The main problem for the local guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) traditional farming and raising system in north-east Benin is the high mortality rate of the keets (up to 70%) due to a combination of climatic, nutritional, hygienic and infectious causes. The present study was carried out to identify and compare the isolates of Salmonella enterica from necropsied keets, laying guinea fowl, surrogate hen mothers, other contact animal species and farmers during four laying seasons (2007 to 2010). S. enterica belonging to eight different serotypes (Adelaide, Farakan, Kingston, Legon, Luke, Oakland, Sangalkam and Teshie) and one untypable isolate were isolated from 13 to 19% of the necropsied keets. The serotypes Adelaide, Farakan, Luke, Sangalkam and Teshie and the untypable isolate were isolated in only one township during 1 year of sampling, while serotypes Oakland, Legon and Kingston were present in two to three townships for 2 to 3 years of sampling. Serotypes Farakan, Kingston, Legon, Oakland and Sangalkam were also isolated from faecal samples of laying guinea fowl and/or surrogate domestic fowl hen mothers. Further comparison by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and virulotyping provided evidence for their clonality within each of those five serotypes and therefore for the adult guinea fowl and/or hens as the most probable origin of contamination of the keets. The antibiotic resistance profiles, with all isolates resistant to oxacillin, sulfamethoxazol and colistin, emphasize the rise of antibiotic resistance in salmonellas from guinea fowl in this area and the need for alternative therapy policies for these birds.

Aim:This study aims to identify the dominant viral animal pathologies and to list the traditional recipes used by the breeders for their treatment.Materials and Methods:The method of data collection was based on a retrospective survey. Thus, 787 breeders and agro-breeders scattered in the eight agro-ecological areas of Benin were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires.Results:In total, 5 pathologies were reported by breeders. Among those pathologies, foot and mouth disease was reported by all of the breeders of the southern part of Borgou compared with the other areas (p<0.05) and treated by 25 species of medicinal plants. African swine fever was the main pathology reported (22.92%) (p<0.05) in the fishery areas which is controlled by 7 medicinal plants. Pseudorinderpest was more reported (33.78%) (p<0.05) in the cotton area of central Benin and treated by 8 medicinal plants. There is also Newcastle disease that was mostly reported in the Western Atacora and treated by 32 medicinal plants as well as fowl pox which was a more reported in the lands of the bar area and the low-pressure area about 34.48% and 36.17% proportions, respectively, and treated by eight medicinal plants.Conclusion:The breeders in Benin possess rich ethno veterinary knowledge on medicinal plants and their uses in the treatment of livestock. A total of 57 medicinal plants have been inventoried to fight against five major viral diseases as African swine fever, pseudorinderpest and foot and mouth disease. The common plants used to treat viral disease in general were Euphorbia unispina, Euphorbia poissonii, Lannea acida, and Mangifera indica. The most harvested organs on the plants reported in this survey were the barks, the leaves, and the whole plants. To better develop our indigenous resources, it would be important to expand this ethno-pharmacological investigation to other diseases category.

Objectives:The aim was to identify the different production technologies, the hygiene of the producers and the microbiological and physico-chemical qualities of curdled milks produced in Benin. Methodology and Results: Thirty-two curdled milk samples were collected from five municipalities and microbiological analyses were carried for the detection of Salmonella sp. . The enumeration of total microbial flora, total and faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, lactic flora, sulfito-reducing anaerobic germs, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as yeasts and moulds using normalized methods was carried out. The pH and the titratable acidity of the samples were determined by the AOAC method (1990). Results showed that majority of curdled milk producers of Benin are Peulh women. Two types of milks (fresh cow milk and powdered milk) were used for the preparation of these curds with two different technologies (technology using powdered milk in their preparation with old curdled milk as a starter and that using fresh cow milk with endogenous starter) were used. Microbiological and physico-chemical analyses revealed that the average total microbial flora was 255±126.10 6 cfu/ml. The lactic flora, as well as yeasts and moulds flora were respectively 8.29±6.56 x10 6 cfu/ml, 12.431±20.706 x10 3 cfu/ml and 13±23 cfu/ml. Coliforms count varied from 11.313±13 x10 3 cfu/ml at 30°C to 0.983±1.228 x10 3 cfu/ml at 44°C, while the average Escherichia coli count was 0.34±0.89 cfu/ml. The average pH and titratable acidity of the samples were respectively 3.77±0.17 and 156.36±30.22 degree Dornic. All analysed curds were exempt of Salmonella sp, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium spp. Conclusion and application of findings: The poor quality of the studied curdled milk samples poses serious health risks to consumers. Therefore, this study calls for producers' sensitisation and training on good hygienic practices for safer curdled milk production with less public health risk.

<p>Despite its prominent place in development strategies, poultry breeding faces many constraints, including pathological ones. Among pathologies that affect poultry, colibacillosis is one of the most diseases that are communicable to humans and associated with heavy economic losses. To fight efficiently against avian colibacillosis, the work aimed to evaluate antimicrobial potential evaluation of non-volatile extracts of <em>Euphorbia hirta</em> and <em>Psidium guajava</em>, as well as the essential oils of <em>Clausena anisata</em> and <em>Aeollanthus pubescens</em> extracts and two commercial antibiotics namely tetracolivit and Oxytetracyclin against <em>Escherichia coli</em>. To achieve this goal, susceptibility tests were performed on a strain of <em>E. coli</em> using agar diffusion and microdilution methods. Results obtained showed that essential oils from <em>Clausena anisata</em> and non-volatile extracts tested were not active on <em>E coli</em>. However, the essential oils extracted from <em>Aeollanthus pubescens</em> were active on the <em>E. coli</em> with MIC of 0.44 ± 0.21 mg/ml and MBC of 0.87 ± 0.41mg / ml for the oil of the whole part, followed respectively by flower oil  (MBC = 0.99 mg/ml) and leaf stem oil (MBC= 1.62 mg / ml). Comparing the activity of the essential oils of <em>Aeollanthus</em> with antibiotics tested, we noticed that tetracolivit was more active with MBC =0.15±0.07mg/ml on <em>E. coli</em> than these extracts which were more active than Oxytetracyclin (MBC=2.34±1.11mg/ml). In sum, the study showed that for a better management of avian collibacillosis in Benin, the tetracolivit is suitable as antibiotic which can be substituted by <em>Aeollanthus pubescens </em>essential oils.</p>