Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Screening For Cervical Cancer Among Female Students Of A Tertiary Institution In South Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Cervical cancer is the second commonest cancer of females worldwide and the commonest cancer of the female genital tract in our environment. It can be prevented through early detection by cervical screening (Pap smear). Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of cervical cancer screening among female undergraduates. Method: A pre tested questionnaire was administered to third and fourth year female students of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria. Result: Out of the 220 students involved in the study, 134 (60.9) had knowledge of cervical cancer and 118 (53.6%) were sexually active with the average age at sexual debut being 21.2 years. The mean age of the students was 23.8 years and the age range was 17 to 39 years with 175 (80%) in the age range of 20- 29 years. About 2/3 of the students did not know about Pap smear and worse still, none of them had undergone a Pap screening test before. This low participation in screening for cervical cancer was attributed to several reasons including ignorance of the existence of such a test, lack of awareness of centers where such services are obtainable, ignorance of the importance of screening and the risk factors to the development of cervical cancer. Conclusion: There is good level of awareness of cervical cancer among the female undergraduates but poor knowledge and participation in cervical cancer screening. The development of a comprehensive cervical cancer screening strategy is being recommended to improve participation with a view to prevent cervical cancer by early detection and treatment of the pre-malignant stages. Keywords: Cervical cancer, screening, female undergraduates. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 11 (3) 2008: pp. 216-21

Serological Survey of Porcine Brucella Infection in SouthEast, Nigeria

Porcine brucellosis, also called contagious abortion of swine is an infectious and zoonotic disease of swine caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella (Young, 1995). Brucella suis is the species found primarily in pigs. It is a zoonotic infection of domesticated and wild animals which humans(especially occupationally exposed workers), acquire by ingestion of improperly cooked contaminated pork, direct contact with infected animals or inhalation of infected aerosols (Radostits, 1995). Brucella infection in pigs is of wide spread occurrence, but the prevalence is low in most countries with the exception of South America and Southeast-Asia where the prevalence is high (Starnes et al., 1999). Pig production is drasticallyaffected by Brucella infection through abortion, birth of weak/unthrifty piglets, infertility and orchitis in the boar and these constitute serious economic losses (Ogundipe et al., 2001). Productivity of pigs in most countries is generally low due to high piglet mortality, slow growth rate,lack of adequate feed stuffs, ectoparasitism, trypanosomosis, helminthosis, lack of government' incentives, poor housing, lack of veterinary services and poor feed conversion ratio (Rekwot, 2003).This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Brucella infection in swine in southeast Nigeria

Haematological profiles of pigs raised under intensive management system in South-Eastern Nigeria

The haematological profile of pigs raised under intensive management system in South-Eastern Nigeria was studied. A total of 114 pigs were sampled comprising of 48 males and 66 females. Thirty-seven pigs were sampled in Anambra State, 46 in Enugu State and 31 in Ebonyi State with 38 being piglets and 76 adults. The blood values compared favourably with the reference values except for MCV and MCH that were slightly lower than the standard. The mean total WBC and neutrophil values were slightly higher than the standard. The PCV, Hb, MCHC and basophils were not significantly different (p>0.05) between the states. The RBC count was significantly (p.0.01) lower in Anambra State when compared with other states whereas Enugu State was significantly lower (

Brucellosis as an Emerging Threat in Developing Economies:Lessons from Nigeria

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, has a large proportion of the world's poor livestock keepers, and is a hotspot for neglected zoonoses. A review of the 127 accessible publications on brucellosis in Nigeria reveals only scant and fragmented evidence on its spatial and temporal distribution in different epidemiological contexts. The few bacteriological studies conducted demonstrate the existence of Brucella abortus in cattle and sheep, but evidence for B. melitensis in small ruminants is dated and unclear. The bulk of the evidence consists of seroprevalence studies, but test standardization and validation are not always adequately described, and misinterpretations exist with regard to sensitivity and/or specificity and ability to identify the infecting Brucella species. Despite this, early studies suggest that although brucellosis was endemic in extensive nomadic systems, seroprevalence was low, and brucellosis was not perceived as a real burden; recent studies, however, may reflect a changing trend. Concerning human brucellosis, no studies have identified the Brucella species and most reports provide only serological evidence of contact with Brucella in the classical risk groups; some suggest brucellosis misdiagnoses as malaria or other febrile conditions. The investigation of a severe outbreak that occurred in the late 1970s describes the emergence of animal and human disease caused by the settling of previously nomadic populations during the Sahelian drought. There appears to be an increasing risk of re-emergence of brucellosis in sub-Saharan Africa, as a result of the co-existence of pastoralist movements and the increase of intensive management resulting from growing urbanization and food demand. Highly contagious zoonoses like brucellosis pose a threat with far-reaching social and political consequences

Abattoir-Based Study Of The Susceptibility Of Two Naturally Infected Breeds Of Goat To Haemonchus Contortus In Nsukka Area Of Enugu State, Nigeria

No Abstract. Animal Research International Vol. 2 (2) 2005 pp. 342-34

Abattoir operations and waste management in Nigeria: A review of challenges and prospects

The poor state of our national abattoirs, meat processing plants, ineffective meat inspection service and the resultant risk of consuming unwholesome meat have been issues of public health and global environmental concerns. Abattoir inspection of live animals (ante–mortem) and the carcass (post–mortem) are crucial towards surveillance network for animal diseases and zoonoses as well as ensuring the suitability of meat and byproducts for their proposed use. The nations desire to achieve high level of food safety and quality of life may be a mirage if the current challenges militating against the establishment, operations and management of abattoirs are not given attention. This paper reviews the current state of the Nations abattoir operations and waste management and also discussed the challenges and prospects of the industry in respect of environmental quality and public health. The paper concludes that Local governments and private entrepreneurs should be encouraged to establish and manage abattoirs, slaughter houses and slabs nationwide for a more effective management