Typhoid fever and non-typhoidal salmonellosis remain endemic in most developing countries with large scale transmission through contaminated food and drinking water. Since the early 2000s, poultry has also been found to be a common food source for Salmonella enteritidis infections. A total of 500 blood, stool, cloaca swab and egg shell swab specimens were collected respectively from poultry, non-poultry workers and birds in Akwa Ibom State and screened for Salmonella species using standard cultural and serological techniques. The overall prevalence rate was 117 (23.4%). Salmonella species were distributed in all the three senatorial districts of the State, percentage distribution of Salmonella isolates was 42 (25%) for Uyo, 35 (20.8%) for Eket and 40 (23.8%) were isolated from Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts. Out of 372 human subjects screened 77 (20.7%) were positive and 38 (20.4%) were isolated from non-poultry workers while 39 (21.0%) were isolated from poultry Staff in the three senatorial districts. Out of 128 samples of poultry products analysed 40 (31.3%) were isolated. 23 (18%) were isolated from cloaca swabs while 17 (13.3%) were isolated from egg shell swabs. In this study, all the serological significant Typhoid fever cases were confirmed by blood culture.According to sero-grouping and source of sample collection 23.9% S. typhi was isolated from human followed by S. paratyphi A (20.5%) while S. enteritidis and S. gallinarum (19.7%). Among poultry products S. gallinarum, S. enteritidis, S, pullorum, S. paratyphi A, and S. typhimurium were isolated from bird Cloaca swab and Egg shell swab. Salmonella pullorum and S. typhi were not isolated from human and poultry respectively. High prevalence of Salmonella serovars such as S. gallinarium, S. typhi, S. Typhimurium and S. enteritidis with regular consumption of poultry and eggs without proper disinfection and appropriate boiling represent a serious public health risk in How to cite this paper: Owowo, E.E., Umoh, V.Akwa Ibom State. Demographic data obtained in this study showed that majority of the poultry workers across the three senatorial districts were within the ages of 21 to 30 (34%), 39% were none graduate while 30.4% were secondary school leavers. Fever was recorded as the highest clinical signs and symptoms followed by headache, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting.Generally, all the isolates identified as Salmonella were tested for their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. The results showed that Amoxacillin-Clavulanic acid was 100% susceptible to S. gallinarum, S. paratyphi A, 93% susceptible to S. typhi and 80% to S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis and S pullorum. Salmonella gallinarum was 100% sensitive to Ciprofloxacin and S. pullorum, whereas all isolates were 100% resistant to Oxacillin and Tylosin antibacterial agents used. The emergence of multiple drugs resistantSalmonella from human and poultry shows that the continuous use of drugs in poultry as growth promoters should be re-examined. Other factors as sources of Salmonella contamina...

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), is an important global infection with a worldwide prevalence of about 40 percent. This infection is contagious and mostly acquired during childhood through the fecal-oral and oral-oral route. A total of 1560 blood specimens were aseptically collected from Internally Displaced Persons comprising female and male from the warring communities of Bakassi Peninsular and Etim Ekpo Local Government Area in South Southern, Nigeria. The specimens were screened for H. pylori using Elisa kits following standard serological techniques. The overall prevalence rate was 464 (29.7%). There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the inter-community endemicity of H. pylori infection; its distribution varied between age group, educational status, habits or behaviors of the subjects with children within 5 to 14 years having the highest rate of 274 (17.6%), followed by 78 (4.99%) from adults (51 years and above) and 17 (1.08%) from active age range of 36-45 years old. Subjects with primary and quranic level of education showed a total of 274 (17.56%) positive cases to H. pylori. Analysis of sex-specific distribution revealed that females had the highest prevalence of 312 (20%). The helicobacter infection shows a significant difference at (p < 0.05) among the occupational groups of the subject. The study of habits such as smoking and snuffing consumption have been linked as risk factors with a prevalence rate of 11%, 12.4% respectively, while regular alcoholic drink was indicted as enhancing factor for H. pylori infection. Crowding in camps and increasing household contact have been considered as risk factors of H. pylori infection. Adequate infrastructural provision and availability of portable water with good hygienic environment will drastically reduce the high rate spread of H. pylori bacterium in the IDPs communities in Nigeria.

Brucellosis is a re-emerging zoonotic disease that causes more than half a million infections to humans every year. The disease is common in most developing countries, the human mortality rate is about 2%, and the disease causes severe rheumatism, infertility in males, spontaneous abortion and also results in wastage of resources through prolonged treatment. Brucella organisms are also potential biological weapon which could be cheaper to produce but more devastating than chemical weapons. About 5 mililitres of blood was drawn from 228 subjects using sterile vacutainers and analyzed by using standard tube agglutination tests: (SAT 3 160) and ELISA (IgG, IgM) kits specific for Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis antibodies. Semi structured questionnaire was administered to collect data. In the study, overall sero-prevalence was 70 (30.8%). More male participated in the study with a frequency of 24.6% of whom 7.92% falls within the age group of 20 to 30, followed by 31 -35 years with 5.72% and 3.52% within 36 -45 years. Least affected were those in the age groups above 46 years (2.20%). Approximately, 21.54% of the subjects had formal education either at Quranic, primary and secondary or tertiary level. Majority acquired Quranic education (9.68%), 7.48% primary and 0.88% had tertiary training. A total of 21 (9.24%) never acquired any form of education. Headache, muscle aches, malaise, chills and fatigue were the most common clinical signs and symptoms experienced by about 30% among the participants. In the distribution of Brucella antibodies, ELISA diagnostic kits showed high sensitivity with the prevalence rate of 18.04% (n = 41) followed by SAT 12.76% (n = 29). The sensitivity and specificity of RDPT kits were 37 % and 69%, with a positive and negative predictive value of 18% and 86% respectively. Unprocessed milk from the market and consumption of unboiled milk were associated with brucellosis. There-How to cite this paper: Owowo, fore, patients with brucellosis should be treated to prevent the devastating effect of the disease and the accompanying sequelae, public health education programs should explain modes of transmission and Brucella febrile diagnostic kit should be used at the health facilities.

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