Detection of avian influenza antibodies and antigens in poultry and some wild birds in Kogi state, Nigeria

The global spread of HPAI (H5N1) between 2005 and 2006 was blamed on movement of migratory wild birds and trade in live poultry across continents from infected regions. A survey was carried out to detect the presence of avian influenza (AI) antibodies in wild birds and AI viruses in poultry and wild birds from Kogi state, Nigeria. Haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test and enzyme link immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect AI antibodies in some species of apparently healthy wild birds during the survey. Using HI test, the wild birds were negative for AI (H5) antibodies but ELISA detected AI (NP) antibodies in Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) with an overall seroprevalence of 4.5% and mean titre of 24.50±2.400 EU. Cloacal swabs from the same species of wild birds that were tested for antibodies and 710 oropharyngeal swabs from poultry were tested for AI viruses using RT-PCR with primers targeting the AI matrix proteins but were negative for AI viruses. The detection of AI (NP) antibodies in wild birds but failure to detect the viruses showed that the exposure might not be recent. We recommend that poultry should be prevented from contact with wild water birds and a broad based surveillance for AI viruses in poultry and wild birds should be carried out in Kogi state, Nigeria.Keywords: Avian influenza, Black stork, ELISA, HI, RT-PC

Clinicopathological features and management of aspergillosis in some poultry farms in Jos metropolis, Nigeria

Aspergillosis is important in poultry production and human health but difficulty in its ante mortem diagnosis in addition to the  unsuccessful outcome of most management options has made the disease a lingering nightmare to farmers. This study presents the clinicopathological features and management of aspergillosis in some poultry farms in Jos metropolis, Nigeria. Thirteen cases of  aspergillosis from 12 poultry farms were confirmed and managed from April, 2019 to March, 2020 with 7.6% cases in a mixed turkey-broiler farm, 15.4% in broilers and 76.9% in layers. The ages affected ranged from 3 weeks to 21 weeks with 69.2% cases in pullet grower birds of 10 – 21 weeks compared to young chicks, 3 – 9 weeks with 30.8%. The rainy season accounted for 61.8% cases while mortality ranged from 1.0% to 17.4%. The clinical features were consistent and included dyspnoea; inappetence; retarded growth and mortality. While necropsy showed consolidated lungs with caseous nodules; liver with raised grayish or yellowish irregular nodules; peritonitis with the peritoneum and air sacs laced with caseous nodules; diphtheritic membrane and caseous nodules on intestinal mucosa; haemorrhagic bursitis with granulomata; caseous nodules on osseous tissues as well as nodules on the skin and skeletal muscles. Confirmatory diagnoses of  aspergillosis were made by culturing nodules on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar. Antifungal susceptibility testing showed CuSO4 to be more susceptible which was used at the dosage of 3g/10L of drinking water for at least 7 days in all the cases. Concurrent bacterial infections were seen in some of the cases and were treated concurrently with antibiotics based on susceptibility testing while farmers using moldy feeds were asked to withdraw such feeds. Conclusively, aspergillosis is prevalent in Jos metropolis with severe impact on production and  may be a silent killer disease in poultry due to constraints in diagnosis and its management. Keywords: Aspergillosis, clinicopathological features, Jos, management, Nigeria, poultr