed at mitigating fluoride-induced hypertension and nephrotoxicity with clofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) agonist. For this study, forty male Wistar rats were used and randomly grouped into ten rats per group, control, sodium fluoride (NaF; 300 ppm) only, NaF plus clofibrate (250 mg/kg) and NaF plus lisinopril (10 mg/kg), respectively, for 7 days. The administration of NaF was by drinking water ad libitum, while clofibrate and lisinopril were administered by oral gavage. Administration of NaF induced hypertension, and was accompanied with exaggerated oxidative stress; depletion of antioxidant defence system; reduced nitric oxide production; increased systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure; activation of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB); and testicular apoptosis. Treatment of rats with clofibrate reduced oxidative stress, improved antioxidant status, lowered high blood pressure through the inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, mineralocorticoid receptor over-activation, and abrogated testicular apoptosis. Taken together, clofibrate could offer exceptional therapeutic benefit in mitigating toxicity associated with sodium fluoride.Cape Peninsula University of Technology and National Research Foundation (South Africa).https://link.springer.com/journal/12011hj2023Paraclinical Science

Prevalence of antibody against rabies among confined, free-roaming and stray dogs in a transit city of Nigeria

The prevalence of anti-glycoprotein antibodies against rabies virus is studied in the sera of confined, free-roaming and stray dogs in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State, Nigeria. A quantitative indirect enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (i-ELISA) was used to detect rabies virus anti-glycoprotein antibodies in sera from 116 confined, 61 free-roaming, and 13 stray dogs. The sera were collected between June and December 2008 from apparently healthy dogs. Of these 190 dogs, 81 (42.6%), consisting of 57 confined (49.1%), 23 free-roaming (37.7%) and 1 stray (7.7%), had antibody titres that exceeded the positive threshold of 0.5 equivalent units (eu)/ml against rabies, while 109 (57.4%) presented titres that were below the threshold. Prevalence of rabies anti-glycoprotein antibody was higher in the confined dogs compared to free-roaming and stray dogs. Our results indicated low anti-rabies sero-prevalence (42.6%) in the dog population of Ilorin, a transit city that lies between northern and southern Nigeria. This is the first community-based prevalence report on the anti-rabies serological profile of dogs in Nigeria. The need for primary and booster mass vaccination of dogs and the impact of these findings on rabies control in Nigeria are discussed

Accelerated gastric ulcer healing in thyroxine-treated rats; roles of gastric acid, mucus and inflammatory response

The roles of gastric acid, mucus and inflammation on the pro ulcer-healing effect of thyroid hormone were investigated. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, thyroidectomised, thyroidectomised with thyroxine treatment (100µg/kg/day) and sham operated animals treated with thyroxine. Thirty-five days after thyroidectomy, sham surgery or thyroxine treatment, ulcer was experimentally induced. Healing was assessed 3, 7 and 10 days post ulceration by measurement of ulcer area, gastric mucus and acid secretion, and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an index of inflammation. By day 10, ulcer area had reduced in all groups. Recovery was significantly greater (PThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Prevalence, distribution and pattern of gastric lesions in slaughtered pigs in south-western Nigeria

Gastric lesions, especially ulceration, cause significant economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. The study was designed to assess its prevalence, distribution and pattern in pigs in south-western Nigeria. Slaughter house surveys were conducted on three government-established abattoirs in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states. Stomachs from 480 pigs were assessed for gross lesions, which were graded using a modification of a standard technique. Tissues from different regions of the stomach were routinely stained to assess histopathologic changes. Data were presented as frequency counts and analysed using analysis of variance and chi-square technique. Significance was determined at p ≤ 0.05. Gastric lesions were encountered across the four regions of the stomach with a point prevalence of 57.29%. The prevalence of lesions in the non-glandular region was 32.9%, with severe hyperkeratosis (13.13%) being most frequently observed (p < 0.05). Erosions were significantly higher in the cardia (8.54%) (p < 0.05), followed by fundus (8.33%). Gastric ulcers were significantly higher in the fundus (19.58%) (p < 0.05). Scars of healed ulcers and lacerations were also observed in the fundus (5.42%) (p < 0.05). The gastric lesion distribution across the four regions of the stomach and the occurrence of ulceration in the fundus showed an unusual pattern, which is rarely reported in other parts of the world. The reason for these findings in pigs in Nigeria is not fully understood; therefore, further studies are required to identify and manage these factors for increased productivity, improved animal welfare and enhanced food security. Keywords: prevalence; gastric; lesions; fundic ulcers; pig