Reliability of Some Clinical Parameters for Field Diagnosis of African Animal Trypanosomosis in Cattle

Presumptive and inaccurate diagnosis of cattle trypanosomosis among field veterinarians has led to misuse of trypanocides, development of drug resistance, toxicities and huge economic losses. This study assessed the reliability, specificity and sensitivity of some identified trypanosomosis associated signalments (anaemia using FAMACHA® guide, body condition score (BCS), superficial lymph nodes enlargement and jugular pulsation) as field diagnostic parameters. Blood and faecal samples were collected from 273 subjectively selected cattle for the determination of packed cell volume (PCV) and screening for trypanosome, and for helminth egg using McMaster technique, respectively. Data obtained from assessment of packed cell volume based on BCS, FAMANCHA score, superficial lymph nodes enlargement and jugular pulsation were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi square, while comparison of data using independent student ttest and one-way ANOVA was similarly conducted. Of the screened cattle, 16.5% (45/273) were positive for trypanosome. Single infection due to Trypanosoma spp. was found in 13.5% (37/273) cattle, while 2.9% (8/273) had trypanosome concurrently with Babesia spp. or helminth infections. The prevalence of Trypanosoma infection was higher in animals with mild or moderately pale mucous membrane, slight emaciation, palpable superficial lymph nodes and pulsating jugular vein. The mean PCV of Trypanosoma infected cattle (27.65±0.056) was lower than in non-infected cattle (31.30±0.36) (p<0.05). Based on the jugular pulsation status, enlargement of the superficial lymph nodes, trypanosomosis state and Famancha category, there was no significant (p<0.05) variation in the PCV of the examined cattle. A negative and low correlation (r = -0.054) existed between BCS and FAMACHA® anaemia score. Each of the clinical diagnostic parameters showed poor sensitivity when employed separately, but the sensitivity improved when applied together and showed 80% specificity to Trypanosoma infection. The results of the present study showed that Trypanosoma infected cattle were associated with anaemia, emaciation, weight loss, jugular pulsation and lymphadenophathy. Key Words: Trypanosomosis, Diagnosis, Cattle, Anaemia, Treatmen

PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES AND BACTERIAL PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH SWINE PNEUMONIAS IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Pneumonia is a major economic threat to swine industry worldwide, however, there is still dearth of information on the pathology and associated pathogens in Nigeria, and these were therefore investigated. Lungs from 408 slaughtered pigs were randomly collected from abattoirs in Abeokuta, Ibadan and Lagos. The lung samples were cultured for bacterial pathogens using standard techniques, while formalin-fixed tissues were processed for histopathological examination. Grossly, the most consistent lesion was bronchopneumonia (35.3%). The main histopathological findings were lymphoid hyperplasia of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) (88.2%), suppurative bronchopneumonia (63.6%), suppurative bronchitis and bronchiolitis with concurrent epithelial hyperplasia (57.1%), as well as thickened alveolar septa due to cellular infiltration consisting predominantly of neutrophils (54.1%). Ten different species of bacteria were isolated from the lung samples in which two or more pathogens were isolated from each sample (82.7%). Pasteurella multocida was the most frequently isolated bacterium (54.8%). Among the bacteria isolated, there were significant (P < 0.05) differences in the frequencies of isolation of β-haemolytic Streptococci, P. multocida, Haemophilus species and Escherichia coli between the pneumonic lungs and apparently normal lungs. The results of bacterial culture, gross and histopathological changes recorded in this study are consistent with bacterial pneumonia possibly caused by most of the bacteria identified in the present study.   &nbsp

Effects of Dietary Supplemental Vitamins and Periods of Administration on Growth Performance and Antibody Titre of Broiler Chickens Vaccinated against Newcastle Disease

This study investigated the effects of supplemental vitamins and varying administration periods on growth performance and antibody titre of broiler chickens vaccinated against Newcastle Disease (ND). A total of 300 unvaccinated against ND Arbor Acre day-old chicks were used for the study for 8 wk. Birds were brooded together on day 1 of age, and 30 chicks were selected randomly for evaluating the maternally derived antibody titre against ND. At 2 days of age, the remaining 270 chicks were divided based on weight equalization into 9 treatment groups and replicated thrice. The 9 treatments consisted of a factorial arrangement of 4 supplemental vitamins (A, C, E and combination of A, C, E) and 2 periods of administration (3 days pre- and post-ND vaccinations) with a control. The birds were managed intensively throughout the experimental period, ND vaccines were administered on the 5th (i/o) and 24th (Lasota) day of age, respectively. Supplemental combined vitamins A, C and E at 0.15, 16.67 and 3.03 mg/kg, respectively, resulted in higher (P < 0.05) final body weight of 1785.00 g/bird and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 2.89. Also, birds fed vitamin A supplemented diet 3 d pre-i/o vaccine had higher (p<0.05) serum antibody titre (75.20) against ND while higher (p<0.05) serum antibody titre (741.33) was also obtained in birds fed diet supplemented with vitamin E 3 d post-Lasota vaccination. Conclusively, broiler chickens diets can be supplemented with combined vitamins A, C, and E for better growth performance measured as final body weight and FCR, in addition, vitamins A (0.45mg/kg) and E (9.1mg/kg) dietary supplementation at 3 d pre-i/o and 3 d post-Lasota vaccines, respectively, can be adopted for improved antibody production

Vitamins and administration periods effects on haematological parameters of broiler chickens vaccinated against Newcastle disease

total of two hundred and seventy (270) Arbor acre day old chicks were used to investigate the effects of vitamins and administration periods on haematological parameters of broiler chickens vaccinated against  Newcastle disease. The experiment lasted for a period of 8 weeks. Birds were brooded together at day old and on day 2 of age, the 270 broiler chicks were divided based on weight equalization into nine (9) treatment groups, replicated thrice with ten birds per replicate. The 9 treatments consist of a factorial arrangement of 4 dietary supplemental vitamins and two administration periods with a control. The birds were managed intensively, Newcastle disease vaccines were administered on the 5th (Hitchner B1) and 24th (Lasota) days of age. Data obtained on  haematological indices were subjected to Analysis of Variance in a completely  randomized design. Significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher Mean corpuscular volume and Mean corpuscular  haemoglobin (146.31 fl and 48.96 pg) were recorded in birds fed diet supplemented with vitamin C at 14th day post-Hitchner B1. Dietary supplementation with vitamins A three days pre-Lasota resulted to higher Heamoglobin (9.70 g/dl) and Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (35.28 g/dl) at 14th day  post-Lasota. In conclusion, vitamins C (50 mg/kg) dietary  supplementation is recommended for improved haematological indices (MCV and MCH) up to the 14th day post Hitchner B1 vaccine, while administration of vitamin A (9.1mg/kg) supplemented diet three days pre-Lasota can be used to enhance better Haemoglobin and Mean  corpuscular haemoglobin concentration at 14th day post-Lasota.Keywords: Vitamins, Haematological parameters, Newcastle disease and Broiler chickens Effets des vitamines et des periodes de leur administration sur les  parametres hematologiques des poulets de chair vaccinés contre la maladie de NewcastleUn total de deux cent soixante-dix (270) poussins Arbor acre âgés d’un jour a été utilisé pour l’étude des effets des vitamines et des périodes de leur administration sur les paramètres hématologiques des poulets de chair vaccinés contre la maladie de Newcastle. L’expérience a duré 8 semaines. Les oiseaux ont été incubés ensemble aux 1er et 2ème jours d’âge ; les 270 poulets de chair ont été répartis sur base de l’égalisation du poids en neuf (9) groupes de traitement, répétés trois fois avec dix oiseaux par répétition. Les 9 traitements consistaient en un arrangement factoriel de 4 compléments alimentaires avec vitamines et deux périodes d’administration, avec un témoin. Les oiseaux ont été élevés de manière intensive ; les vaccins contre la maladie de Newcastle ont été administrés au 5ème jour (Hitchner B1) et au 24ème jour (Lasota) d’âge. Les données obtenues sur les indices hématologiques ont été soumises à l’analyse de variance dans un schéma complètement aléatoire. Un volume  corpusculaire moyen significativement (p &lt;0,05) élevé et une   hémoglobine corpusculaire moyenne élevée (146,31 et 48,96 pg) ont été enregistrés chez les oiseaux recevant de la vitamine C au 14ème jour post-Hitchner B1. Un complément alimentaire en vitamines A trois jours pré-Lasota a entraîné une augmentation du taux d’hémoglobine (9,70 g /dl) et de la concentration moyenne d’hémoglobine corpusculaire (35,28 g / dl) au 14ème jour post-Lasota. En conclusion, la supplémentation  alimentaire en vitamines C (50 mg / kg) est recommandée pour l’amélioration des indices hématologiques (MCV et MCH) jusqu’au 14ème jour après le vaccin Hitchner B1, tandis que l’administration du régime supplémenté en vitamine A (9.1mg / kg) trois jours pré-Lasota peut être utilisée pour un meilleur taux d’hémoglobine et d’hémoglobine corpusculaire moyenne au 14ème jour post-Lasota.Mots-clés : vitamines, paramètres hématologiques, maladie de Newcastle et poulets de chair

Prevalence of helminths on raw vegetables and hygienic practices among vegetable marketers in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

The study assessed the prevalence of helminths on raw vegetables presented for sales and the level of hygienic practices among vegetable marketers in Maiduguri. All the markets surveyed were categorized into quadrants for the purpose of this study. A total of three hundred and twenty samples of spinach, cabbage, lettuce, carrot, green beans, green pepper, garden egg and tomatoes were collected. Forty samples per each vegetable type were collected in the study, while ten samples per vegetable were collected from every quadrant (market). One hundred questionnaires were administered to 100 vegetable marketers in order to evaluate hygienic practices during sourcing, transportation and retailing of vegetables. Collected vegetables were analysed using standard parasitological technique. In all, 29 (9.06%) vegetables were contaminated with one parasite or the other, consisting of Strongyle egg 5 (1.56%), Taenia egg 4 (1.25%), Nematode larvae 17 (5.31%), Ancylostoma egg 1 (0.31%) and Ascaris lumbricoides egg 2 (0.62%). Based on the type of vegetable; cabbage and lettuce each had 5 (12.5%) parasites, while carrot and green beans had 2 (5.0%) and 17 (42.5%) respectively. Recovered parasites were significantly associated with the vegetable types. Custom/Gamboru Market recorded the highest contamination of 9 (11.25%) parasites, followed by University/Bama Road 7 (8.75%), Baga Road/Monday Market 5 (6.25%), while Bulumkutu/Gomari had least contamination rate of 8 (10.0%). There was no statistically significant association between parasites isolation and the market location. Eighteen (18) (62.07%) of the contaminated vegetables were unwashed. This study had demonstrated an increased prevalence of helminths in the sampled vegetables. Similarly, strong association exists between parasite isolation and hygienic practices especially the type of medium used for washing vegetables and the practice of hand washing prior to handling. These findings are important in view of the type of parasites found, their mode of transmissions and the current socio-economic status of the consumers.Keywords: vegetable, helminths, contamination, insurgency, Maidugur

SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF CONCURRENT SCROTAL AND INGUINAL HERNIAS IN A UNILATERAL CRYPTORCHID WEST AFRICAN DWARF SHEEP

An uncommon case of scrotal and inguinal hernias in a 6 months old unilateral cryptorchid West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep was presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Federal Univer-sity of Agriculture, Abeokuta-Nigeria. The ram was noticed few days after birth with two bulging mass-es around the ventral region which gradually increases in size as the animal grows. On examination, the content of the swellings were reducible and the right testicle was not palpable within the scrotal sac. Ultrasonography confirms the hernia contents as intestinal loops. The animal was sedated with xylazine HCL administered intramuscularly at a dosage of 0.1 mg/kg and anaesthetized epidurally with 1.5mls of 2% lignocaine HCL administered into the lumbosacral space. Herniorrhapy was performed on the scrotal hernia, followed by orchidectomy while the inguinal hernia was corrected using hernio-plasty. Cryptorchidism may have predisposed to the hernias in this case. Thorough assessment of cryptorchid animals is essential as the opening created by the non-descendent testis could be a risk factor for herniation; therefore such affected ram should not be used for breeding purposes because of the heritable nature of the defect

Morphologic identification and proteomic analysis in adult Haemonchus contortus of West African Dwarf Goats by IDE SDS-PAGE

Haemonchus contortus is responsible for most field outbreak of acute and sub-acute parasitic gastro-enteritis of small ruminants. Given the growing prevalence of antihelminthic resistance in parasitic infections there is need for alternative methods of control and the novel option for worm control is vaccines production. This study determines the protein constituents of Haemonchus contortus in both male and female parasites. Two hundred abomasal samples were collected from West African Dwarf Goats at Bodija Municipal Abbattoir, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The adult H. contortus were isolated and separated by sex-based on morphological features. Male and female H. contortus were ground separately vortex in Tris buffer and centrifuged at 1000rpm for 5 minutes. In gel separation of the resulting supernatant was achieved using1 dimesnsional Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1DE SDS-PAGE). The raw images of the gel were captured using and analyses on 1D Totallabsoft ware. The software identified 7 (seven) protein bands for male and 10 (ten) protein bands for female and the coefficient of similarities between those bands detected in both male and female parasites was 0.43 (43%). The molecular weight of bands detected for male includes; 145.93,130.91, 64.64, 51.75, 34.68, 20.58,19.35 kDa) while that of female includes (144.62, 102.21, 70.00, 50.28, 35.81, 19.39, 19.49, 19.35, 19.33, 15.98 kDa). This most likely suggests that both male and female parasites have unique antigen of these proteins hitherto present in them. The immunogenicity of the bands can be assessed to identify protein (bands) suitable for vaccines production against haemonchosis in West African Dwarf goat in Nigeria.Keywords: Haemonchus contortus, parasite sexes, 1DE SDS PAGE, protein band