Diseases associated with livestock integrated fish farming in Nigeria: a review

Just like other animals and humans, fishes are prone to diseases and predation. Diseases can be caused by one and/or combination of any of the following agents e.g. bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. Diseases have become a primary constraint to aquacultural development, which may affect the achievement of a desired impact for rapid development of fish culture in Nigeria. Apart from causing mortalities, they also cause loss of production quality, reduced growth, reduced fecundity, loss due to control measures and loss due to social factors associated with the farmer. This review has discussed the diseases that are associated with integrated fish farming including livestock cum fish farming, poultry-cum fish farming, Waste water fish farming, rice-cum fish farming e.t.c. The control of diseases associated with integrated fish farming requires a multi-disciplinary approach including chemotherapy, sanitation, routine hygiene, quarantine, genetic selection and immunoprophylaxis. The treatment and prevention of fish diseases follow the same principles used in chemotherapy of higher animals

Assessment of request pattern and utility of rheumatoid factor in a tertiary hospital in North east Nigeria

The diagnostic utility of Rheumatoid Factor (RF) test is not well documented. The question therefore is: - 'when is it appropriate to make this request'? When patients' own immunological defense mechanisms go awry and start attacking one's tissues, (autoimmune), there usually arises a problem. This usually affects the heart, musculo skeletal system and other organs giving rise to signs and symptoms that are seen in other ailments. The joints are the most common site of affectation and an early diagnosis may go a long way in managing the disease. Usually an antibody (Rheumatoid factor) is found in such patients. It is formed against the Fc portion of IgG, forming an IgG-Fc immune complex that normally leads to the disease process. It is this complex (usually an IgM) in the patient's serum that is exposed to a commercial antigen in the laboratory and the titer determined against a standard. The normal level is usually <14IU/ml. Levels higher are usually considered abnormally high, elevated or positive. A negative RF test however does not mean that the patient hasn't got the disease. Objective: To determine the frequency of positivity of rheumatoid factor and the context in which the requests are made by group of physicians and advise on when to make the request. Methods: A retrospective study of case notes of 354 patients requested to perform rheumatoid factor test at the immunology department over a period of 6 years were reviewed. The requesting departments, clinical and demographic characteristics of patients were reviewed and analyzed. Data analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: Of the 354 requests made,265 (74.9%) were due to musculo skeletal symptoms and but20 (5.6%) were positive for RF. Of the 20, 19 (95%) had polyarthritis while 1 (5%) was asymptomatic. The mean age was 37.06±13.91 and 205 (57.9%) were females. Most (137 or 38.7%) of requests for RF were from the general out-patient department and 108 (30.5%) from medical out-patient department. The sensitivity and specificity for RF test in detecting MSK disease were 7.17% (95%CI, 4.37-10.97) and 98.88% (95%CI 93.90%, 99.97%). The positive likely hood ratio was 6.38% (95% CI 0.87, 40.99). The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 95.0% (95%CI 77.02, 99.29%) and26.35% (95%CI 25.48, 35.30%). Test accuracy was 30.23% (95% CI25.48, 35.30%). Conclusion: We recommend that rheumatoid factor should be requested only in patients with fleeting arthritis,good clinical evaluation for signs and symptomsand looking for differentials

Respiratory effects of propofol-ketamine and propofl-fentanyl combinations for total intravenous anaesthesia

propofol combined with other intravenous analgesic agents has been used as the sole anaesthetic agent to provide hypnosis and analgesia for various minor and major surgeries. However, because it lacks analgesic property, propofol in large doses causes respiratory depression. Combination of propofol with other analgesic agents reduces the dose of propofol necessary for procedural sedation. Objectives: This study evaluated the respiratory effects of two drug combinations: propofol-ketamine and propofol-fentanyl used as the sole anaesthetic agents. Method: one hundred and eight adults aged 18 to 50 years of either gender with ASA physical status I & II, randomly grouped into K and F, comprising of 54 patients each. Group K received propofol-ketamine while group F received propofol-fentanyl for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia. Respiratory Rate (RR) and Oxygen saturation (SpO were recorded before and one 2) minutes after induction of anaesthesia and thereafter every five minutes till the end of procedure and at recovery till the patient is fully recovered. Results: Demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, sex, weight, duration of surgery, types of surgical procedures and volumes of drugs used were comparable between the two groups. Fall in respiratory rate was greater in propofol-fentanyl group compared to propofol-ketamine group during maintenance and early postoperative period (p<0.05). Conclusion: Both propofol-ketamine and propofolfentanyl combinations produced safe and effective anaesthesia. Propofol-ketamine results in a more stable respiratory profile

Prevalence of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with tomatoes in three agro-ecological zones of Ghana

A study was conducted between August 2014 and May 2015 to identify plant-parasitic nematodes taxa associated with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and to assess the knowledge, perceptions and experiences of growers of the crop on occurrence and management of the parasites on their farms in nine communities within the semi-deciduous forest, the forest/savanna transitional and the savanna agro-ecological zones of Ghana. Semi-structured questionnaires were designed and administered to 54 randomly selected growers from the nine communities. Composite rhizosphere soil and tomato root samples were collected from two farms in each of the nine communities, and nematodes extracted, identified and recorded. The study revealed that many growers (73%) could not distinguish between nematode infestation, nutrient deficiency and moisture stress and, therefore, lacked knowledge on nematode control. Most of the growers (63%) continually cropped their land to tomato for periods of 4 –7 years without fallowing. All growers applied only inorganic fertilizer to their crops. Symptoms of nematode infestation were widespread in fields with high yield losses. Tomato was a host to Helicotylenchus spp. (11.5% in soil), Hoplolaimus spp. (1.0 % in soil), Meloidogyne spp. (37.4% in soil and 69.3% in roots), Pratylenchus spp. (20.6% in soil and 13.7% in roots), Rotylenchulus spp. (11.0% in soil and 12.2% in roots), Scutellonema spp. (9.5% in soil and 4.9% in roots), Tylenchus spp.(7.6% in soil) and Xiphinema spp.(1.4% in soil) across the nine communities surveyed. Semi-deciduous forest and Savanna agro-ecological zones had the highest and least population densities of nematodes, respectively. These nematodes, if not managed efficiently, could also serve as constraint to tomato production in the country

PREVALENCE OF PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES IN RICE FIELDS IN GHANA

Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most cultivated crops worldwide whose production in sub-Saharan Africa is extensively affected by root nematodes. The objective of this study was to identify and establish the distribution of plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), in rice growing fields within different regions of Ghana. Soil and root samples were taken from rice fields, namely fourteen from Volta Region, eleven from the Soil and Irrigation Research Centre (SIREC), Kpong (Eastern Region); and five from Dawhenya (Greater Accra Region). The soil samples were taken from 0-30 cm depths, together with root samples. A total of twenty-four nematode genera were identified in soil and root samples from the three regions. These included: Aphelenchus spp., Belonolaimus spp., Ditylenchus spp., Dolichodorus spp., Helicotylenchus spp., Hemicriconemoides spp. Hemicycliophora spp. Heterodera spp., Hirschmaniella spp., Hoplolaimus spp., Longidorus spp., Meloidogyne spp., Paralongidorous spp., Paratylenchus spp., Pratylenchus spp., Radopholus spp., Rhabditida spp., Rotylenchulus spp., Scutellonema spp., Trichodorus spp., Tylenchornchus spp., Tylenchulus spp., Tylenchus spp. and Xiphinema spp. In the Volta Region, Tylenchus spp. was the most abundant (29.01%) in the soil; while Meloidogyne spp. was most the abundant (36.86%) in the roots. In Dawhenya regions, Meloidogyne spp. was the most abundant (26.96%) in the soil; while Tylenchus spp. was the most abundant (25.94%) in the roots. In the Eastern Region, Meloidogyne spp. was the most abundant (41.7%) in the soil; while Pratylenchus spp. was the most abundant (36.1%) in the roots. These nematodes threaten rice production in Ghana, if not managed well in farmer\u2019s fields.Le riz ( Oryza sativa L.) est l\u2019une des cultures les plus cultiv\ue9es au monde dont la production en Afrique subsaharienne est largement affect\ue9e par les n\ue9matodes des racines. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019identifier et d\u2019\ue9tablir la r\ue9partition des n\ue9matodes phytoparasites (NPP) dans les rizi\ue8res de diff\ue9rentes r\ue9gions du Ghana. Des \ue9chantillons de sol et de racines ont \ue9t\ue9 pr\ue9lev\ue9s dans les rizi\ue8res, \ue0 savoir quatorze de la r\ue9gion de la Volta, onze du Centre de Recherche sur les Sols et l\u2019Irrigation (SIREC), Kpong (r\ue9gion de l\u2019Est)\ua0; et cinq de Dawhenya (r\ue9gion du Grand Accra). Les \ue9chantillons de sol ont \ue9t\ue9 pr\ue9lev\ue9s \ue0 des profondeurs de 0 \ue0 30 cm, ainsi que des \ue9chantillons de racines. Au total, vingt-quatre genres de n\ue9matodes ont \ue9t\ue9 identifi\ue9s dans des \ue9chantillons de sol et de racines des trois r\ue9gions. Ceux-ci comprenaient : Aphelenchus spp., Belonolaimus spp., Ditylenchus spp., Dolichodorus spp., Helicotylenchus spp., Hemicriconemoides spp. Hemicycliophora spp. Heterodera spp., Hirschmaniella spp., Hoplolaimus spp., Longidorus spp., Meloidogyne spp., Paralongidorous spp., Paratylenchus spp., Pratylenchus spp., Radopholus spp., Rhabditida spp., T. ., Tylenchornchus spp., Tylenchulus spp., Tylenchus spp. et Xiphinema spp. Dans la r\ue9gion de la Volta, Tylenchus spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (29,01 %) dans le sol; tandis que Meloidogyne spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (36,86%) dans les racines. Dans les r\ue9gions de Dawhenya, Meloidogyne spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (26,96 %) dans le sol; tandis que Tylenchus spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (25,94 %) dans les racines. Dans la r\ue9gion orientale, Meloidogyne spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (41,7%) dans le sol; tandis que Pratylenchus spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (36,1 %) dans les racines. Ces n\ue9matodes menacent la production de riz au Ghana, s\u2019ils ne sont pas bien g\ue9r\ue9s dans les champs des agriculteurs

Background: Madelung's deformity is a congenital abnormality of the wrist caused by a disturbance of growth that retards the development of the ulnar and volar aspect of the distal radial physis, usually idiopathic, but can be associated with bone dysplas

Background: Madelung's deformity is a congenital abnormality of the wrist caused by a disturbance of growth that retards the development of the ulnar and volar aspect of the distal radial physis, usually idiopathic, but can be associated with bone dysplasias and Turner's syndrome, or acquired following trauma that disrupts growth of the radial ulnar volar physis. The exact nature of the pathologic process that causes the disturbance in growth is unknown.Method: This patient presented to us at the age of 20 years and we did closing wedge osteotmy with stabilisation with intrmedullary rush nail. Follow up was for two years. She no longer has pain and the deformity remains corrected.Results: Corrective osteotomy and stabilisation corrects the deformity and gives good results, both functionally and cosmetically.Summary: Even when they present late, patients with Madelung's deformity can benefit from surgery.Key words: Madelung's deformity, closing wedge osteotomy, Intramedulary Rush nail

Screening Selected Solanum Plants as Potential Rootstocks for the Management of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita)

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) (Meloidogyne spp.) represent agricultural pest of many economic crops, including tomatoes and potatoes. They advance a complex parasitic relationship with roots of tomato plants leading to modification of host structural and physiological functions in addition to significant yield loss. Resistance in solanaceous plants to RKNs has been identified and associated with the possession of Mi gene. The reaction of four Solanum rootstocks (S. aethiopicum L., S. macrocarpon L., S. lycopersicum L.“Mongal F1,” and S. lycopersicum L. “Samrudhi F1”) was evaluated in pots and in a natural Meloidogyne spp.-infested field in a two-year trial (2015–2016), to identify RKN-resistant rootstock(s), which can be utilized in tomato grafting as a management measure against these nematodes. A rootstock’s reaction to RKNs was assessed using root gall scores (GSs), egg count/g of root, and reproductive factors (Rfs) at the end of 6 and 12 weeks after transplanting (wat) in infested fields, respectively. Solanum macrocarpon, S. aethiopicum, and Mongal F1 showed tolerant responses with reduced root galling and low to high reproductive factors in pot and field experimentation. Although Samrudhi F1 was resistant in both pot and field trials and consistently decreased nematode root galling (<1.00) and reproduction (Rf < 1.00), it failed to significantly increase yield, as compared with the highest yield obtained by the tolerant rootstock, Mongal F1 (870.3 and 1236.6 g/plant, respectively). Evaluation of the four rootstocks against four (0, 500, 1,000, and 5000) RKN inocula levels (Juveniles) showed no significant differences among the growth parameters (fresh and dry shoot and root weights). Root-knot nematode-susceptible tomato varieties, for example, Pectomech F1, a popular tomato variety in Ghana, can be grafted onto the RKN-resistant and RKN-tolerant rootstocks for increased yields

Attitudes and Beliefs around the Value of Vaccination in the United States

Despite the benefits of immunization, differences in attitudes persist toward vaccines. We captured individuals’ perceptions of vaccines and vaccination across the United States (US) to inform vaccine-related policy development. A survey was completed by 5000 respondents from 10 states. Respondents were screened for inclusion, which included individuals ≥ 18 years of age that had received a vaccine or were unvaccinated but indicated a favorable or neutral attitude towards vaccinations. Participants were excluded if they indicated they did not support the idea of vaccinations. Questions explored perceptions of vaccines for all age groups. Among unvaccinated individuals, the most common concerns were about safety (38%). Most respondents (95%) highlighted the importance of state immunization programs for disease prevention. Access to health and immunization records and immunization information systems were important to 96% and 88% of respondents, respectively, for future health planning. Doctors and healthcare professionals (HCPs) were considered trusted sources for vaccine information (95%). Overall, respondents recognized the importance of vaccination, but documented concerns among the unvaccinated indicated a need for greater promotion regarding vaccine safety. Doctors and HCPs, as trusted information sources, should continue to and increasingly advocate for the importance of immunization to increase vaccine uptake