Peritoneal Drains in Perforated Appendicitis without Peritonitis: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

Background: Appendicitis is recognized worldwide as the commonest surgical emergency. Its management becomes more challenging when the patient presents with perforated appendicitis In the western world To determine the value of peritoneal drains in patients operated with an appendicular pathology more advanced then simple acute appendicitis (referred as advanced appendicular pathology). Patients with generalized peritonitis secondary to an appendicular pathology were excluded. Methods: This was a randomized prospective study of acute appendicitis patients seen at the Accident and Emergency Department or in the surgical wards at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) over 12 months period. Results: Of the 216 patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis, 117 patients had simple acute appendicitis without perforation and were therefore excluded from the study. Ninety seven patients had various stages of advanced appendicular pathology. Seven had generalized peritonitis and were also excluded. The remaining 90 patients constituted our study population. These were equally randomized to two groups. Forty five had the closed system of tube drainage provided (without suction) while the remaining 45 had no drain inserted. All of the 90 patients included in the study had histological confirmation of an inflamed perforated appendix. Postoperatively, 18 patients had wound sepsis and 6 patients had other complications including faecal fistula, abdominal abscess, and paralytic ileus. Out of those with wound sepsis, the majority (83%) were in the drain group. All patients with other complications belonged to the drain group. The patients in the drain group had significantly longer duration of antibiotic use and hospital stay. Conclusion: The findings in this study showed an increased complications rate, prolonged use of antibiotics and hospital stay in patients with drains operated for an advanced appendicular pathology

Short Communication: In-vitro disinfectant sensitivity tests on bacteria isolated from commercial poultry hatcheries in Kenya

No Abstract Available Bull Anim. Hlth. Prod. Afr. (2004) 52, 271-27

Research Article: Food Animal Practice Bovine Papillomatosis and its Management with an Autogenous Virus Vaccine in Kiambu District, Kenya

Six cases of bovine papillomatosis were reported to the University of Nairobi veterinary clinic. Diagnosis was based on presented clinical signs and histopathology of affected skin lesions. The histological samplesof the warts confirmed the diagnosis of papillomatosis. An autogenous formalin killed bovine specific wart vaccine was prepared from the wart samples and injected into four calves on day 0, 10 and 30, while two calves were left as undosed controls. The warts started regressing three weeks post vaccination and completely disappeared by the seventh week. This case represents a successfully management of a case of papillomatosis with a bovine specific autogenous vaccine.Keywords: bovine papilloma virus, papillomatosis, autogenous vaccin

Carrier status for Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species in free range farm and market healthy indigenous chickens and ducks

Background: Listeria organisms are documented to be zoonotic; one of the sources of infection is the domestic fowl where it could occur as in apparent infection. The carriage of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria in indigenous birds has not been documented in Kenya. Objective: To establish whether healthy looking indigenous chickens and ducks could be carriers of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. Design: Field survey of indigenous chickens and ducks in three districts of Kenya. Setting: Embakasi and Dagoreti divisions in Nairobi district; Athi river division in Machakos district; and Ngong division in Kajiado district, in Kenya. Subjects: One hundred and thirty six indigenous chickens and 39 ducks reared under free range scavenging system in Nairobi, Machakos and Kajiado districts, in Kenya, were sampled. Methods: In surveying the birds, the cloacal and pharyngeal swabs were taken from each bird separately using sterile cotton - tipped applicator swabs. The swabs in saline were transported in a coolbox to the laboratory for bacterial isolation and characterization. Interventions: None (only compared farmed and the traded birds). Main outcome measures: Isolation of Listeria species and pathogenicity of Listeria isolates. Results: Two Listeria monocytogenes and seven other Listeria species were recovered from the oropharyngeal swab samples of farm and market chickens but none from respective cloacal swabs. No Listeria was recovered from either oropharyngeal or cloacal swabs of farmed ducks and slaughter chickens. Traded chickens yielded more Listeria isolates as compared to farmed chickens. Conclusion: This study shows that indigenous chickens in Kenya are carriers of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. East African Medical Journal Vol.81(10) 2004: 529-53

Acute, sub-chronic and chronic toxicity of Solanum incanum L in sheep in Kenya

A study was carried out to determine the toxicity of unripe fruits of Solanum incanum L in sheep. The sheep were orally drenched with dried unripe fruits powder of S. incanum L at dose rates varying from 1,200mg to 3,600 mg/Kg /day for 9 weeks. Clinical signs were observed daily while blood with and without anticoagulant was taken weekly for haematological and biochemical analysis. Clinical signs started on day two with bloat. All  sheep groups showed bloat and coughing. Signs of cerebellar hyperplasia were manifested in 25%, 75% and 25% of sheep in groups 2, 3, and 4 respectively, manifested by staggering gait, lateral recumbency, leg paddling movements, coma and death. The mortality rate was 25% for group 2 and 100% for groups 3 and 4. All sheep groups had pneumonia, froth in the bronchi, lung emphysema and congestion in the brain, liver and kidneys while groups 3 and 5 had hemorrhagic ulcers on distal abomasum to proximal duodenum and hemorrhagic enteritis from duodenum to colon. On histology, all sheep showed necrosis of the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and Wallerian degeneration of neurons; lung emphysema and interstitial pneumonia, hemorrhagic enteritis, tubular necrosis in the kidneys and hepatocyte necrosis. The results indicate that S. incanum L is highly toxic to sheep and allowing sheep to graze on the plant is dangerous to their health

Sensitivity of Listeria species, recovered from indigenous chickens to antibiotics and disinfectants

Background: Resistance of bacteria to antibiotics and disinfectants has been reported widely in the world. Listeria monocytogenes is no exception, although normally it tends to be variably sensitive to many antibiotics and disinfectants. Objectives: To assess the susceptibility of Listeria isolates recovered from indigenous chickens to commonly used antimicrobials. Design: Nine Listeria isolates recovered from village chickens were tested for sensitivity to commonly used antibiotics and disinfectants and compared with Listeria monocytogenes type strains (L028 and DGH), Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Subjects: Nine Listeria isolates. Interventions: None. Main outcome measures: Susceptibility to eight antibiotics and seven disinfectants. Results: The nine Listeria isolates were sensitive to gentamycin (100%), kanamycin (88.9%), tetracycline (77.8%), cotrimoxazole (66.7%), chloramphenicol (66.7%) and resistant to ampicillin, augmentin and cefuroxime. There was no difference between the antibiotic sensitivity to the various Listeria isolates and Listeria monocytogenes type strains (P>0.05). The isolates were sensitive to disinfectants; A (100%), B (88.9 %), D (77.8%), E (77.8%) but resistant to, CF, and G. There was significant difference between the resistance of Listeria isolates to the various disinfectants at the varied dilutions and the resistance at the recommended user - dilution (P< 0.00293). Conclusion: This study has shown that some of the Listeria isolates were resistant to most common antimicrobial agents except gentamycin and disinfectant A. Hence the need to consider this resistance pattern for effective treatment and control of listeriosis. East African Medical Journal Vol.81(10) 2004: 534-53

A case of newcastle disease in parrots in Nairobi, Kenya

No Abstract Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa Vol. 55 (4) 2007: pp. 292-29

Newcastle disease virus and antibody levels in matched sera, ovules and mature eggs of indigenous village hens

In this study, one hundred and thirty three non - vaccinated village hens in lay were tested for carriage of Newcastle disease virus and presence of antibody against the virus in sera, ovules and eggs. Blood was obtained from the hens through wing venipuncture while matched ovules and mature eggs were taken from the oviducts. Cloacal and oropharyngeal swabswere collected from each hen for virus isolation. Haemagglutination inhibition assay was performed for all sera and egg yolk samples. Protective serum antibody titres of ≥3 (log2) were recorded in 5.3% of the naturally exposed, indigenous village hens. Antibody titers to Newcastle disease virus in the yolks were higher than in their sera (230.08 ± 40.05; 1.56 ± 0.74 for egg yolk and sera, respectively) (