This study determined the occurrence of Salmonella from vegetables, the prevailing serovars, and the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the serovars. A total of 300 samples of vegetable comprising spinach (Amaranthus hybridus spp.), Corchorus olitorus spp., sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygadalina spp.), and water leaf (Talinum triangulares spp.) were collected from five different farms and Maiduguri central market from May to August, 2009. Presumptive Salmonella isolates were determined by using the conventional biochemical tests, Serovars were confirmed by serotyping, using slide agglutination technique. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed with 17 antimicrobial agents using the minimum inhibition concentration tests (MIC) method. Out of the 300 samples analyzed, 19 were positive for Salmonella, which represent a prevalence of 6.3%. The serovars obtained were Salmonella Hadar, 13(4.3%), Salmonella serovar 47: mt:-, 5(1.7%), and Salmonella Vinohrady, 1(0.3%). Most of the serovars were susceptible to antimicrobial agents with the exception of Salmonella Hadar that exhibited multiple resistances to streptomycin, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, and neomycin. Salmonella represents a major contaminant of vegetables consumed in Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria. Therefore, vegetables can serve as a route for the transmission of Salmonella to humans. This constitutes a serious health risk to the human population, and there is a need for specific Salmonella control program to be instituted as part of a national food safety strategy.

This study was conducted to report the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis and to estimate the direct economic losses (DEL) from condemnation of liver as a result of detection of lesions of fasciolosis in cattle slaughtered in Makurdi abattoirs. Retrospective data were collected from the abattoir records obtained from Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR) Makurdi, from 2008 to 2012. Direct economic losses were calculated based on a pilot study to determine the average price of liver per kilogram (AvP/kg) and using the formula: DEL = w × AvP/kg, where is the number of livers condemned and is the average liver weight in kg. Between 2008 and 2012, 64,978 cattle were slaughtered at Makurdi abattoirs, out of which 9,478 cattle were infected with Fasciola species. This represents an overall prevalence of 14.56% (95%, C.I.: 12.99 -16.85%). Annual prevalence of bovine fasciolosis was significantly (P <0.05) high in 2010 and decreased from 2011 to 2012. During the late dry season, the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis was significantly high (P <0.05). A total of 4220 liver were condemned during the study period. This amounted to 12660 kg and valued at ₦12,660,000.00 ($79251.60 USD). The highest prevalence was recorded during the late dry season. However, cattle acquire the infection during the wet season and early dry season. Pathological lesions were much obvious during the late dry season possibly when the animals were most stressed, hence we suggest that control measures should be targeted towards wet and early dry seasons. Bovine fasciolosis is prevalent in cattle slaughtered in Makurdi abattoirs and accounts for huge financial losses.

have been shown to be resistant to multiple antibiotics. We carried out a bacteriological investigation on 105 cloacal swabs from local and broiler chickens retailed along the roadside in Hanwa, Zaria for the occurrence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. by isolation through culture, and identification using biochemical and serotyping techniques. Serotyping of E. coli isolates was carried out with polyvalent E. coli O157:H7 antisera while Salmonella spp. isolates were serotyped using polyvalent antisera specific for all groups and type-factor for Salmonella spp. Presumptive isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using 13 panels of antibiotics for both E. coli and Salmonella spp. Results showed that the overall isolation rate of Salmonella spp. was 12 (11.4%), broiler chickens had higher isolation rate 9 (12.0%) of Salmonella than local chickens. However, the isolation rate of E. coli from local chickens 15 (50.0%) was higher compared to broilers 6 (8.0%). Also, non-E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157:H7 were isolated from both broilers and local chickens at a frequency of 15 (14.3%) and 6 (5.7%) respectively. The overall isolation rate of E. coli was 21 (20.0%). Multiple antibiotic resistance was observed among local and broiler chickens. However, E. coli and Salmonella species were 100% susceptible to Enrofloxacin. We therefore concluded that E. coli and Salmonella species are prevalent in the cloacae of both broiler and local chickens retailed along the roadside in Hanwa, Zaria, Nigeria and could pose serious veterinary and public health risks.

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