This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serotypes in raw and ready-to-eat (RTE) broiler products in the North West Province of South Africa. A total of 120 raw broiler samples, 40 samples of polonies and 20 samples of smoked viennas were obtained from retail points in major cities and towns in the province. Samples were subjected to aerobic plate count and later screened for the presence of NTS using phenotypic and genotypic techniques. The average bacterial count in raw products was 3.1 x 10 5 cfu/g whereas bacterial contamination of RTE products was 1.8 x 10 3 cfu/g. The average recovery rate of NTS species from raw broiler products was 12.5% and the serotypes identified were S. typhimurium (46.4%), S. enteritidis (30.9%) and S. newport (22.9%). No NTS was recovered from the RTE products. However, S. typhimurium was the predominant serotype in whole carcasses whereas S. enteritidis and S. newport were prevalent in chicken parts. Out of the 160 presumptive NTS isolates screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 140 (87.5%) were confirmed for the presence of the Salmonella-specific invA gene. In addition, 115 (82.4%) of the confirmed isolates harboured the plasmid spvC gene. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting of isolates using RAPD 1 and RAPD 3 primers, revealed some inter-and intra-serotype genetic diversity among isolates, suggesting varying sources of contamination. The results of this study represent the first report on the incidence and prevalent serotypes of NTS in chicken products in the North West Province of South Africa.

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of garlic powder (GP) in improving production efficiency, egg quality, and gut health of laying hens. A total of seventy-two 30-wk-old Dekalb white strain hens were used. The live weight of the hens ranged between 1.71 and 2.12 kg. Hens were randomly allotted into 3 dietary treatment groups in a complete randomized design experiment. The 3 dietary treatments were control (no garlic addition) and 3 and 5% GP additions to a basal diet on weight:weight ratio basis. Egg production and feed consumption were recorded daily, and hen BW and internal quality of fresh eggs were assessed weekly. Fecal samples were assessed for total bacterial load. The results from this study revealed significant (P< 0.05) increases of 0.81 mm in albumen height and 2.71 Haugh units of fresh eggs at 3% GP addition. Egg and albumen weights increased significantly (P < 0.05) by 2.06 and 1.84 g, respectively, at 5% GP over the control treatment. Egg production decreased significantly at 5% GP following a decrease in feed consumption. Similarly, log bacterial count in feces showed a dose-dependent reduction as dietary GP increased. Organoleptic evaluation of eggs from treatment birds revealed a strong garlic flavor in eggs from 5% GP group compared with the control and 3% GP groups. Results of this study suggest that dietary GP improved egg weight and albumen quality with a strong garlic flavor at high dietary levels.

Soil contamination with heavy metals is a serious concern to food production and human health. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of tailings from an old mining site on heavy metal contamination of soil. Using a GPS to map out different sites around the tailing dam, soil samples were taken from under grassland at the different sites, at depths of 15 cm and 1 m, using a shovel and handheld auger. The samples were prepared, acid digested, and analyzed for a multi-element suite by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Results showed heavy metal concentration in the order of Cr > Zn > As > Mn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Sr > Hg. Most of the soil samples contained high concentration of As (13.46–234.6 mg kg−1). Soil concentrations of As, Hg, Cr, and Mn also decreased with distance from the dump material. Single contamination index of each pollutant, calculated according to the South African Soil Quality Standards revealed very high and medium pollution grades for As (index = 7.39) and Cr (index = 2.16), respectively. Arsenic is a metal associated with gold ore and soil pollution by such metals can make it infertile and unsuitable for plants.

Sources of radiation in animalsBesides the natural background radiation, animals may be exposed to radiation through accidents at nuclear power plants, medical diagnosis/treatment, and human activities (3). Following the expansion of the nuclear industry and increase in the use of radioactive materials over the last few decades, there has been increase in the concentrations of various pollutants including radioactive substances such as uranium, cadmium, cesium, and cobalt in the environment (8). These radioactive materials eventually circulate through the biosphere and end up in the air, drinking water, vegetables, and grasses (9). Animals are therefore exposed to radioactive substances through environmental contamination and grazing on

A study was carried out to assess the heavy metal and radionuclide concentrations of water from the waste water treatment plant in Mafikeng Local Municipality. Ten water samples were collected from various stages of water treatment (n = 2 per stage) which included sewage delivered to the plant, the two treatment stages, the effluent and the community water. Samples were analyzed for heavy metal content using Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. Gross α/β activity concentrations in water samples were evaluated by Liquid Scintillation Counting whereas the concentration of individual radionuclides was measured by gamma spectroscopy. The results showed marked reduction in the levels of heavy metal concentration from 3 μg/L (As)-670 μg/L (Na) in sewage into the plant to 2 μg/L (As)-170 μg/L (Fe) in the effluent. The gross α activity in all the water samples (7.7-8.02 Bq/L) exceeded the 0.1 Bq/L limit set by World Health Organization (WHO). Gamma spectroscopy revealed very high concentrations of 235 U and 226 Ra in water samples, with the lowest concentrations (9.35 and 5.44 Bq/L, respectively) in the incoming sewage and highest concentrations (73.8 and 47 Bq/L, respectively) in the community water. All the values were considerably higher than the limits of South Africa Target Water Quality Range and WHO. However, the estimated total doses of the two radionuclides for the analyzed water samples (10.62-45.40 μSv•yr −1) were all well below the reference level of the committed effective dose of 100 μSv•yr −1 recommended by WHO.