Haematology and pathologic changes associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from barn swallows around poultry houses in broiler chickens

The impact of vermin found in poultry houses has increased in recent times. This study evaluated the occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in free flying barn swallows found in poultry houses in Ibadan and determined its pathogenicity in broilers. Barn swallows (23) were caught using mist nets, their oral and cloacal microbial culture yielded Pseudomonas aeruginosa. One-week-old, thirty-five broilers were divided randomly into infected (n=23) and control (n=12) groups. Each bird in the infected group was inoculated with viable infective dose of 0.5 ml of 8hr broth containing (105) CFU/ml of Pseudomonas aeruginosa via oro-nasal route. The infected group showed dullness, rales and bloody diarrhoea. The pack cell volume was consistently lower in the infected group compared to the control group although not statistically significant post-infection. The platelets count was significantly (P <0.05) higher in the infected group on day 7 pi. Total white blood cell was significantly (P <0.05) higher in the infected group on day 14 pi. There was a significant (P<0.05) increase in heterophil count on days 7 and 35 pi. The mean lymphocyte value of the infected chickens was significantly (P <0.05) lower than the control group only on day 35 pi, while the monocyte count in the infected group was significantly (P<0.05) lower on day 28 pi. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to gentamycin and resistant to oxytetracycline except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Hepatic congestion, splenomegaly and enteritis were observed in the infected chickens. Barn swallows harbour pathogenic bacteria, causing clinico-pathological changes in chickens and may be partly responsible for transmission of pathogenic bacteria within and between poultry houses due to their free-flying habit. Adequate biosecurity measures including screening nets on poultry houses are recommended to prevent access of these free flying birds into poultry pens

Physicochemical Characteristics of Waterholes and Soil in a Wildlife Park: A Case Study of Old Oyo National Park, Nigeria

Analysing the physicochemical characteristics of water and soil in conservation areas gives information about their quality and the effective management strategies wildlife conservationists could adopt. The study assessed thephysicochemical characteristics of selected perennial rivers and soil samples in Old Oyo National Park, Nigeria. A totalof 24 composited surface water and 36 topsoil samples were collected using grab and random sampling techniques,respectively for four seasons (two dry and two wet) for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018). The samples were analysed for selected physicochemical characteristics using standard methods. Data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential (ANOVA) statistics SPSS (version 20.0) at α0.05. The result showed that the mean values (in the water samples) of Total Suspended Solids (673.13±592.10) in dry season 2018, Total Solids (799.37±610.17) in dry season 2018, and Sulphate (469.34±354.94) in dry season 2017 were above the comparable WHO permissible limit while the mean values (in the soil samples) of total nitrogen (except dry season 2018), exchangeable Magnesium and Potassium (across all the seasons) were above the comparable critical limits. There were significant differences in all the physicochemical characteristics of water sampled [except pH (P=0.12), chloride (P=0.96) and BOD (P=0.86)] while organic carbon (P=0.047), organic matter (P=0.041), nitrogen (P=0.020), calcium (P=0.016), total exchangeable bases (P=0.009) and effective cation exchange capacity (P=0.033) in soils were significantly different across the seasons of sampling. The soil physicochemical parameters above comparable critical limits may have elicited from the impact of anthropogenic activities by the surrounding communities with possible implication on wild animal health in the park

Gross and histopathological diagnosis of intra-luminal vaginal leiomyoma in an 8-year-old Caucasian bitch: case report

Vaginal leiomyomas are uncommon tumours and they may originate from vaginal smooth muscles, local arterial musculature, bladder or urethral smooth muscles. An 8-year-old Caucasian bitch was presented with a round pendulous smooth solid mass of about 5cm in diameter at the junction between the vestibule and vagina. Two other similar smaller masses were seen on the vaginal wall (0.4-0.6cm in diameter). Histopathologically, abundant densely packed spindle cells of uniform size, indistinct cellular borders, eosinophilic cytoplasm, and elongate, blunt-ended (cigar shaped) nuclei were seen. The cells appeared grouped in broad interlacing fibres at angles of 90 degree in a herringbone pattern, typical of smooth muscle tissue. In-depth examination of the reproductive tract should be carried out to avoid missing valuable diagnostic information that could help in proper intervention

Biliary cystadenoma in an 8-year-old Caucasian bitch

Biliary cystadenoma is reported in an 8-year-old female Caucasian dog diagnosed by gross and microscopic examination. The gross lesion observed during postmortem examination on the liver was a 3×2cm cream-coloured raised nodule that extended into the parenchyma and another 2×4cm cyst filled with mucoid fluid. Histopathology showed multiloculated cysts lined by columnar and occasionally flattened epithelial cells, with papillary projections into the lumens. These findings are discussed in the paper

Haematological Profile of Naturally Infected Haemoparasite Positive and Negative Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Commercial quail farming is economically viable and feasible because quails are resistant to various diseases. But despite this reported resistance, little is known about its resistance to haemoparasites. This study evaluates the haematological changes and haemoparasitic infection of commercially raised quails. Fifty-seven adult quails raised on deep litter were randomly selected for blood sampling in this study. Two milliliters of blood was collected aseptically for complete blood count while blood smears were used for the determination of haemoparasite morphological characteristics. Haemoproteus spp. Plasmodium gallinaceum, and Leucocytozoon spp. were identified in this study. 38 (67%) of the quails were positive for single or mixed infection, 29 (51%) were positive for single infection and 9(16%) for mixed infection. There was a (P<0.05) decrease in PCV, Hb, and RBC counts, and an increase in TWBC and eosinophil count in birds with haemoparasite as compared to the uninfected birds. There was (P<0.05) increase in total white blood cell and heterophil count in the plasmodium positive birds. Also, total white blood cell, heterophil, lymphocyte and eosinophil count were (P<0.05) increased in the Leucocytozoon positive birds. This increase was also observed in birds with mixed infection. The high incidence of haemoparasitic infection in apparently healthy quail, with significant haematological indices deviated from normal, is consistent with reports of the resistance of quail to various disease diseases which thus includes haemoparasitic infection. Keywords: Blood smears; Complete Blood Count; Haemoparasites; Quai

Parasitic burden of African squirrels captured in a Nigerian University community

Most emerging diseases in humans have zoonotic reservoirs which are often wildlife species. In Nigeria, very few studieshave reported parasites of small mammals with observed variations in parasitic burden. The parasitic burden of Africansquirrels captured in a University community was studied between November 2018 and February 2019. A total of 33 squirrelsbelonging to two species (Funisciurus anerythrus (60.6%) and Heliosciurus gambianus (39.4%)) were trapped withtomahawk live trap and examined for parasitic infections. The squirrels were examined for ectoparasites from skin scrapings.Blood and gastrointestinal content were collected to assess haemoparasites and gastrointestinal parasites, respectively.Haematological parameters were assessed. Six (18.2%) squirrels of 33 examined were positive for ectoparasite (mite)identified as Ornithonyssus bacoti. Haemoparasites identified include Trypanosoma spp. (9.1%), Plasmodium spp. (3.0%)and Microfilaria worm (3.0%), with overall prevalence of 15.2%. All the 33 squirrels captured were infected with helminthparasites. The small intestine and stomach had the highest and lowest parasitic ova counts, respectively. The parasite with thehighest prevalence was Hymenolepis spp. (75.8%) and the lowest were Heligmosomoides spp. (3.0%), Oxyuroid ova (3.0%),Aspicularis spp. (3.0%), Strongyloides spp. (3.0%) and Schistosoma spp. (3.0%). Blood parameters according to specieswere not significant. However, animals with co-infection showed lower packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb)values compared to single infections. Helminth-only infected squirrel showed marked eosinopenia. Parasites of public healthimportance were prevalent in squirrels trapped in the University community. Therefore, humans should avoid unprotectedcontact with squirrels and their excreta. Keywords: Squirrels, parasites, helminths, haemoparasites, ectoparasite

Cytomorphological, histopathological and immunohistochemical observations on the histiocytic origin of canine transmissible venereal tumour

The cytogenic origin of canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) still remains unknown. Resulting from paucity of information on the histiocytic phenotypic features and behaviours of CTVT, this study was undertaken to show some uncommon cytomorphological features of CTVT and its immunoreactivity with S-100 protein. Nine cases of CTVT were investigated (6 females and 3 males) using nine fine needle aspirates for cytology and four biopsy samples for histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Cytology revealed CTVT cells with pale basophilic, fine granular cytoplasm and distinct intra-nuclear (3/9) and intra-cytoplasmic (9/9) vacuolations. Erythrophagocytosis by a giant binucleated CTVT cell in one dog and nuclear budding in 2 dogs were observed. Histopathology showed loose sheets and cords of uniformly round to ovoid cells with slight indistinct eosinophilic cytoplasm and a tendency towards glandular as well as syncytial formation. Nuclei were large and round with a single centrally placed nucleolus. The mitotic index was high. Immunohistochemistry of the four biopsy samples revealed negative immunoreactivity to  pan-cytokeratin, actin and desmin but positive immunoreactivity with vimetin and S-100 proteins. This is the first report in which CTVT showed erythrophagocytosis, nuclear budding and positive immunoreactivity to S-100 protein. Based on these cytomorphological and immunohistochemical features, we conclude that CTVT is of histiocytic/dendritic origin.Keywords: Cytology, histopathology, Histiocytic origin,   immunohistochemistry, Transmissible Venereal Tumou

Retrospective study of swine respiratory diseases in Ogun and Oyo States, Nigeria: Immunohistochemical detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Swine respiratory diseases particularly enzootic pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) constitutes a significant health problem to pig production in many countries. However, the impact has been underestimated in Nigeria. This study therefore, retrospectively analyzed swine respiratory diseases and the associated pulmonary histopathology. Postmortem records and archival lung samples were obtained from the Departments of Veterinary Pathology University of Ibadan, Ibadan and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. A total of 98 pig carcasses were presented for necropsy during the period between 2005 and 2017. The diseases presumptively diagnosed using gross morphological criteria were extracted from the postmortem records while, 21 formalin-fixed archival lung samples were used for histopathology and immunohistochemistry using standard techniques. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics while Chi Square was used to test for association between different variables and pulmonary lesions at α0.05. In this study, respiratory diseases had a prevalence of 56.1% with enzootic pneumonia as the most frequently diagnosed at postmortem (49%, 48/98). Only age was identified to be a significant (P = 0.019) predisposing factor in the development of respiratory diseases. Microscopically, hyperplasia of bronchus associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) with formation of lymphoid nodules and thickening of alveolar septa were the most significant changes (38.1%, 8/21). Immunohistochemically, M. hyopneumoniae antigen was detected in 13/21 (61.9%) of the lung samples and were immunolabelled as granular brown reactions on the luminal surfaces of bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells and intraluminal cellular exudates within the airways. The histopathological findings and the detection of M. hyopneumoniae antigen indicated that the organism is primarily involved in the development of enzootic pneumonia in naturally infected pigs and may be central in the pathogenesis. It is concluded that enzootic pneumonia is a serious health issue in pigs in the study area and needs urgent attention. Keywords: Archival lung samples, Histopathology, Pigs, Pneumonia, Retrospective analysis &nbsp