Factors contributing to non-compliance to routine ante-natal haematinics among pregnant women attending ante-natal clinic in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno, Nigeria

Background: This study was carried out on factors contributing to non-compliance to routine ante-natal haematinics among pregnant women attending ante-natal clinic in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Descriptive research design in which Yaro Yamen’s formular was used to calculate the sample size of 130. The objectives of the study were: to identify types of haematinics and duration of intake during ante natal care, to determine the factors contributing to non-compliance of haematinics and to determine the attitude of pregnant women toward haematinic use.Methods: Data was collected using a self-developed questionnaire and presented in frequency distribution tables and histogram.Results: The result showed that the response of the age variation of the respondents at 21-30 years old had the maximum age participation in haematinics with 62% of response, responses based on the choice of haematinics 50% went for folic acid, trimester intake of haematinics among pregnant women about 48% accepted that they made use of it during pregnancy period, the result also revealed that pregnant women take haematinics once a day with 63% respondents, pregnant women with higher educational qualification made more use of haematinics with 70% responses and that non-compliance to haematinics intake based on cultural believe contributed few to the use of haematinics with 36% while 64% of the respondents accepted cultural believe was not the factor contributing to non-compliance of haematinics usage.Conclusions: In conclusion, this study provided information on the general response to factors contributing to non-compliance to routine ante natal haematinics among pregnant women attending ante natal clinic in UMTH which was about 62%. It is therefore recommended that the government should put in place relevant agencies to pro-actively inform pregnant women cut across all age groups, level of education, occupational classes, culture inclinations and financial status on the medical importance of haematinics intake during the gestation period.

Seroprevalence of bluetongue antibodies among goats in selected small ruminant farms in Serdang, Malaysia

Bluetongue disease is an arthropod-transmitted viral disease of ruminants with a worldwide distribution. Bluetongue outbreaks has been reported among livestock in Malaysia during the 1990s and since then few studies have paid attention to the status of Bluetongue in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to bluetongue virus among goats in selected small ruminant farms in Selangor, Malaysia. Blood samples were collected from 100 randomly selected goats. Sera were harvested and used for antibody detection. The result obtained revealed that all the samples tested were negative for antibodies to bluetongue virus. It was concluded that the goats sampled in this study were not exposed to bluetongue virus. Further studies using a bigger sample size, multiple species and a larger study area will be required to elucidate on the epidemiology of bluetongue virus in livestock of Malaysia

Transforming agriculture research into commercialisation: experience of Universiti Putra Malaysia

One of the major goals of any high impact research and development is an overall improvement in the well-being and sustainable quality of life through innovations. As universities continuously disseminate innovations from R&D activities, many prototypes and lab-scale products, whether tangible or intangible, can be made available for public use. The success of bringing these innovations to the marketplace depends on the quality and capability of the technology transfer office to lead different types of activities, engagements, negotiation and inclusiveness towards fulfilling the needs of commercialisation partners and the market. This paper presented a general overview of transforming research output into commercialisation in the context of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Throughout this paper, different commercialization channels, the roles of technology transfer offices and multiple agencies are further discussed with a special focus on agricultural innovations and technologies. This review contributes to both academic and agricultural industry research, development and commercialization activities by illustrating current innovation produced by UPM and industry-university collaboration, conducted at a leading agriculture university

Clinical management of acute otitis externa concurrent with auricular myiasis in a doe

This case report described the clinical management of otitis externa concurrent with myiasis in a doe. Briefly, intravenous fluid therapy was instituted and the infected wound was thoroughly washed with a diluted hydrogen peroxide and a combination of diluted hibiscrub, diluted iodine, acriflavin and beavate. Topederm® was applied topically for one week. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Flunixin meglumine (2.2 mg/kg, IV was administered once daily for three days to reduce inflammatory reaction and Ivermectin (1 mL/50kg) was given subcutaneously once. The prognosis was good and there was improvement in the wound healing and the overall condition of the animal one week after treatment. The farmer was advised to ensure the practice of good management hygiene and also employ the use of insect repellents in and around the farm

Diagnostic and therapeutic management of clinical case of suppurative pre-scapular lymphadenitis in a bull

A 4 year old Jersey-Friesian cross bull was presented to the Universiti Veterinary hospital, Universiti Putra Malaysia with a ruptured abscess on the right pre-scapular lymph node. The wound was dressed with diluted Hibiscrub® (Chlorhexidine gluconate 4.0%) and povidone iodine. Initial treatment includes Penicillin Streptomycin at 16mg/kg, intramuscularly. Bacterial isolation and sensitivity results revealed the presence of Staphylococcus shleiferi spp shleiferi and Arcanobacterium pyogenes. Both were resistant to gentamycin, penicillin G, sulfazole and streptomycin, but susceptible to tetracycline. The treatment was substituted with oxytetracycline 9mg/kg for 3 days based on the antibiotic susceptibility result. The wound was monitored and observed to have completely healed after 10 days post treatment

Incidences and veterinary clinical management of postpartum diseases among domestic cows and does in Klang Valley, Malaysia

The postpartum period is a time that is characterised by an increased risk of developing parturition related diseases and disorders by the dam. These may affect production in affected animals. Thee objective of this study was to determine the incidences and methods of clinical management of postpartum diseases among farm animals within the Klang Valley in Selangor, Malaysia. Primary data were obtained from a four-year (January 2013 to December 2017) farm record from sixteen (16) cattle and goats mixed farms. Postpartum diseases and disorders made up 3.4% (53/1550) of total diseases and disorders recorded for cows and does. Out of the 53 cases of postpartum diseases and disorders recorded, the followings were observed; metritis (24.5%), vaginal prolapse (22.6%), pyometra (20.8%), retained placenta (15.1%), uterine prolapse (9.4%), endometritis (5.7%) and uterine tears (1.9%). Most of the recorded postpartum cases were seen in cattle (83.0%) than in goat (17.0%) populations. More postpartum diseases and disorders were seen in younger cows (56.8%) as compared to older cows (43.2%). Similarly, more cases were seen in older does (66.6%) as compared to younger does (33.4%). Furthermore, a higher frequency of postpartum diseases was observed in animals during their rst parturition (77.4%) than in animals during their second (17.0%) or third parturition (5.6%). Flunixin meglumine and oxytetracyclines administered via the uterus were frequently used in clinical management of postpartum diseases. However, a detailed and strict follow up of the cases were lacking (52.8%). This study shows that postpartum diseases are quite common in primipara ruminants in the Klang Valley. Although conventional methods of managing postpartum cases in the Klang valley yielded satisfactory outcomes, there is need for compliance on detailed follow up therapy to avoid cases of treatment failures in affected animals

Clinical case of caseous lymphadenitis in a goat: case management

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the causative agent of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) a contagious and infectious disease in small ruminants. This report describes a case of CLA in a Boer cross goat infected with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. The manifestation of abscess in the superficial lymph node presented as a mass of approximately 5cm by 5cm in diameter at the base of the ear. The mass was solid and non-movable upon palpation. The mass was incised and the caseous material was aspirated and sent to the bacteriology laboratory where Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was isolated. The wound was cleaned and flushed with diluted chlorhexidine and iodine solutions daily. This procedure aids in the complete healing of the wound after a few weeks. However, the agent of the disease persists in the animal in its entire life and culling is recommended to prevent the spread of the disease in the herd

Seroprevalence of melioidosis in sheep and goats from selected small ruminant farms in Selangor, Malaysia

This study was designed to investigate the seroprevalence of Melioidosis in sheep and goats from selected small ruminant farms in Selangor, Malaysia. Blood samples (n=100) were collected each from sheep and goats using a random sampling technique from these farms. The serum samples were subjected to Melioidosis antibody screening using the Complement Fixation Test (CFT). The overall prevalence of Melioidosis among goats and sheep from these farms were 1% and 0%, respectively. It is concluded that although the prevalence of positive detection is low, there is need for further diagnostic surveillance as this singular case can be a potential reservoir for zoonotic infection

Effect of dexamethasone administration on the pathogenicity and lesion severity in rats experimentally inoculated with Orf virus (Malaysian isolates)

Contagious ecthyma (Orf) is a viral skin condition caused by a parapoxvirus. It results in cutaneous lesions that destroy the hides and skin of the infected host. In this study, the pathogenicity of Malaysian isolates of Orf virus (UPM 1/14 and UPM 2/14) was evaluated in a rat model using different inoculation sites with/without dexamethasone administration. A total of 50 rats were used in this study. For the first part of the study, 35 rats were divided into three groups; group 1 (n = 15) was inoculated with 0.5 mL of UPM 1/14 (tissue culture infective dose 50% (TCID50) 108.1/mL) while group 2 (n = 15) was inoculated with 0.5 mL of UPM 2/14 (TCID50 107.2/mL) each at the dorsum (n = 5), ear pinna (n = 5), and labial commissure (n = 5). Group 3 (n = 5) served as the control and was administered 0.5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline in all the sites mentioned above. In the second study, 15 rats were divided into three groups: a dexamethasone group (n = 5) which was given 10 mg/kg of dexamethasone once daily for 3 days, a non-dexamethasone group (n = 5), and a control (n = 5). Intradermal inoculation of 0.5 mL of UPM 1/14 was administered to each rat in the dexamethasone and non-dexamethasone groups at the dorsum, ear pinna, and labial commissure, respectively. Clinical signs and histopathological changes were evaluated for 14 days post inoculation for the first experiment and 7 days for the second experiment. Mild hyperemia was observed in the dorsum, ear pinna, and labial commissures of all inoculation groups. Group 1 (ORFV UPM 1/14) had a higher (P  0.05) in the mean thickness of the stratum basale of the ear pinna and labial commissure between the dexamethasone and non-dexamethasone groups. Orf virus was detected by PCR from the skin tissues of rats with lesions using F1L and B2L viral genes. In conclusion, Malaysian isolates of Orf virus were seen to be mildly pathogenic to rats. The difference in inoculation sites and the induction of immune suppression were observed to present varying pathological responses in rats

Management of an outbreak of brucellosis in a multiple species ruminant farm in Malaysia

This case report describes the management of an outbreak of brucellosis in a mixed ruminant farm in Selangor, central region of Peninsular Malaysia. Two cows with a history of abortion and endometritis were presented to the University Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Based on the history, physical examination and results of Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), brucellosis was highly suspected. This led to the screening of all the animals (n = 384) in the affected farm. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) revealed that 23 cattle were positive, while no agglutination was observed in goats and deer. A confirmatory test was performed on all the (n = 384) animals using the complement fixation test (CFT) and the results showed that two (2) cows and five (5) deer tested positive. The CFT positive animals were culled. Preventive steps were then taken where the remaining cattle in the herd were vaccinated once using the RB51 vaccine, while the deer and goats were not vaccinated. All animals in the herd were also recommended to be subjected for blood sampling every 4 months and the serum samples to be tested using competitive ELISA to distinguish between serological responses due to vaccination from infection. To overcome outbreak scenario of brucellosis in a farm, a prompt action and a concerted team work among relevant stakeholders are crucial to curb the situation