No abstract

Livestock, pets and companion animals in developing nations are plagued with several infectious diseases some of them with zoonotic potentials. Echinococcosis which is a neglected zoonotic parasitic disease is one of such diseases that affect domestic animals and man with serious health and economic impacts. A cross-sectional questionnaire and serological survey was conducted on human subjects from four Local Government Areas (LGA) of Plateau State, Nigeria, to determine knowledge, attitude and practice and their level of exposure to E. granulosus infection. Sera from 181 human subjects recruited for this study were screened for IgG antibodies to E. granulosus using a commercial ELISA kit. Overall, 6 out of the 181 (3.3%) tested sera were positive. Seropositivity was associated with subjects below 10 years (OR=5.6), study location (OR=1.8), and scavenging behaviour of dogs (OR= 1.5), but not with gender of dog owners (OR=0.7), dog ownership (OR=0.6), dog deworming practice (OR=0.3) or the use of slaughter facility and meat inspection (OR=0.6). Ignorance about the transmission cycle of E. granulosus coupled with unhygienic practices are the main risk factors for the perpetuation of the disease in the study-communities. Sensitization, awareness creation and advocacy for hygienic  practises among the communities are recommended, as a short term measure while large scale studies to determine the true prevalence and therisk factors of the disease will form the basis for possible future control measures. Keywords: Seroprevalence; Echinococcus granulosus; antibody; ELISA; human; Plateau State.

Une septicémie hémorragique (SH) a été induite expérimentalement chez des veaux de sept mois (n = 2) par inoculation intratrachéale de 1010 unités formant colonies d’une culture de Pasteurella multocida sérotype E:2 de 6 h en phase de croissance exponentielle pour étudier l’aspect clinicopathologique de l’infection et faire l’analyse microbiologique. La période d’incubation a duré quatre heures après l’infection. La série de signes cliniques généraux, classés par ordre de leur manifestation, ont été les suivants : fièvre, anorexie, dyspnée, gonflement de la région gorge-membres avants, tympanisme, jetage, salivation abondante, léthargie, décubitus et mort. A la nécropsie, les lésions prédominantes observées ont été : congestion pulmonaire avec symphyse pleurale des lobes craniaux, pleurésie, gonflement oedémateux du pharynx et du fanon avec exsudation d’un liquide jaunâtre semblable au sérum, et hémorragies dermiques et ecchymotiques. L’analyse histologique a révélé que les lésions pulmonaires étaient typiques de celles de la broncho-pneumonie fibrineuse avec épaississement des parois alvéolaires, congestion, oedèmes et réponse cellulaire des poumons. A la nécropsie, P. multocida sérotype E:2 a été à nouveau isolé bactériologiquement des poumons, des noeuds lymphatiques, du foie, des reins, de la rate, du fluide oedémateux et du sang cardiaque. Cet agent pathogène n’a pas été détecté dans le sang veineux jusqu’à quelques heures avant la mort. Les aspects cliniques et pathologiques observés sur les animaux ont montré des ressemblances frappantes avec P. multocida sérotype B:2 HS. Ces données devraient permettre aux vétérinaires de reconnaître les cas suspects de SH sur le terrain.

Traditionally managed cattle constitutes the main source of animal protein to humans in Nigeria. However, seasonal migration in search of pasture exposes them to several vector-borne infections such as the African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT), which limits their productivity. In this study, blood samples from 130 cattle in Plateau and Nasarawa states collected from May to June, 2021 were examined by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequencing methods to determine the prevalence of pathogenic trypanosomes. Overall, the DNA of T. vivax was detected in 19 out of the 130 (14.6 %) samples examined by the PCR. However, using the micro-hematocrit centrifugation technique, motile haemoparasites were detected in only six (4.6 %, confidence interval [CI] 0.5—6.9 %) of the samples. The higher prevalence of T. vivax was recorded in samples sourced from the abattoir than in samples submitted from the field in Plateau state (16.7 % versus 11.5 %). However, the reverse was the case in Nasarawa state (2.9 % versus 37.5 %). The difference in prevalence of T. vivax between the abattoir and field samples was significant (P = 0.009) in Nasarawa state, but not in Plateau state (P = 0.55). The mean PCV (Packed Cell Volume) of the trypanosome infected animals was lower than that of the non-infected animals, but the difference was not significant (P = 0.29). The internal transcribe spacer region (ITS) nucleotide sequences of T. vivax generated in this study were 100 % identical to each other and formed a monophyletic cluster with the sequences of T. vivax from different countries in the GenBank. AAT remains a major constraint to profitable cattle production and food security in Nigeria and deserves more attention.

Background: Echinococcosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus is a zoonotic disease of public health significance, but there have been few studies of the infection in dogs in Nigeria. This study aimed to establish the seroprevalence of E. granulosus in dogs in four Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 179 dog sera were examined for the presence of E. granulosus antibody using an ELISA kit between May to October 2017. Results; Eleven of the sera (6.1%) were seropositive with a prevalence of 7.4% and 2.3% for dogs less than 2 years and those above 2 years of age respectively. More male dogs (7.5%) than females (4.1%) were seropositive. Seroprevalence was associated with <2years than > 2 years dogs (OR=3.33, p=0.46) and male than female dogs (OR=1.90, p=0.53) but association were not significant. Dogs from Bassa had the highest seroprevalence (15.2%), followed by Mangu (5.9%), Kanke (4.8%) and Jos South (2.0%). Odds ratio showed an association which was not significant between Bassa (OR=3.3), Kanke (OR=2.50). Conclusion: This study shows that E. granulosus infection is present in dogs in some parts of Plateau State. More studies should be done to ascertain echinococcus infection in dogs in Nigeria to aid the formulation of control programmes to forestall its public health impacts.