Antimicrobial residues screening in pigs and goats slaughtered in Nsukka Municipal abattoir, Southeast Nigeria

Antimicrobial residue in animal food products is an important index of food safety. Drug residues could result from chemotherapeutic or chemoprophylactic use of drugs in food animals. This occurrence of residue in animal food products has received enormous worldwide attention from some local, international and public health agencies. Samples of tissues/organs from pigs and goats slaughtered at the Nsukka Municipal abattoir, Southeast, Nigeria were screened for the presence of antimicrobial residues. Samples collected from the muscles, liver and kidney of 40 slaughtered pigs and 40 slaughtered goats were analysed for antimicrobial residues using the four plate agar diffusion method. 12 (30%) of the 40 sampled pigs and 10 (25%) of the 40 sampled goats were positive for antimicrobial residues. In pigs, antimicrobial residues occur more in the kidney, muscle and liver in that order, while in goats they occurred more and equally in kidney and liver than in the muscle. The result of the study clearly suggest that the rampant use of antimicrobial drugs in slaughter animals at the Nsukka municipal abattoir coupled with non-adherence to withdrawal periods is grossly practiced in Nigeria. This study further confirms the need to regulate the use of veterinary drugs in livestock production and to enforce laws guarding against drug residues in food animals.Keywords: Residues, antimicrobial, pigs, goat

Clinico-toxicological effects of ceftriaxone after intramuscular administration of graded doses in Basenji dogs

Purpose: The recent ceftriaxone-induced anaemia and mortalities at the dose of 50 mg/kg in Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria prompted this study which sought to assess the clinicotoxicological effects of ceftriaxone (CFZ) after intramuscular administration of graded doses in Basenji dogs.Methods: The effects of CFZ on the haematological indices, physiological parameters, liver and kidney functions were assessed in 4 group of dogs (n = 4) designated A – D. They were given CFZ intramuscularly for 21 days at doses of 12, 25 and 50 mg/kg for groups A, B, C, respectively, while thecontrol (group D) received the diluent (lignocaine 0.2 mL)Results: The mean pulse and heart rate of dogs in group C were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of group A, B and D. Significant (p < 0.05) decrease in red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) was observed in group C on days 7 and 14, while on day 21, these parameters were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in group D than in the treated groups. On day 14 of CFZ administration, the alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities of dogs in group C was significantly (p < 0.05) elevated than the control group.Conclusion: These findings suggest that CFZ, at the doses of 12.5 - 25 mg/kg, appears safe in dogs as most of the adverse effects observed are reversed following the withdrawal of the drug on day 28. However, CFZ at 50 mg/kg causes anaemia, tachycardia and bilateral paralysis of the hind limbs which did not revert to normal after one week; hence, it is not recommended for use in dogs at this dose

Assessment of lead (Pb) residues in organs and muscles of slaughtered pigs at Nsukka and Environs in Enugu state, Nigeria

Objective: Heavy metals are serious environmental pollutants and their uptake and accumulation in the ecosystem, beyond safe limits, would cause direct consequences to food chain and ultimately to man. The present study was undertaken to ascertain the presence and levels of lead (Pb) in muscles and organs of slaughtered pigs at Nsukka agricultural zone, Nigeria. Materials and methods: From a total of 160 slaughtered pigs, liver, kidney and muscle of each pig were collected and processed for the detection of lead residue using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Results: A prevalence rate of 81.25% was recorded for Pb residue in Nsukka agricultural zone. There is a strong association (P<0.0001) between occurrence of Pb residue and the source of samples. Mean concentrations of 0.0758 mg/kg, 0.1050 mg/kg and 0.0985 mg/kg were recorded in kidney, mean concentrations of 0.1676 mg/kg, 0.1235 mg/kg and 0.1955 mg/kg were recorded in liver and mean concentrations of 0.0598 mg/kg, 0.0870 mg/kg and 0.1020 mg/kg in muscle samples in Nsukka, orba and Obollo slaughter houses respectively. There is no significant (P<0.05) difference between the mean concentrations of the Pb in the liver, kidney and muscle samples (Nsukka, Orba and Obollo) and its maximum permissible levels (MPL). Conclusion: More than half of the samples were positive for Pb and few samples that exceeded the MPL may pose human health threat to pork consumers in the study area. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2016; 3(4.000): 392-398

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Cryptosporidium spp. infection in local breed of dogs in Enugu State, Nigeria

Aims: Cryptosporidiosis is an important zoonotic disease of major public and veterinary concern. The disease affects humans and a variety of animal species including the domestic dog. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Cryptosporidium spp. infection in local breed of dogs from different homes and those presented at veterinary hospitals and clinics in Enugu State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 203 fresh fecal samples were collected from domestic dogs in six local government areas in Enugu State from February 2015 to August 2015. All the samples were examined using the formol-ether sedimentation method. Fecal smears were then stained by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique and examined under direct light microscopy. Results: A total of 74 (36.5%) dogs were infected with Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. There was a strong association (p0.05) between the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts and age, sex, and fecal consistency. Conclusion: The findings of this work suggest that domestic dogs in Enugu State harbor and shed Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in the environment, especially those managed semi-intensively. Such fecal shedding is particularly so and of greater zoonotic and epidemiological importance in animals that do not show clinical signs and therefore not treated. They, therefore, pose a greater public health risk, especially to immune-compromised humans and animals. Public education on the zoonotic implication of this protozoan infection is of paramount importance in Enugu State, in particular, and Nigeria, in general, considering the closeness of dogs and man

Detection, Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Heavy Metals/Metalloids, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead in Goat Carcasses Processed for Human Consumption in South-Eastern Nigeria

Notwithstanding the increased toxic heavy metals/metalloids (THMs) accumulation in (edible) organs owed to goat′s feeding habit and anthropogenic activities, the chevon remains increasingly relished as a special delicacy in Nigeria. Specific to the South-Eastern region, however, there is paucity of relevant data regarding the prevalence of THMs in goat carcasses processed for human consumption. This work was, therefore, aimed to investigate the detection, distribution and health risk assessment of THMs in goat carcass processed for human consumption in South-Eastern Nigeria. To achieve this, a total of 450 meat samples (kidney, liver and muscle) were evaluated from 150 randomly selected goat carcasses processed in two major slaughterhouses in Enugu State. The detection, distribution, as well as health risk assessment parameters followed standard procedures. Results revealed that at least one THM was detected in 56% of the carcasses. Mean concentrations of arsenic (As) were 0.53 ± 0.10 mg/kg, 0.57 ± 0.09 mg/kg and 0.45 ± 0.08 mg/kg, lead (Pb) were 0.48 ± 0.38 mg/kg, 0.45 ± 0.24 mg/kg and 0.82 ± 0.39 mg/kg, cadmium (Cd) was 0.06 ± 0.32 mg/kg, 0.02 ± 0.00 mg/kg, and 0.02 ± 0.00 mg/kg for kidney, liver and muscle tissues, respectively. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) for all THMs were above the recommended safe limits. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) computed for all As, Cd and Pb fell below unity in all the studied organs, which indicated no non-carcinogenic risks. Curtailing the anthropogenic activities that aid the THM-contamination in goat production/processing lines is recommended. Screening for THM-contamination in Nigerian slaughterhouses is imperative, so as to ascertain the toxicological safety of meats intended for human consumption

Molecular epidemiology, genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from chicken and pig carcasses, and carcass handlers.

The epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in food animals, associated products, and their zoonotic potential in Nigeria are poorly understood. This study aimed to provide data on the prevalence, genetic characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus isolated from chicken and pig carcasses, and persons in contact with the carcasses at slaughterhouses in Nigeria. Surface swabs were collected randomly from 600 chicken and 600 pig carcasses. Nasal swabs were collected from 45 workers in chicken slaughterhouses and 45 pig slaughterhouse workers. S. aureus isolates were analyzed by spa typing. They were also examined for presence of the Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) and mecA genes, as well as for antimicrobial resistance phenotype. Overall, 53 S. aureus isolates were recovered (28 from chicken carcasses, 17 from pig carcasses, 5 from chicken carcass handlers and 3 from pig carcass handlers). Among the isolates, 19 (35.8%) were PVL-positive and 12 (22.6%) carried the mecA gene. The 53 isolates belonged to 19 spa types. The Based Upon Repeat Pattern (BURP) algorithm separated the isolates into 2 spa-clonal complexes (spa-CC) and 9 singletons including 2 novel spa types (t18345 and t18346). The clonal complexes (CC) detected were CC1, CC5, CC8, CC15, CC88 and CC152. CC15-related isolates represented by spa type t084 (32.1%) and CC5 represented by spa type t311 (35.3%) predominated among isolates from chicken carcasses/ handlers, and pig carcasses/ handlers, respectively. Multidrug resistance exhibited by all the CC except CC8, was observed among isolates from chicken carcasses (64.3%), pig carcasses (41.2%), handlers of chicken meat (40.0%) and handlers of pork (33.3%). All the CC showed varying degrees of resistance to tetracycline while CC15 and CC5 exhibited the highest resistance to sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim and erythromycin, respectively. The predominant antimicrobial resistance pattern observed was penicillin-tetracycline-sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (PEN-TET-SXT). In conclusion, food animals processed in Enugu State in Southeast Nigeria are potential vehicles for transmission of PVL-positive multiple-drug resistant S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus from farm to slaughterhouse and potentially to the human population. Public health intervention programs at pre- and post-slaughter stages should be considered in Nigerian slaughterhouses