SALMONELLA ORGANISM TRANSMISSION IN HATCHING BROILER EGGS

The vertical transmission of Salmonella organism in hatching broiler eggs were investigated in selected states in South Western Nigeria. Hatching eggs obtained from five major hatcheries located within each state were used to isolate and characterize salmonella in shell, yolk and albumin of eggs. The study revealed that Salmonella gallinarum and Salmonella arizorae were isolated from hatcheries in Lagos State while some hatcheries in Oyo State respectively were positive for salmonella organism in hatcheries A & B for organism in hatcheries B while yolk & albumin were positive for salmonella organism in Lagos State (Hatchery A)

Growth, nutrient digestibility, ileal digesta viscosity, and energy metabolizability of growing turkeys fed diets containing malted sorghum sprouts supplemented with enzyme or yeast

Growth, apparent nutrient digestibility, ileal digesta viscosity, and energy metabolizability of growing turkeys fed diets containing malted sorghum sprouts (MSP) supplemented with enzyme or yeast were investigated using 120, 28-day-old male turkeys. Six treatments were laid out in a 392 factorial arrangement of treatments with three dietary inclusion levels of MSP (0, 50, and 100 g/kg) and supplemented with 200 mg/kg yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or 200 mg/kg of a commercial enzyme. The experiment lasted for the starter (day 28–56) and grower phases (day 57–84) of the birds. Each treatment group consisted of 20 turkeys replicated four times with five birds each. Data were analysed using analysis of variance while polynomial contrast was used to determine the trends (linear and quadratic) of MSP inclusion levels. Irrespective of dietary supplementation with enzyme or yeast, final body weight (BW), total BW gain, and feed intake for turkey poults from day 29–56 was reduced (p< 0.05) with increasing inclusion level of MSP. Dietary supplementation with yeast resulted in increased (p< 0.05) feed intake while enzyme supplementation improved (p 0.05) with MSP inclusion levels.Enzyme supplementation reduced (p< 0.05) ileal viscosity but had no effect (p>0.05) on AME. Inclusion of MSP resulted in poor growth performance. This confirms earlier studies that utilization of MSP by poultry is rather poor. Supplementation with enzyme or yeast did not lead to any appreciable improvement in performance of turkeys in this study

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Performance characteristics and apparent nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with phyto-additives

A 56 d study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary inclusion of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leafmeal, Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf meal and Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) meal on the growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens. Four hundred (400) 1- d old unsexed Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly allotted to five diets consisting either a basal diet without supplement (negative control) or basal diet with 5mg/kg commercial  antibiotic (positive control) or basal diet with 5mg/kg phytobiotics (moringa leaf meal (MLM),neem leaf meal (NLM) and bitter leaf meal (BLM) for 1-56 d. Each dietary treatment consisted of 4 replicates of 20 birds with a replicate being an experimental unit. The phyto-additives were assayed for chemical compositions. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannin, alkaloids, flavonoid, Phenol and Saponin. Birds fed diets supplemented with commercial antibiotic and MLM were heavier (p&lt;0.05) while those on control and NLM had poorest weight at 28 d and 56 d. MLM and BLM diets were more consumed (p&lt;0.05) by the starter birds. However, feed consumption was not influenced by the diets at the finisher phase. Birds on phyto-additives had higher percentage (p&lt;0.05) of survival  compared to those control and antibiotics at 28 and 56 d. Best feed:gain was achieved when the diet was supplemented with commercial antibiotics at 28 d and antibiotic and MLM at 56 d. The digestibility of dry matter (86.96%) and ash (75.34%) were higher (p&lt;0.05) in birds given feed containing antibiotic improved (P&lt;0.05) digestibility of crude protein and ether was observed in Birds fed diet containing commercial antibiotics.Keywords: Broiler chickens, phyto-additives, and performance characteristic Caracteristiques de performance et digestibilite apparente des nutriments des poulets de chair supplementes en phytoadditifsUne étude de 56 jours a été réalisée dans le but de déterminer les effets de  l’inclusion alimentaire de la farine de feuilles de Moringa (Moringa oleifera), de la farine de feuilles de Neem (Azadirachta indica) etde la feuille amère  (Vernonia amygdalina) sur la croissance et la digestibilité apparente des poulets de chair. Quatre cents (400) poulets de chair Ross 308s des deux sexes, âgés d’un (1) jour, ont été aléatoirement répartis à cinq régimes comprenant soit un régime de base sans supplément (témoin négatif), soit un régime de base avec 5 mg / kg d’antibiotique commercial (témoin positif) ou un régime de base avec 5 mg / kg de phytobiotiques (farine de feuilles de moringa - MLM, farine de  feuilles de neem –NLM- et farine defeuilles amères -BLM) pendant 1 à 56  jours. Chaque traitement diététique consistait en 4 répétitions de 20 oiseaux, une répétition étant une unité expérimentale. Les phyto-additifs ont été étudiés pour déterminer leurs compositions chimiques. Le dépistage phytochimique a révélé la présence de tanins, d’alcaloïdes, de flavonoïdes, de phénol et de saponine. Les oiseaux recevant des suppléments d’antibiotiques commerciaux et de MLM étaient plus lourds (p &lt;0,05) que ceux soumis au régime témoin, et ceux  recevant NLM avaient le poids le plus faible aux jours 28 et 56. Les régimes MLM et BLM étaient plus consommés (p &lt;0,05) par  les jeunes oiseaux.  Cependant, la  consommation d’aliments n’a pas été influencée par les régimes en phase de finition. Les oiseaux recevant des phyto-additifs avaient un  pourcentage de survie plus élevé (p &lt;0,05) que les témoins et les antibiotiques à 28 et 56 jours. Meilleur aliment : gain obtenu lorsque le régime était complété avec des antibiotiques commerciaux au jour 28 et des antibiotiques au jour 56. La digestibilité de la matière sèche (86,96%) et des cendres (75,34%) était plus élevée (p &lt;0,05) chez les oiseaux recevant desaliments contenant des antibiotiques améliorés (P &lt;0,05), la digestibilité de la protéine brute et de l’éther a été observée chez les oiseaux recevant des antibiotiques  commerciaux. Mots-clés : poulets de chair, phyto-additifs, et caractéristiques de performanc

Performance and haematological indices of broiler chickens fed diets containing supplements of three phytogenic plants

The effects of Azadirachta indica (neem), Spondias mombin and Chromolaena odorata leaf meals as natural feed supplements on performance and haematology of broilers were evaluated. Two hundred and sixty-four 1 day-old Arbor acre chicks were divided randomly into six treatments and four replicates. Treatment 1 was a negative control (containing no antibiotic nor phytogenic plant) while treatment 2 served as the positive control (containing Neoceryl). Diets 3 contained 5g/kg Azadirachta indica leaf meal. The birds in treatment 4 were given diets that contained 2.5 g/kg each of Azadirachta indica and Spondias mombin leaf meals. Diets 5 contained 2.5 g/kg each of Azadirachta indica and Chromolaena odorata leaf meals, while those in treatment 6 received diets containing the three test ingredients at 1.7 g/kg each. Data on performance and blood indices collected were analyzed using Analyses of variance in a Completely Randomized Design. Results at day 28 showed no significant difference (P &gt; 0.05) in the feed conversion ratio while significant differences were observed for all haematological parameters across the treatments except basophil and monocytes. At day 56, significant differences (P&lt;0.05) were observed across the treatments for final weight, daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. The values of packed cell volume, haemoglobin and red blood cells were significantly higher in the birds fed with the phytogenic plants. It was concluded that 2.5g/kg Azadirachta indica and Spondias mombin improved FCR at the finisher phase while combinations of the three phytogenic plants in feed increased the PCV and did not have a negative effect on thehealth status of the birds.Keywords: Azadirachta indica, Spondias mombin, Chromolaena odorata, broilers,haematology, performanc

Effect of different feed forms with or without Oyster mushroom inclusion (Pleurotus ostreatus) on egg production and egg quality of egg-type chicken

This study investigated the effect of different feed forms with or without oyster mushroom inclusion (Pleurotus ostreatus) on egg production and egg quality of egg-type chicken. One hundred and sixty 16-week old pullets were purchased and acclimatized for 2 weeks. Afterwards, the birds were distributed on the basis of feed forms (mash and pellet) and oyster mushroom inclusion (with or without) into 4 treatments consisting of 40 birds per treatment. Each treatment was sub-divided into 5 replicates of 8 birds per replicate. External and internal egg qualities were investigated in three phases; early-lay (20-27 weeks of age), mid-lay (28-35 weeks of age) and late-lay (36-43 weeks of age). Data obtained were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a Completely Randomized Design. Result showed Total Egg Production (TEP) and Hen Day Egg Production (HDEP) were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in birds fed pellet feed and lowest in birds fed mash feed during early and mid-lay phases. However, birds fed diets with oyster mushroom inclusion recorded significantly (p&lt;0.05) lower TEP and HDEP (161.30 eggs and 36.00%, respectively) during the early-lay phase. Yolk colour score at mid-lay was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher (5.80) in birds fed pellet feed than 4.30 in birds fed mash feed. Shell thickness was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher (0.84 mm) in birds fed pellet feed than 0.66 mm in birds fed mash feed. Therefore, optimal egg production with darker yolk colour can be achieved at the mid-lay phase via feeding laying birds with pellet feed with oyster mushroom

Performance and haematological indices of broiler chickens fed diets containing supplements of three phytogenic plants

The effects of Azadirachta indica (neem), Spondias mombin and Chromolaena odorata leaf meals as natural feed supplements on performance and haematology of broilers were evaluated. Two hundred and sixty-four 1 day-old Arbor acre chicks were divided randomly into six treatments and four replicates. Treatment 1 was a negative control (containing no antibiotic nor phytogenic plant) while treatment 2 served as the positive control (containing Neoceryl). Diets 3 contained 5g/kg Azadirachta indica leaf meal. The birds in treatment 4 were given diets that contained 2.5 g/kg each of Azadirachta indica and Spondias mombin leaf meals. Diets 5 contained 2.5 g/kg each of Azadirachta indica and Chromolaena odorata leaf meals, while those in treatment 6 received diets containing the three test ingredients at 1.7 g/kg each. Data on performance and blood indices collected were analyzed using Analyses of variance in a Completely Randomized Design. Results at day 28 showed no significant difference (P &gt; 0.05) in the feed conversion ratio while significant differences were observed for all haematological parameters across the treatments except basophil and monocytes. At day 56, significant differences (P&lt;0.05) were observed across the treatments for final weight, daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. The values of packed cell volume, haemoglobin and red blood cells were significantly higher in the birds fed with the phytogenic plants. It was concluded that 2.5g/kg Azadirachta indica and Spondias mombin improved FCR at the finisher phase while combinations of the three phytogenic plants in feed increased the PCV and did not have a negative effect on thehealth status of the birds.Keywords: Azadirachta indica, Spondias mombin, Chromolaena odorata, broilers,haematology, performanc

Growth performance, nutrient digestibility and haematological indices of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with riboflavin and pyridoxine

A 56 days feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood characteristics of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with riboflavin and pyridoxine. A total of two hundred and forty day old unsexed Marshall Broiler chickens were assigned to eight diets in a completely randomised design. The diets were such that diet 1 was the control (basal diet without vitamin supplementation), diets 2, 3 and 4 had basal diet supplemented with 4 mg/kg, 8 mg/kg and 12 mg/kg riboflavin, respectively, diets 5, 6, and 7 had basal diet supplemented with 3.5 mg/kg, 7 mg/kg and 10.5 mg/kg pyridoxine, respectively while diet 8 had basal diet with 4 mg/kg riboflavin + 3.5 mg/kg pyridoxine. Each dietary treatment was replicated three times with 10 birds per replicate. The growth parameters measured at day 28 were not significantly influenced (P&gt;0.05) by the diets. At day 56, the final weight (1980 g) was highest in birds fed diets with 7 mg/kg supplemental pyridoxine, though the final weight value was similar (P&gt;0.05) to those fed diets supplemented with 4 mg/kg (1793.30 g) and 12 mg/kg (1700.00 g) riboflavin. Higher protein retention values were recorded for broilers fed higher concentration of supplemental riboflavin and pyridoxine. The packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration of broilers fed diets supplemented with 8 mg/kg riboflavin and 7 mg/kg pyridoxine (insert the values here) were higher than those on other diets. Higher levels of riboflavin and pyridoxine and their combination resulted in an elevated heterophil and decreased lymphocyte values. An elevated (P&lt;0.05) mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) (44.75 pg/cell) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (133.05 f/L) concentration was observed in broilers fed diets containing added 3.5 mg/kg pyridoxine. The study revealed that 8 mg/kg riboflavin and 7 mg/kg pyridoxine is required for improved final weight, crude protein retention and good health of broiler chickens

Effects of processing methods on phytochemical compositions of selected plant materials with animal nutrition potentials

Plants contain significant amounts of bioactive compounds that have potential benefits for livestock and humans. This study evaluated the phytochemicals of some plant materials that have potential nutritional value for animals. In this study, fresh samples (six samples per plant material) of four leaves of Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata L.); African basil (Ocimum gratissimum L.); waterleaf (Talinum triangulare Jacq. Willd); and Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia Hemsl. A. Gray) were either air-dried (between 27 and 31 °C), oven-dried (at 65 °C) or freeze-dried (at −80 °C). The leaves were milled in a 1.0 mm sieve and the phytochemical contents of each leaf sample (in triplicates) were quantified. The quantified phytochemicals were flavonoids, tannins, beta carotene and xanthophylls for each of the leaves. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and significant means separated using the Duncan multiple range test. Flavonoids, tannins and xanthophylls were found to be the highest (p < 0.05) in most air-dried leaf samples compared to oven-dried and freeze-dried ones. Flavonoids, tannins, beta carotene and xanthophylls in the leaves showed that all leaf samples appear to have good potential for being used as natural feed additives such as egg yolk colourants in laying chicken feed. In vivo studies using birds are recommended

Bioavailability of Cu, Zn and Mn from Mineral Chelates or Blends of Inorganic Salts in Growing Turkeys Fed with Supplemental Riboflavin and/or Pyridoxine

n 84-day feeding trial was conducted in growing turkeys to measure the bioavailability of Cu, Zn and Mn from a commercial mineral chelate and corresponding inorganic salts in composite feeds containing supplemental riboflavin (B2) and/or pyridoxine (B6). A total of 320, 28-day-old British United Turkeys (BUT) were assigned to eight dietary treatments in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement comprising two trace mineral sources: chelated trace mineral blend (CTMB) and its corresponding inorganic trace minerals blend (ITMB) fed solely or with supplements of vitamin B2 (8 ppm) or B6 (7 ppm) or 8 ppm B2 + 7 ppm B6. Each treatment was replicated four times with 10 turkeys each. It was observed that turkeys fed with diets supplemented solely with ITMB elicited higher (P < 0.05) Zn excretion than their counterparts fed with diets containing ITMB with supplements of vitamins B2 and/or B6. Manganese retention was lower (P < 0.05) in turkeys fed with diets supplemented solely with ITMB than those fed with diets containing vitamins B2 and/or B6 additives. Combination of CTMB or ITMB with B6 improved (P < 0.05) the concentration of Mn in the liver and Cu in the bone. It was concluded that the minerals in CTMB were more available to the animals than ITMB. Furthermore, vitamins B2 and/or B6 supplementation improved the bioavailability of the inorganic Cu, Zn and Mn in growing turkeys and tended to reduce the concentration of these trace elements in birds' excreta