Flea Bite Dermatitis in a Herd of Dairy Calves in Vom Nigeria

Fleas are parasitic insects which are found all over the world. They are wingless insects 1.5-4.0mm long, have a laterally compressed body and are different from lice in they are flattened dorso-ventrally, and are covered with a hard, shiny coating, like an external skeleton, which helps them to move through an animal's fur. There are more than 2,200species of fleas recognized worldwide (Anon, 2006). Adult fleas are usually red-brown in color and have three pairs of legs, the last pair being quite large and well-adapted for jumping. They have piercing and sucking mouth parts which are specially designed for injecting into a host and suckingblood. They feed on the blood of cats, dogs and other animals, including humans (Lyon, 1997; Kramer and Mencke, 2001). Flea infestation in cattle and other ruminants is rare; it has been more commonly reported in cats and dogs. Infestations of calves with Ctenocephalides felis felis havebeen reported in Israel (Yeruham et al.,1989), the USA (Dryden et al., 1993) , Japan (Otake et al., 1997) and Brazil (Araujo et al., 1998). Kraal et al. (2006), in a survey of flea infestation, reported the infestation of calves and other domestic animal species in Libya. They reported thatof the 1861 fleas recovered, 1857 were Ctenocephalides felis strongylus and 4 were Pulex irritans. Yeruham and Braverman (2004) reported Seasonal allergic dermatitis in sheep associated with Ctenocephalides and Culicoides bites. Ctenocephalides felis felis is a flea of cats and dogs, which is responsible for skin irritation and anaemia (Dryden andRust, 1994) and transmission of the tape worm Dipylidium caninum (Pugh, 1987). This flea can also infest other mammals including humans (Genchi, 1992)

Seroprevalence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Plateau state, North-central Nigeria

This survey was undertaken to establish the prevalence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Plateau State, Nigeria by screening 528 cattle for Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides (Mmm) antibodies using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA). Sera samples were collected from 6 randomly selected local government areas (LGAs) of the State over a 14-month period (May, 2013 – June, 2014). Results showed an overall CBPP seroprevalence of 14.39% for the State. Antibodies to Mmm were detected in all the LGAs sampled with prevalence ranging from 7.50% to 31.58%, indicating a significant association (P<0.05). Seasons (P<0.05, χ2=34.00) and sample collection points (P<0.05, χ2=8.848) were also significantly associated with the seroprevalence of CBPP. There was however, no significant association (P>0.05, χ2=0.47) between the sex of cattle and seroprevalence of CBPP. This study confirms that CBPP is widespread, and the findings could serve as a baseline for initiation of effective control programmes against the disease to improve cattle health and production in the State.Key words: Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, seroprevalence, Plateau State