Prevalence of Nematodes of Domesticated Guinea Fowl in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Abstract:A study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of nematodes of domesticated guinea fowls slaughtered at the Maiduguri central market. Postmortem examinations of 100 samples each of trachea and gastrointestinal tracts revealed an overall prevalence of 90%. Male guinea fowls had a higher prevalence of infection 35.6% compared to the females 64.4% (p >0.05). Parasites identified were Heterakis gallinarum with 20%, Ascaridia galli 6.7%, Subulura brumpti 13.3% Strongyloides avium 11.1% and Capillaria bursata 2.2%. Mixed infections were those by Ascaridia galli and S. avium 15. 6%, H. gallinarum and S. avium 15.6%, H. gallinarum and Subulura brumpti 6.6%, A. galli and H. gallinarum 6.6 % and S. avium and Sub. brumpti and A. galli and Syngamus trachea with 2.2%. These findings indicate that guinea fowls harbor nematodes that are parasitic, and the effect of these parasites on the productivity of the guinea fowls is discussed. Some factors of these parasites are also considered

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the treatment of animal diarrhoea in Plateau State, Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases has generated renewed interest in recent times, as herbal preparations are increasingly being used in both human and animal healthcare systems. Diarrhoea is one of the common clinical signs of gastrointestinal disorders caused by both infectious and non-infectious agents and an important livestock debilitating condition. Plateau State is rich in savannah and forest vegetations and home to a vast collection of plants upheld in folklore as having useful medicinal applications. There is however scarcity of documented information on the medicinal plants used in the treatment of animal diarrhoea in the state, thus the need for this survey. Ten (10) out of 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs), spread across the three senatorial zones were selected. Farmers were interviewed using well structured, open-ended questionnaire and guided dialogue techniques between October and December 2010. Medicinal plants reported to be effective in diarrhoea management were collected using the guided field-walk method for identification and authentication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 248 questionnaires were completed, out of which 207 respondents (83.47%) acknowledged the use of herbs in diarrhoea management, while 41 (16.53%) do not use herbs or apply other traditional methods in the treatment of diarrhoea in their animals. Medicinal plants cited as beneficial in the treatment of animal diarrhoea numbered 132, from which 57(43.18%) were scientifically identified and classified into 25 plant families with the families Fabaceae (21%) and Combretaceae (14.04%) having the highest occurrence. The plant parts mostly used in antidiarrhoeal herbal preparations are the leaves (43.86%) followed by the stem bark (29.82%). The herbal preparations are usually administered orally.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Rural communities in Plateau State are a rich source of information on medicinal plants as revealed in this survey. There is need to scientifically ascertain the authenticity of the claimed antidiarrhoeal properties of these plants and perhaps develop more readily available alternatives in the treatment of diarrhoea.</p

Hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among high risk groups in northeastern Nigeria

Hepatitis B Virus infection is ranked the 10th leading cause of death worldwide. Mortality and morbidity attributable to it in the hyper-endemic sub Saharan African nations such as Nigeria is unarguably high. We postulated that the sero-prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is uneven across sex, age groups and  perceived risks. We determined the HBsAg among six defined groups stratified as low risk (Age &lt; 10 years), average risk (Pregnant antenatal care attendee), moderate risk (parturient women, STD clinic attendee) and high risk (commercial sex workers, CSW and long truck drivers). A total of 838 subjects from birth to age 56 years were screened for HBsAg using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique. The overall prevalence was 16.5%. It was higher in males (25.6%) than females (13.5%) (p &lt;0.001). The seroprevalence rate was highest among children aged &lt; 10 years with 25%. Parturient women and long truck drivers had a similar  seroprevalence of 23.3% and 23.2% respectively. STD clinic attendee had 17.4%, while Antenatal care attendee had 11.3%. CSW had the least seroprevalence rate of 8%. Seroprevalent rate decreased with age (p=0.023), but it increased with parity = 4. Fifteen motherchild pairs (out of the 73 mother-child pairs) had HBsAg positive; mother-child concordance for HBsAg of 20.5%. Hepatitis B virus infection is  common, and it is of hyperendemic magnitude in our environment. Although it commoner among children, it is likely acquired horizontally. This finding underscores the need for early childhood vaccination. Advocacy on discouraging prevalent  harmful traditional practices such as genital mutilation, circumcision, cupping and tribal mark using unsterilized instruments and paraphernalia is expedient in our environment

Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences Detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus antibodies in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Abstract This study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antibodies in camels presented for slaughter at the Maiduguri abattoir using a BVDV specific indirect enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA). Ninety (90) serum samples collected from adult male and female camels were tested for BVDV antibodies. From the samples tested, 28 (31.1%) were positive for BVDV. The sex distribution of the positive samples showed 7 (33.3%) males and 21 (30.4%) females were positive for BVDV antibodies. The results showed no statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) difference in the sex prevalence of camels observed in the study. This finding demonstrates the presence of BVDV antibodies in camels in Maiduguri. Further studies will be required to elucidate the epidemiology of BVDV infection in camels and other livestock species in the study area

Prophylactic platelets in dengue: survey responses highlight lack of an evidence base

Dengue is the most important arboviral infection of humans. Thrombocytopenia is frequently observed in the course of infection and haemorrhage may occur in severe disease. The degree of thrombocytopenia correlates with the severity of infection, and may contribute to the risk of haemorrhage. As a result of this prophylactic platelet transfusions are sometimes advocated for the prevention of haemorrhage. There is currently no evidence to support this practice, and platelet transfusions are costly and sometimes harmful. We conducted a global survey to assess the different approaches to the use of platelets in dengue. Respondents were all physicians involved with the treatment of patients with dengue. Respondents were asked that their answers reflected what they would do if they were the treating physician. We received responses from 306 physicians from 20 different countries. The heterogeneity of the responses highlights the variation in clinical practice and lack of an evidence base in this area and underscores the importance of prospective clinical trials to address this key question in the clinical management of patients with dengue