DETECTION OF CANINE PARVOVIRUS ANTIGEN IN DOGS IN KUMASI, GHANA

Background: Canine Parvovirus (CPV) in dogs has been documented in many countries. However, evidence of the infection is scanty in Ghana. This study was conducted to detect canine parvovirus antigen in dogs presented with diarrhoea to the Government Veterinary Clinic in Kumasi, Ghana. Materials and Methods: Faecal samples from 72 dogs presented with diarrhoea were tested for the presence of canine parvovirus antigen using commercially available rapid test kit (BIT® Rapid Colour Canine Parvovirus Ag Test Kit, BIOINDIST Co. Ltd, Korea) based on the principle of immunochromatography. Influence of breed, sex, age, vaccination history and the nature of diarrhoea were assessed. Data obtained was analysed with SPSS and subjected to the chi-square test. Significance was at α0.05 Results: We found 61.11% tested positive (44/72) for CPV. Based on sex, 61.54% of males (20/33) and 60.61% of females tested positive (24/39). A total of 65.67% of samples from puppies below 6 months were positive. 56.25% of CPV vaccinated dogs and 70.83% of unvaccinated dogs were positive respectively. 69.05% of samples from haemorrhagic diarrhoeic dogs and 50.00% from non-haemorrhagic diarrhoeic dogs were positive of CPV. Conclusion: The study is the first documented evidence of the existence of CPV in Ghana. It also revealed that absence of bloody diarrhoea does not necessarily rule out CPV infection

THE EVALUATION OF DOMESTIC DUCKS AS POTENTIAL RESERVOIR OF AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS IN POST HPAI H5N1 OUTBREAK AREA, SUNYANI MUNICIPALITY, BRONG AHAFO REGION OF GHANA

Background: Avian influenza (AI) is an important zoonotic disease responsible for significant losses in most sub-Saharan countries. However, the role of poultry other than chicken in the epidemiology of the disease, especially after the first AI outbreak in Ghana, has not been fully elucidated. The objective of this study is to determine whether the AI virus infection that was reported in the area in May 2007 was circulating silently in ducks in nine randomly selected farms in the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana. Materials and Methods: The sample size was calculated using Epi info version 3.4.1 at 95% confidence level, absolute precision of 5% and assuming 0.5 prevalence of Avian Influenza A virus in ducks. Samples collection was done simultaneously with questionnaire administration to farmers. A total of 526 samples made up of 384 cloacal swabs and 142 feather tissues from ducks from a commercial duck farm, seven backyard holdings and one live birds market in six randomly selected communities in the Sunyani Municipality, Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. The samples were processed and subjected to Influenza Type A Matrix Gene analysis using RRT-PCR. Results: All the 526 samples subjected to Influenza Type A Matrix Gene analysis using RRT-PCR were negative for Influenza Type A viruses. However, it was observed that bio-security practices which are keys to reintroduction of the virus in the area were not adhered to in 89 % of the sites investigated. Our finding also revealed that only the commercial farm investigated in this study complied with fifteen (78.9%) of the nineteen different farm practices observed. Conclusion: Though AI was not detected in the ducks sampled, there is the need for continuous surveillance and education of stakeholders on standard bio-security and farm management practices in the area

THE PREVALENCE OF BRUCELLOSIS IN CATTLE AND THEIR HANDLERS IN NORTH TONGU DISTRICT OF VOLTA REGION, GHANA

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic pathogen responsible for great economic losses in most sub-Saharan nations. Although Ghana has successfully implemented the “One Health” initiative for the control of some emerging infectious zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential like Avian Influenza, there is very limited data available on brucellosis especially human brucellosis prevalence. He objective of his study is to determine the seroprevalence of human and bovine brucellosis as well as the predisposing factors at the community level in the North Tongu District of Ghana. Materials and Methods: Rose Bengal Plate test (RBPT) was used to analyze blood samples from 178 cattle farmers, and 315 cattle. The positive samples were further confirmed with cELISA. Predisposing factors were determined by questionnaires administered to cattle farmers. All sample sites were geo-referenced. Results: Human and bovine brucellosis seroprevalence using RBPT were 10.1% and 22.9% respectively. Eighty six percent (62/72) of bovine cases were confirmed with ELISA. Delivery assistants were more likely to be infected (p=0.043) with odds ratio of 2.7. Out of the human cases (18), males constituted 88.9%. Ages 11-20 years recorded 77.7% seropositivity whilst cattle drovers represented 44.5% (8/18) of positives. Significant risk factors in cattle were herd size (p=0.037), history of retained placenta (0.000) and abortion (0.005). Conclusion: Bovine and human brucellosis is prevalent in North Tongu district, Ghana. Close contact with parturient cows was a major predisposing factor for human infection. Early referral of positive persons to the Hospital for confirmation and treatment is required to comply with the “One Health” initiative on brucellosis and other zoonoses

Efficacy of live B1 or Ulster 2C Newcastle disease vaccines simultaneously vaccinated with inactivated oil adjuvant vaccine for protection of Newcastle disease virus in broiler chickens

Two hundred, one-day-old broiler chicks were divided into groups 1, 2 and 3 containing 60, 70 and 70 chicks, respectively. The groups were divided into subgroups of 10 chicks that were vaccinated according to the following scheme: group 1 unvaccinated control, group 2 vaccinated subcutaneously at 1 day old with inactivated oil adjuvant vaccine (IOAV) in combination with live B1 vaccine. Group 3 was vaccinated in the same mode as group 2 with IOAV and live Ulster 2C vaccine. All birds were challenged when they were 28 days old. Mortality rate, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were monitored before and after challenge. All the chickens in group 1 died, indicating that there was no disease resistance of this unvaccinated control group of chickens. Conversely, the monitored disease resistance of chickens in groups 2 and 3 was 68.57% ± 18.64 and 88.57% ± 9.00, respectively (P < 0.05). The morbidity of chickens in groups 2 and 3 was 37.89% ± 14.36 and 14.76% ± 12.40, respectively (P < 0.05). The body weight gain, feed intake and FCR of group 3 were significantly better than those of group 2 (P < 0.05) during 1–42 days old. The simultaneous vaccination with B1 or Ulster 2C and IOAV of 1-day-old chicks gave some protection of 28-day-old broilers without a booster vaccination

Prevalence, farmers’ knowledge and management of mange in small ruminants in rural household communities of Ejisujuaben municipality, Ghana

The current study investigated, on the basis of farm and clinical records, the prevalence, knowledge of farmers and methods of management of mange in sixty small-scale sheep and goat farms in the rural areas of Ejisu-Juaben Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Data was compiled with employment of descriptive statistics based on farm visit records and administration of specifically-structured questionnaires to farmers and veterinary service personnel. The study showed that small-scale sheep and goat breeding is mostly a subsistence occupation, engaged predominantly by males and senior citizens of over 40 years. According to the study, majority of the rural small-scale farmers had basic or no formal education, with scanty knowledge about mange as a disease condition. The results revealed a trend of inadequate housing and management practices, with no provision for isolation and separation of afflicted animals from healthy ones. A few of the farms investigated has facilities to handle an outbreak. The study indicated a higher incidence of mange in goats; and also revealed that even as goats were mostly afflicted with demodectic mange, the predominant causative mite in the case of sheep mange was sarcoptes spp. It showed that farmers were more accurate in identifying mange in sheep; which is evidenced by a higher rate of confirmation of suspected mange cases in sheep as compared with goats. The study also confirmed methods of “in-house” management of mange as mostly inappropriate. This study showed that failure to identify and register cases of mange could be attributed to the farmers’ inadequate knowledge on the causes and impact of the disease. It is, therefore, recommended that regular extension education programmes on prophylaxis, control and prevention of mange in sheep and goats should be available to small-scale farmers in rural areas.Keywords: Ghana, mange, management, prevalence, Sheep and goats, small-scale farmer

Pattern of waning of maternal antibodies against newcastle disease of chicks from selected hatcheries in Kumasi, Ghana.

This study was conducted to measure and compare the rate at which maternal antibodies against Newcastle Disease (ND) wane in chicks from some selected hatcheries in Kumasi, Ghana. Sera from 150 unvaccinated cockerels collected from three hatcheries (A, B, C) were screened using standard methods of heamagglutination inhibition technique. Two separate vaccination schedules against ND were employed in advising poultry farmers at the Regional Veterinary Laboratory were compared for their suitability. Descriptive statistics was employed. All the chicks from the three hatcheries had maternal antibodies against ND at day-1 and that the maternal antibodies lasted till day-21. Hatchery A had the highest maternal antibody titre of 9.97 GMT at day-1, followed by B with 7.84 GMT and C having the lowest GMT of 6.70. Based on the vaccination schedule, schedule (I) which puts the first Newcastle vaccination at 8 days old (week 1) would not be favourable for any of the chicks that were obtained from the three hatcheries due to the presence of protective maternal antibody levels (4.0 GMT) in sera obtained from chicks during the first week of age. Schedule (II) which puts the first ND vaccination at day-15 favored hatcheries A and C. This is because the MAb titres of chicks from hatcheries A and C decayed below the protective titres after day- 14. This study represents the first report on waning pattern of Newcastle disease specific MAb in chicks in Ghana and it also showed that vaccination schedule should take cognizance of MAb evaluation for the control incessant ND outbreaks.Keywords: Decay, Maternal antibodies (MAb), Newcastle Disease (ND), Vaccination schedule, Ghan

Nutrient profiling of ruminant feed resources in Ghana

A study was carried out to evaluate the available ruminant feed resources for their nutrient compositions. Two hundred and seventy-eight (278) feed resources were sampled from 27 farms in six regions in Ghana: Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East and Volta. Parameters measured included proximate composition, detergent fibre, and in vitro gas production of the samples. Other parameters such as apparent digestibilities, relative feed values, short-chain volatile fatty acid (SCFAs) content and dry matter intake were estimated using the established models. A Kruskal-Wallis H test was carried out with the nutritional parameters serving as random factors whilst the different feed materials served as fixed factors. The results obtained indicated that root crops and their residues had higher (p < 0.001) CP contents than the other categories of plant-based feed materials whilst cereals and their residues recorded the least CP (p < 0.001). The crude fat content was generally low for all samples, however, the fibre content was high in the cereals, legumes and their residues, grasses, and forbs. The mixed feeds and mashes produced the highest (p < 0.001) quantities of gas after 96 h of incubation (19.38 ml/200 mg DM) and also had a faster rate (p < 0.001) of gas production than the other materials (0.025 ml/h). However, the root crops and their residues were the materials with the highest (p < 0.001) potential gas produced. Digestibilities, SCFA, metabolisable energy and other estimated nutritional attributes were relatively low (p < 0.05) for the varying categories of feed materials except for the mixed feeds and mashes. The study revealed that the nutrient composition and the nutritional value of the feed resources were generally lower than the requirement of ruminant livestock and this may subsequently affect their productivity