The Influence of Disruptive Innovations in A Cardinally Changing World Economy

A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt and existing market and value network, displaying and earlier technology. 3D printing and autonomous driving are examples of such disruptive innovations. 3D printing is the process of printing 3 dimensional objects from a digital technology. It can be used to print household items and even sophisticated productions like pharmaceutical drugs and guns. Autonomous driving is the use of a ‘driverless’ car in transportation. Autonomous driving has numerous advantages like easing traffic congestions, reducing accident and increasing speed of business transactions. The technology can also increase production output in Agricultural sector. These new technologies as they come in to full force in the next decades are able to upset the economic balance of the world. Business Corporation will be forced to develop new business model, and small firms will be able to compete with big companies. There will be changes in the demand for labour and upset in the balance of international trade is also expected. Key words: Disruptive Innovations, 3D Printing, Autonomous driving, Technology, Company, Business

How a one health approach can mitigate the social and economic burdens of zoonoses in Africa

Diseases transmitted from animals to humans in Africa have significant social and economic impacts. Attempts to reduce poverty and guarantee better health and welfare should encompass their mitigation. A “One Health” approach emphasises the links between animal, human and environmental health to reduce zoonotic disease transmission. But what is a One Health approach, and what practices does it advocate

Isolation of Newcastle Disease Virus in Migratory Wild Bird in a Wetland Area of Taraba State Nigeria

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Migratory waterfowls from Europe as potential source of highly pathogenic avian influenza infection to Nigeria poultry

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was detected for the first time in Nigeria and Africa in 2006. The source of the outbreak was not immediately clear, but scientific opinions favoured multiple introductions. The need to evaluate available epidemiological and virological data to demonstrate most probable source of introduction is important for focused control efforts. In this study, we described ten years (2006-2016) scientific observations available through ecology, epidemio-surveillance and molecular virology of avian influenza in Nigeria. Nigeria is geographically located in the tropical humid region with abundant wetlands presenting ideal ambience for birdlife. Ornithological evidence also showed that the country lies in the path of two major migratory flyways from Europe and Asia providing opportunities for co-mingling of different species and age of wild birds with resident birds. Genomic characterization including phylogenetic analysis revealed a high degree of homology among virus strains isolated in Nigeria and those detected in migratory birds from Europe suggesting common source epidemic. This study agreed with postulation that migratory wild birds from Europe may be responsible for the introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 to Nigeria. Feral waterfowls around water bodies thereafter bridge transmission to domestic poultry holdings whereas local trade and movement of poultry and poultry products may further spread infection locally. In the light of this understanding, routine risk based sentinel surveillance for avian influenza in domestic waterfowls in ecological hotspots is recommended for early detection and response thereby saving economic losses and mitigating public health emergencies.Keywords: Avian influenza, Migratory waterfowls, Nigeria, Poultr

Preventing Zoonotic Influenza

The public health risk of influenza at the human-animal interface is dicey, due in part to continuous evolution of the virus. Influenza virus consist of 7 genera of which only influenza A is at present zoonotic, where subtypes H5, H7 and H9 of avian origin and subtype H1 and H3 of swine origin are important. The most devastating influenza pandemic in history was suspected to have emerged from avian reservoir and manifested in 1918. The first recognized direct human transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 occurred in 1997 in Hong Kong. Subsequently, many cases of varying severity have been described in people who were exposed to poultry. More recently in 2009, triple reassortant influenza A of swine origin (A/H1N1pdm09) caused the first pandemic of the twenty-first century and since 2013, H7N9 though initially benign in birds, caused fatal infection in humans who had contact with poultry. These public health threats from animal influenza virus are aggravated by increase co-mingling in shared human-animal environment. Therefore, the challenge of emerging zoonotic influenza viruses on human host immunity, efficacy of vaccines and antiviral resistance require continuous risk assessment of virological and clinical changes that have impact on control measures including advances in vaccines and chemotherapeutics

Detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in apparently healthy ducks (Anas sparsa sparsa) in live bird markets, Nigeria

Nigeria reported the first outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Africa, February 2006. Since then effort by relevant authorities to control the spread and persistence of the disease has been effective, with only sporadic resurgence in backyard and live bird markets. Surveillance for HPAI was carried out in live bird markets (LBM) between May and June 2008 in ducks among other species. A total of 4,707samples including sera and swabs of trachea and cloaca from live birds, and parenchymatous organs from dead or moribund birds were collected from 11 states of the country where HPAI has not been previously reported. Tissues were processed for virus isolation in embryonating chicken eggs, sera analyzed by Agar Gel Immuno Diffusion test (AGID) and Haemaglutination Inhibition (HI) tests with standard monoclonal antisera to H5 and the swabs by RT-PCR using gene specific matrix and H5 primers. Two isolates of HPAI were recovered from the tracheal swab samples from apparently healthy ducks

Serological screening for Schmallenberg virus in exotic and indigenous cattle in Nigeria

Schmallenberg virus (SBV), a recently emerged Orthobunyavirus, is associated with abortions, stillbirths and congenital malformations in ruminants. Considering that Culicoides species which transmit this disease have previously been identified in Nigeria as vectors of bluetongue, another livestock disease that causes abortions, it is speculated that SBV also circulates in the Nigerian ruminant population. We therefore conducted a pilot study to investigate the occurrence of anti-SBV antibodies in a limited population of cross-breed, exotic and indigenous cattle in Nigeria. Serum samples obtained from 60 Friesian-White Fulani (FWF), 7 Jersey and 53 indigenous cattle were screened for SBV antibodies using a commercial indirect ELISA kit that detects antibodies against recombinant SBV nucleoprotein in ruminant sera. An overall seropositivity of 29.2% (35/120) was obtained with antibodies being detectable in 23.3% FWF (14/60), 42.9% Jerseys (3/7) and 34.0% (18/53) indigenous cattle. All indigenous breeds of cattle tested had seropositive animals: White Fulani (13/38, 34.2%), Sokoto Gudali (2/8, 25.0%), Red Bororo (1/5, 20.0%) and Bunaji (2/2, 100.0%). The detection of antibody-positive animals among unvaccinated cattle provides evidence of possible SBV infection in Nigeria. However, there is also the probability of cross-reactivity with other Simbu serogroup viruses, especially considering that some of these viruses have previously been reported in Nigeria. Further studies to confirm these preliminary findings using serum neutralisation assay, viral isolation or detection of SBV RNA from ruminants or Culicoides are necessary.Keywords: Abortions, Antibodies, Cattle, Congenital malformations, Nigeria, Schmallenberg viru

Serosurvey of antibody to highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in pigs, north central Nigeria

Avian influenza is a disease of economic and public health importance that has been described in most domestic animals and humans. Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 epidemic in Nigeria was observed in agro-ecological zones where pigs and chickens are raised in shared environment with chances of interspecies transmission. We investigate the likelihood of transmission of the disease to pigs in North Central Nigeria where there were several cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in both commercial and free range poultry. Two hundred and twenty swine sera collected in Kaduna and Plateau states were screened for influenza A/H5N1 antibody by haemagglutination inhibition test according to standard protocol. All the sera tested were negative for influenza A/H5 antibody (HA titre < 22). Our inability to detect appreciable antibody level to avian influenza A/H5N1 therefore may be due to lack of infection because of low susceptibility of pigs to Influenza A/H5N1. We recommend wider serological and virological studies to identify other circulating influenza virus in pigs in different agro-ecological zones to provide useful epidemiological data on evolving influenza virus.&#160

Serological evidence of influenza A/H9 in indigenous birds and level of awareness at live bird markets, Plateau State

Avian influenza is a zoonotic disease that can adversely affect humans and animals. Nigeria first reported an outbreak of avian influenza which was caused by subtype H5N1 in 2006, thereafter virological and serological surveys revealed the importance of local birds in live bird markets and the community at large in the epidemiology of avian influenza in the country. In the present study, 276 serum samples were collected for serological testing over five months from apparently healthy local birds in live bird markets within two Local Government Areas of Plateau State, to determine antibody prevalence to avian influenza A virus. The detection of influenza A antibody was carried out using an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and further tested by haemagglutination inhibition to determine the specific serotype of the influenza A virus. The result showed a prevalence of 30.4% (n=84) of antibody to influenza A, 26% (n=72) of serotype H9, 1.4% (n=4) of serotype H7, and none was confirmed to be H5 serotype. Comparatively, Jos-North had a lower relative risk with a prevalence of 18.9% (n=18) to the disease as compared to Jos-South with a prevalence of 36.5% (n=66). This study showed the presence of low pathogenic avian influenza A virus in live bird markets within the study area with the dominance of antibodies to H9. To our knowledge, this is the first serological indication of serotype H9 in Plateau State and Nigeria. Evidence of influenza A/H9 in an ecological niche known for the circulation of subtypes H5Nx may complicate the epidemiology and control of avian influenza in the region and Nigeria at large. The level of awareness by the live bird market operators about avian influenza (AI) was relatively low as indicated by the questionnaire survey conducted. Live bird market operators and poultry farmers need to maintain a high level of biosecurity and limit mixing local birds with commercial poultry to prevent the transmission of the virus which may have adverse effects on poultry production, national and international trade, the economy and public health