Frequency Of Isolation Of Salmonella From Commercial Poultry Feeds And Their Anti-Microbial Resistance Profiles, Imo State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the frequency of isolation of salmonella and their microbial resistance profiles across different commercial poultry feeds sold in Imo State, Nigeria. Thirty-six bulk feed samples were colleted from 154 bag across different feed types and brands which included Guinea (GF), Top (TF), Vital (VF), Extra (EF), Animal care (AF) and livestock (LF) feeds. The salmonella isolated were tested against 14 anti-microbial drugs using the disc diffusion method. Bacterial load enumeration of the samples indicated a range of <30 colony forming unit (CFU) to overgrowth at 104 serial dilutions. Eight feed samples (22.2%) which cuts across the entire feed brands expect EF were positive for salmonella. The highest prevalence of 28.8% and 25.0% were recorded for LF and TF respectively, while VF, GF and AF had 11.1 and 10.0% respectively. Salmonella isolates showed high rates of resistance (51-100%) against nitrofurantoin, ampicillin, tetracycline and ceftriazole, while moderate rates (31-50%) were recorded for chloramphenicol, oxfloxacin and cotrimoxazole. Low resistance rates (1-30%) were on the other hand recorded against ciprofloxacin and amoxycillin clavulanate (Augumentine), whereas zero resistance was demonstrated against pefloxacin, gentamycin, streptomycin and nalidixic. Commercial feeds form important channels for the dissemination of multi-drug resistant salmonella in Imo State, Nigeria

Anti Microbial Resistance Profile of E. coli isolates From Tropical Free Range Chickens

Normal intestinal flora of humans and animals constitute enormous reservoir of resistance genes for potentially pathogenic bacteria and may serve as major indictors of selection pressure exerted by anti-microbial use in a given population. A study was conducted in September 2003 at 3 purposively selected peri-urban sites spread across 3 senatorial zones of Imo state, Nigeria to determines the anti-microbial resistance profile of commensal E. coli isolated from free range chickens. The isolates were screened for anti-microbial resistance profile against 10 antibiotics using the disc diffusion method. E. coli strains from local fowls, recorded 100 and 78.9% resistances against ampicillin and cotrimoxazole respectively, while resistance rates against ciprofloxacin, gentamycin and norfloxacin were 0.0, 5.3 and 5.3% respectively. Isolates from free-range cockerels recorded 100% resistance against norfloxacin, cotrimoxazole and ampicillin and 83.3% against nitrofurantoin. Similarly, isolates from old layers, recorded 100% resistance against nitrofurantoin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and ampicillin and 80% against nalidixic acid. Similar resistance trends were observed in E. coli isolates from free-range turkeys and broiler roosters against the inexpensive broad-spectrum first line antibiotics (ampicillin, nalidixic acid, cotrimoxazole, nitrofurantoin and chloramphenicol), although values varied slightly across poultry types. Resistances against gentamycin were consistently low in isolates from the different types of poultry. Twenty-nine resistance patterns were observed in the E. coli isolates with predominant patterns being distributed widely across poultry types indicating a striking diversity of resistance patterns in the areas

Ovarian morphology and estradiol-17beta concentrations in serum and follicular fluid of slaughtered zebu cattle in Ibadan, Nigeria

Over a period of three months (January to March), ovarian morphology and estradiol-17β concentrations in serum and follicular fluid were studied in 110 Bunaji (Bos indicus) cows slaughtered at Bodija abattoir, Ibadan, Nigeria, in order to determine the reproductive state and history of such cattle. Macroscopic examination of the ovaries revealed that 70 (63.6%) of the cows were undergoing active oestrous cycle. Of these, 42 (60.0%) had large ovarian follicles of greater than 3 mm diameter, while 22 (31.4%) had corpora lutea (CL). Six animals (8.6%) had corpora haemorrhagica. Of the 22 animals exhibiting CL, 12 (54.5%) had CL of pregnancy and were with calf, while 10 (45.5%) others had those of normal oestrous cycle. Corpora albicans (CA) counts showed that 90 (81.8%) of the cows had calved at least once, the mean being 4.5 calves per cow. Fifty-eight cows (52.7%) had calved 0-2 times, 34 (30.9%) 3-5 times and 18 (16.3%) 6-8 times. The mean estradiol-17β levels in follicular fluid (1669.6 ± 9.7 pg/mL) were significantly higher than that of the serum (85.5 ± 0.8 pg/mL). The non-pregnant cyclic with corpus luteum group had the highest follicular estradiol concentration (2558.8 ± 8.9 pg/mL), while the pregnant group had the lowest (858.5 ± 6.8 pg/mL). The mean serum estradiol level among pregnant cows was 115.7 ± 1.2 pg/mL. Low levels of serum estradiol-17β were consistently recorded among animals having active ovaries and good volume of follicular fluid, indicating that they were reproductively active and were being sold for reasons other than infertility

Assessment of Mycoflora of Poultry Feed Raw Materials

Abstract: The study was carried out to identify the common moulds growing in the selected feed raw materials in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Fifty-four bulk samples were derived from 162 bags of 6 different raw materials, which included local fish meal (LFM), soybean meal (SBM), groundnut cake (GNC), palm kernel cake (PKC), brewers dried grain (BDG) and maize (MZ). The samples were collected during the rainy season months of June, July and August. The common moulds isolated from these samples were Mucor spp., Aspergillus spp., Yeast spp., Bacteria spp and Rhizopus spp. More fungal organisms were isolated in the month of July although Aspergillus spp was not isolated during the month. Local fishmeal, palm kernel cake, and brewers dried grain had the highest isolates of three organisms each with the prevalence ranging from 13.64 to 18.18%. Soybean meal, maize and groundnut cake on the other hand returned between one and two isolates. The present result showed that untreated feed raw materials are important vehicles for introduction of fungal organisms into poultry feed. It is therefore, advised to routinely treat such feed raw materials with fungal growth inhibitors in order to limit their growth since these organisms are capable of reducing the nutritional values of finished feeds

The Art of Research: A Divergent/Convergent Framework and Opportunities for Science-Based Approaches

Applying science to the current art of producing engineering and research knowledge has proven difficult, in large part because of its seeming complexity. We posit that the microscopic processes underlying research are not so complex, but instead are iterative and interacting cycles of divergent (generation of ideas) and convergent (testing and selecting of ideas) thinking processes. This reductionist framework coherently organizes a wide range of previously disparate microscopic mechanisms which inhibit these processes. We give examples of such inhibitory mechanisms and discuss how deeper scientific understanding of these mechanisms might lead to dis-inhibitory interventions for individuals, networks and institutional levels

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

Whole-genome sequencing of patients with rare diseases in a national health system

Most patients with rare diseases do not receive a molecular diagnosis and the aetiological variants and causative genes for more than half such disorders remain to be discovered1. Here we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in a national health system to streamline diagnosis and to discover unknown aetiological variants in the coding and non-coding regions of the genome. We generated WGS data for 13,037 participants, of whom 9,802 had a rare disease, and provided a genetic diagnosis to 1,138 of the 7,065 extensively phenotyped participants. We identified 95 Mendelian associations between genes and rare diseases, of which 11 have been discovered since 2015 and at least 79 are confirmed to be aetiological. By generating WGS data of UK Biobank participants2, we found that rare alleles can explain the presence of some individuals in the tails of a quantitative trait for red blood cells. Finally, we identified four novel non-coding variants that cause disease through the disruption of transcription of ARPC1B, GATA1, LRBA and MPL. Our study demonstrates a synergy by using WGS for diagnosis and aetiological discovery in routine healthcare