Prevalence of microflora in trachea of NDV challenged broiler following supplementation with extracts of Aloe vera, Alma millsoni, Archachantina marginata and Ganoderma lucidum

An attempt was made to enumerate the micro-flora in trachea of broiler chickens challenged with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) following supplementation with different extracts of local sources. After 30 days of treatment with extracts of Aloe vera (AV), Alma millsoni (ALM), Archachatina marginata (AM) and G. lucidium (GL) ad libitum as supplement to various groups they were challenged with intramuscular administration of 0.2 ml of 106 ELD50 of NDV. Following clinical signs and symptoms in the birds, trachea swab samples were collected and cultured. Of the 95 swabs, 65 (68.4%) yielded mixed growth of bacteria spp. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.1%), Enterococcus feacalis (23.1%) and Staphylococcus spp. (23.1%), coliform bacteria (30.8%). Only 9 (13.9%) of the total population isolated resisted either cerofloxacin or genticin. There was no statistically significant difference (P<0.05) in the occurrences of bacteria in trachea of chickens supplemented with different concentration of extracts, both challenged with NDV and unchallenged groups. These organisms may not be pathogenic to the birds as there were no signs of bacterial infection on the trachea. Though, 86.1% of the isolates were sensitive to test drugs, evolution of strains resistant to common antibiotics by some of these bacteria could be of public health risk to handlers and the community. Thus, domestic birds keeping and poultry sited in close proximity to human dwellings should be outlawed. Key words: Bacteria, Bacteria isolation, Broilers, Resistance

A Pilot Study on effects of vaccination on immunity of broiler chickens

A pilot study was carried out with the aim of highlighting the effects of NDV vaccine on the immune responses of broiler chickens challenged with NDV. Twenty (20) broilers of day-old were used for the study. They were grouped into five of four per group. During the study they were fed with standard feeds and clean water ad libitum. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups were challenged with 0.2 saline suspension of 106 ELD50 intradermal inoculation of NDV challenged strain. The vaccinated groups showed neither clinical signs nor symptoms of NDV infections while unvaccinated group showed 100% mortality after 48hr. This result indicate that vaccines is still very important in the prevention, management and control of poultry diseases as maternal immunity passed on to the young chicks at precocial stage could not be relied on to fight against infectious disease in broiler chickens. Therefore, the use of locally produced vaccines should be encouraged among farmers for the prevention, control and management of outbreaks of viral infections in our community. Key: Challenged, Poultry birds- broilers, Newcastle disease virus, Vaccinatio

Antibodies to some enteropathogenic bacteria in serum of apparently healthy individuals in Ugobowo, Benin City, Nigeria

Antibodies to some enterobacteriaceae such as Escherichia coll, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella and Shigella spp. were assayed for in the sera of 50 apparently healthy individuals aged between 20-50 years at Ugobowo, Benin city, Nigeria. Sera were obtained by standard method and stored at -4°C for 24-48 hr. Antigens were prepared from bacteria isolates and were used for tile/passive haemagglutination. Results showed that 74, 66, 60 and 50% of the study subjects had antibodies to E. coli, Proteus, Ktebsiella and Shigella spp. respectively. Antibody to E. coli was highest. The highest antibody titre recorded was 1 in 8 for E. coli. Thirty-eight sera had cross reactivity to all four isolates. This study has the advantage of documenting a specific antibody response at a time when the pathogen may no longer be present or may not be isolated for other reasons such as the action of a chemotherapeutic agent.Keywords: Antibodies, antigens, bacteria, haemagglutination, Nigeri

Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Amongst Voluntary Blood Donors in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo State, Nigeria

Aim: To investigate the seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) among voluntary blood donors in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Nigeria with the purpose of determining whether routine CMV screening for donors is justified or not. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Haematology and Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin city, Nigeria, between May and September, 2010. Methodology: Sera from randomly selected one hundred and ninety-two (192) voluntary blood donors, consisting of 176 males and 16 females that visited the hospital from May to September 2010 were evaluated for CMV-IgG and IgM antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based kit. Results: Seroprevalence for CMV-IgG and IgM were 95.8% and 3.1% respectively. All female donors (n=16) were positive for IgG. A total of 114 out of 192 (59.4%) donors were within the age bracket of 30-39 years. A prevalence of 100% for CMV IgG antibody was observed in age group ≥50 years, Conclusion: Routine screening of donors for CMV-IgG antibody would amount to waste of resources given the high prevalence of 95.8%. Periodic screening to identify the small percentage of seronegative blood donors (4.2%) who are needed for the ever increasing number of immunosuppressed recipients is recommended

A Pilot Study on effects of vaccination on immunity of broiler chickens

A pilot study was carried out with the aim of highlighting the effects of NDV vaccine on the immune responses of broiler chickens challenged with NDV. Twenty (20) broilers of day-old were used for the study. They were grouped into five of four per group. During the study they were fed with standard feeds and clean water ad libitum. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups were challenged with 0.2 saline suspension of 106 ELD50 intradermal inoculation of NDV challenged strain. The vaccinated groups showed neither clinical signs nor symptoms of NDV infections while unvaccinated group showed 100% mortality after 48hr. This result indicate that vaccines is still very important in the prevention, management and control of poultry diseases as maternal immunity passed on to the young chicks at precocial stage could not be relied on to fight against infectious disease in broiler chickens. Therefore, the use of locally produced vaccines should be encouraged among farmers for the prevention, control and management of outbreaks of viral infections in our community. Key: Challenged, Poultry birds- broilers, Newcastle disease virus, Vaccinatio