Characteristics and proximate compositions of Japanese quail carcass in a semi arid area of Niger... more Characteristics and proximate compositions of Japanese quail carcass in a semi arid area of Nigeria were determined at the Poultry Unit of the Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri using 300 random bred Japanese quail. Sex, color type, weight group and age had significant effects on carcass characteristics. Sexual dimorphism was in favor of the females for most carcass characteristics; however, dressed percent (72.41%) was significantly higher in males than females (68.02%). Wild type Japanese quails had significantly higher slaughter weight (132.66 g) than light brown (121.33 g). The values for most carcass traits increased with increase in age and weight of birds. Abdominal fat deposit in the Japanese quail became noticeable only at 24 weeks (1.39 g) of age and increased to 10.70 g at 52 weeks. The mean values of moisture, dry matter, protein, ether extract and ash in whole Japanese quail carcass
Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the most common cause of death in pe... more Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the most common cause of death in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Intra-dermal Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) delivery is the only licensed vaccine against tuberculosis; however, it offers little protection from pulmonary tuberculosis in adults and is contraindicated in people living with HIV. Intravenous BCG confers protection against Mtb infection in rhesus macaques; we hypothesized that it might prevent tuberculosis in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques, a model for HIV infection. Here intravenous BCG-elicited robust airway T cell influx and elevated plasma and airway antibody titres in both SIV-infected and naive animals. Following Mtb challenge, all 7 vaccinated SIV-naive and 9 out of 12 vaccinated SIV-infected animals were protected, without any culturable bacteria detected from tissues. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell responses post-challenge indicated early clearance of Mt...
Knowledge, attitude, and practice among healthcare workers towards COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria
Heliyon, Nov 1, 2020
Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a global pan... more Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a global pandemic. Healthcare workers' (HCWs) role in patient management is predisposing and can serve as means of hospitals and community transmission. This study evaluated HCWs' knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 in Nigeria. Methods we carried out a cross-sectional survey among HCWs during the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria from March to June 2020. The study assessed 346 HCWs for Knowledge, attitude, and practice by using an online (Google form) self-administered questionnaire, based on a convinience sampling technique Data were retrieved and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Chi-Square and one-way ANOVA were used to measure association and difference among demographic variables. The relationship between knowledge, attitude, and practice was measured using Spearman's rho correlation test. Results the mean knowledge score of the HCWs was 7.1 on a scale of 0–8. The correct overall rate of the knowledge questionnaire was 88.75%. Knowledge was gained mainly from television (35.0%) and social media (35.0%). The mean attitude score on a scale of 0–6 was 5.31 ± 0.39. Most (92.5%) participants were confident that Nigerian medical scientists would win the war against COVID-19. The majority (92.2%) of the respondents thought that SARS-CoV-2 was not a biological weapon. About 1 out of 5 respondents held that faith healing or prayer is the only cure for COVID-19. A vast majority of the HCWs were taking precautionary measures such as avoiding crowded places (94.2%), washing of hands (96.0%), and the use of personal protective equipment (91.6%) against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nevertheless, only 3 out of 5 HCWs used a face mask when leaving home. There was a significant (p = 0.046) positive correlation (0.584) between knowledge and attitude. Conclusion our results showed that HCWs in Nigeria had excellent knowledge and possessed a positive attitude and good practice towards COVID-19. However; there were areas where poor knowledge, negative attitudes and unacceptable practices were observed. We recommend continuous public health education of HCWs on SARS-COV-2 infection control and prevention.
Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research, 2017
Objective: The study was conducted to determine the presence of methicillin resistant Staphylococ... more Objective: The study was conducted to determine the presence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in chickens and farm personnel in Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria. Materials and method: A total of 160 samples (136 from chickens and 14 from personnel) were collected and screened for the presence of MRSA using cultural characteristics, biochemical tests and latex slide agglutination test for the presence of Penicillin binding protein 2α (PBP2α). Results: MRSA were detected in 8.82% (n=12/136) of chickens, while 14.29% (n=2/14) in farm personnel. All the isolates were positive for PBP2α. Conclusion: This study established for the first time the occurrence of MRSA in both chickens and farm personnel from poultry farms in Sokoto, Nigeria. Thus, the study provided baseline information for further studies on the epidemiology of MRSA.
This study was designed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Giardia lambli... more This study was designed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Giardia lamblia infection among cattle in Jere local government area (LGA) of Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria. A total of 279 faecal samples were randomly collected from 12 cattle herds of the six wards of Jere LGA. The samples were screened for Giardia lamblia antigens with Copro-antigen Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Risk factors were analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test where appropriate, and multivariable logistic regression. The overall prevalence of Giardia lamblia infection among cattle was 5.7% (95% CI = 3.20, 8.60). Location-specific prevalence of 5.4% (95% CI = 1.1, 9.8), 4.3% (95% CI = 0.0, 10.6), 4.3% (95% CI = 0.0, 10.6), 8.7% (95% CI = 0.0, 21.7), 6.4% (95% CI = 0.0, 14.9) and 8.7% (95% CI = 0.0, 21.7) for Old Maiduguri, Khaddamari, Bale Galtimari, Mashamari, Maimusari and Dusuman wards were respectively detected among the cattle herds. Multivariable logistic regression model revealed that Giardia lamblia positivity among cattle could be strongly predicted by age (Young cattle ≤ 1 year; OR = 32.0; 95% CI = 8.40, 120.13; p < 0.0001). The even spread of the infection among cattle throughout the wards could be described as endemic in Jere LGA suggesting high risk potential for infection of cattle handlers from calves. Therefore, further studies on genetic characterization to determine the incriminating assemblage as well as public enlightenment of cattle handlers on the public health significance of giardiasis in the study area was recommended.
Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Dec 1, 2017
Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen associated with food poisoning and several forms o... more Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen associated with food poisoning and several forms of diseases in both man and animals. In poultry, the organism is incriminated in multiple infections and syndromes such as omphalitis, femoral head necrosis, tenosynovitis and bumble foot. The treatment of staphylococcal infections is becoming more challenging due to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are currently resistant to all β-lactam antibiotics (penicillins and cephalosporins). In order to understand the spectrum of MRSA in poultry, a total of 12 MRSA isolates positive for the presence of penicillin binding protein 2α (PBP2α) were tested for antibiotic resistance against 10 antibiotics using disc diffusion method. Isolates were found to be completely resistant (100%) against ceftazidime, followed by erythromycin and ofloxacin (91.67%), cefuroxime, cloxacillin, and cefoxitin (83.33%), gentamicin (75.00%) and vancomycin (64.29%) while the least resistance was recorded against ceftriaxone and amoxicillin/clavulanate (58.33%). The MRSA isolates also exhibited multi-drug resistance pattern with all resisting not less than four antibiotics. These data indicate that MRSA are prevalent in the poultry and precautionary measures are required to block their transmission to human.
Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research, 2019
known commensal and pathogen of a wide range of animal species including humans. This pathogen is... more known commensal and pathogen of a wide range of animal species including humans. This pathogen is known to be associated with different forms of infections including superficial skin and soft-tissue infections, and life threatening conditions such as endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, and necrotizing pneumonia [3,4]. The common carriage site for the bacterium is the skin, anterior nares, and oral cavity of man and animals [5-7]. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was first reported in 1961 when it emerged as a major pathogen ABSTRACT Objective: The study was carried out to detect the carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and their antimicrobial susceptibilities in village chickens sold at Maiduguri poultry markets using phenotypic characterization. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study where 120 samples comprised 50% each of Nasal and cloacal swabs, were, respectively, collected from live village chickens sold at Maiduguri poultry markets and examined for the presence MRSA based on bacterial culture, biochemical characteristics, growth on oxacillin resistant screening agar base, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Results: The study revealed an overall occurrence of 38.33% S. aureus and 32.60% MRSA, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out on MRSA positive isolates against seven antimicrobials. All the isolates (100%) exhibited resistance against cefoxitin, whereas the least antimicrobial resistance was recorded against erythromycin and streptomycin each with 26.6%, respectively. In the same way, the highest antibiotic susceptibility in this study was observed against erythromycin (60%) and least susceptibility was against vancomycin and streptomycin with 20% each. A varying intermediate antibiotic susceptibility ranging from 13.33% to 53.33% was observed. Multiple-drug resistance patterns were exhibited by MRSA isolates from this study with 73.3% of the isolates exhibiting resistance to two or more antibiotics. Conclusion: This study has shown the carriage of MRSA by village chickens which calls for serious public health concern and concludes that these birds might have acquired these pathogens from the environment or infected humans since they normally receive no less medical attention.
Effective means of improving Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunogenicity to protect against pulm... more Effective means of improving Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunogenicity to protect against pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is needed, especially among people living with HIV. Intravenous (IV) administration of BCG previously showed significant enhancement of immune responses and conferred ~75% protection against TB. Using our SIV/M. tuberculosis (Mtb) coinfection model (to mimic HIV/Mtb coinfection) in Mauritius cynomolgus macaques (MCM), we evaluated the length of time necessary for live BCG to elicit a protective immune responses by varying the timing of anti-BCG drug (isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol: HRE) initiation. MCM were infected with SIVmac239 and randomly assigned into 4 different vaccination groups 16 weeks after SIV infection: intradermal BCG (BCG ID No HRE), BCG IV with HRE started 1 week post BCG (BCG IV 1wk HRE), BCG IV with HRE started 3 weeks post BCG (BCG IV 3wks HRE), and BCG IV without HRE treatment (BCG IV No HRE). The HRE treatment lasted for 8 weeks. Airwa...
Vaccination with intravenous BCG protects macaques with pre-existing SIV infection from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of death in people living with HIV. BCG delivered intr... more Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of death in people living with HIV. BCG delivered intradermally (ID) is the only licensed vaccine to prevent TB. However, it offers little protection from pulmonary TB in adults. Intravenous (IV) BCG, but not ID BCG, confers striking protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and disease in rhesus macaques. We investigated whether IV BCG could protect against TB in macaques with a pre-existing SIV infection. There was a robust influx of airway T cells following IV BCG in both SIV-infected and SIV-naïve animals, with elevated antibody titers in plasma and airways. Following Mtb challenge, all 7 SIV-naïve and 9 out of 12 SIV-infected vaccinated animals were completely protected, without any culturable bacilli in their tissues. PBMC responses post-challenge indicated early clearance of Mtb in vaccinated animals regardless of SIV infection. These data support that IV BCG is immunogenic and efficacious in SIV-infected animals.
Background and Aim: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an important opportunisti... more Background and Aim: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an important opportunistic pathogen, is a Gram-positive coccus known to be resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Its virulence depends on a large range of factors, mainly extracellular proteins, such as enzymes and exotoxins, that contribute to causing a wide range of diseases in human and animal species. The major reasons for the success of this pathogen are its great variability, which enables it to occur and thrive at different periods and places with diverse clonal types and antibiotic resistance patterns within regions and countries. Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant S. aureus bring about serious problems in the general population (humans and animals). Infections with these pathogens can be devastating, particularly for the very young, adults and immunocompromised patients in both humans and animals. This study aimed to determine the presence of MRSA in both apparently healthy and sick sheep brought to...
Sterne live spore vaccine (SLSV) is the current veterinary anthrax vaccine of choice. Unlike the ... more Sterne live spore vaccine (SLSV) is the current veterinary anthrax vaccine of choice. Unlike the non-living anthrax vaccine (NLAV) prototype, SLSV is incompatible with concurrent antibiotics use in an anthrax outbreak scenario. The NLAV candidates used in this study include a crude recombinant protective antigen (CrPA) and a purified recombinant protective antigen (PrPA) complemented by formalin-inactivated spores and Emulsigen-D®/Alhydrogel® adjuvants. Cattle were vaccinated twice (week 0 and 3) with NLAVs plus penicillin-G (Pen-G) treatment and compared to cattle vaccinated twice with SLSV alone and with Pen-G treatment. The immunogenicity was assessed using ELISA against rPA and FIS, toxin neutralisation assay (TNA) and opsonophagocytic assay. The protection was evaluated using an in vivo passive immunisation mouse model. The anti-rPA IgG titres for NLAVs plus Pen-G and SLSV without Pen-G treatment showed a significant increase, whereas the titres for SLSV plus Pen-G were insigni...
The Sterne live spore vaccine (SLSV, Bacillus anthracis strain 34F2) is the veterinary vaccine of... more The Sterne live spore vaccine (SLSV, Bacillus anthracis strain 34F2) is the veterinary vaccine of choice against anthrax though contra-indicated for use with antimicrobials. However, the use of non-living anthrax vaccine (NLAV) candidates can overcome the SLSV limitation. In this study, cattle were vaccinated with either of the NLAV (purified recombinant PA (PrPA) or crude rPA (CrPA) and formaldehyde-inactivated spores (FIS of B. anthracis strain 34F2) and emulsigen-D®/alhydrogel® adjuvants) or SLSV. The immunogenicity of the NLAV and SLSV was assessed and the protective efficacies evaluated using a passive immunization mouse model. Polyclonal IgG (including the IgG1 subset) and IgM responses increased significantly across all vaccination groups after the first vaccination. Individual IgG subsets titres peaked significantly with all vaccines used after the second vaccination at week 5 and remained significant at week 12 when compared to week 0. The toxin neutralization (TNA) titres ...
Numerous unknown factors influence anthrax epidemiology in multi-host systems, especially at wild... more Numerous unknown factors influence anthrax epidemiology in multi-host systems, especially at wildlife/livestock/human interfaces. Serology tests for anthrax in carnivores is one tool which can be useful in identifying the presence or absence of Bacillus anthracis in a range, and it was employed in this study to ascertain if the disease pattern followed the recognized high and low risk anthrax zonation in Zimbabwe, and also to establish if anthrax was absent from Hwange National Park in which there has been no reported outbreaks. African lions (Panthera leo) (n= 114) drawn from free-range protected areas and captive game parks located in recognized high and low risk zones across Zimbabwe were tested for antibodies to anthrax PA antigen. Overall 21.9% (25/114) of the lions tested positive for antibodies to anthrax. Seropositivity was recorded in all the study areas and there was no significant difference (p= 0.852) in seropositivity between lions in high and low risk anthrax zones. Results of this study indicate that anthrax could be more widespread than realized in Zimbabwe, and present in recognized high and low risk zones, including where it has not been reported in over 20 years such as Hwange National Park. The research results point to a need for revisiting the currently recognized anthrax risk zones in Zimbabwe. This should be based on improved surveillance of the disease in both wild and domestic animals for better understanding and control of the disease. Vigilance in feeding of captive carnivores with disease-free meat diets cannot be overemphasized.
Incidence Of Hepatitis A Virus Igm Among Residents Of Konduga Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria
The incidence of HAV infection was assessed in 100 sera of male 44 (43.6%) and female 56 (56.4).T... more The incidence of HAV infection was assessed in 100 sera of male 44 (43.6%) and female 56 (56.4).The age range of subjects in the study is 3-80 years, with mean (±SD) age of 22.7±12.7 years. A total of 2 subjects were positive for HAV giving a prevalence rate of 3.5%. Two females were positive, 2(2.0%) and 0(0.0%) male , despite this there was no significant difference according to gender, meaning that HAV infection is not gender bias. All the two of the positive cases were also positive for fever only, indicating that when looking for HAV infection, patients with fever are the mostly likely suspects to be considered. The age group 0-10 and 11-20 with 1(4.2%) and 1 (3.7%) positive cases respectively were the age groups having positive cases, though there was no significant difference indicating that HAV virus can infect any age group. [ Dawurung J.S., Gwa E., Ballah A.D., Jauro S., Kida A., Bukbuk N.D. Incidence Of Hepatitis A Virus Igm Among Residents Of Konduga Local Government Are...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. (MRS) have been identified in several foods, including ... more Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. (MRS) have been identified in several foods, including dairy products. Studies are needed about their occurrence and genetic diversity in the dairy production chain in order to gain a better understanding of their epidemiology and control. This study therefore focuses on isolating and characterizing MRS strains detected in milk used in the production of Brazilian artisanal unpasteurized cheeses. To this end, samples were collected from bovine feces, the hands of milkmen, milking buckets, sieves, unpasteurized milk, whey, water, artisanal unpasteurized cheeses, cheese processing surfaces, cheese handlers, cheese trays, cheese molds, and skimmers at five dairy farms located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Colonies suggestive of Staphylococcus spp. were subjected to multiplex PCR to confirm the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and to detect the mecA gene. Sixteen isolates containing mecA gene were detected in samples from unpasteurized cheese and from cheese handlers. None of these isolates were positive to enterotoxin genes. These 16 isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests, which revealed they were resistant to oxacillin, penicillin, and cefepime. Using gene sequencing, the MRS isolates were identified as S. haemolyticus, S. hominis, and S. epidermidis. Furthermore, isolates from cheese handlers' hands and artisanal unpasteurized cheese presented high genetic similarity by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) analysis, which indicates cross contamination during cheese production. Thus, we found that people directly involved in milking and cheese processing activities at small dairy farms are a potential source of contamination of MRS strains in unpasteurized milk and cheese, representing a risk to public health.
A total of three hundred and fifty (350) samples of meat (Beef, Sheep, Goat, and Chicken) and veg... more A total of three hundred and fifty (350) samples of meat (Beef, Sheep, Goat, and Chicken) and vegetables (Cabbage, Carrot, Cucumber, Spinach and Lettuce) were purchased from retailers' in Central abattoir and markets with surface swabs taken from butchers tables in Maiduguri, Nigeria were analyzed for Listeria species. Listeria species were recovered from the entire samples examined with the highest isolates observed in surface swab (100%), cucumber (81.3%) and beef (74.0%) respectively, followed by lettuce (73.3%), carrot (70.0%) and cabbage (65.4%). The least isolates were observed in goat (36.0%). Listeria species isolates was found in (60.9%) of the Meat and surface swab and (69.2%) of the Vegetable samples analyzed. Gram stain and Biochemical characterization of the Listeria isolates showed that L. seeligeri as the highest distributed , followed by L. ivannovii, L.welshimeri and L.innocua, while the least Listeria specie isolates distribution was observed in L. monocytogenes. The study therefore confirmed that there is a high distribution rate of Listeria species in the meat and vegetables retailed in the markets and central abattoir ,including surface swab of butchers table which may have resulted from fecal contamination during slaughtering, unhygienic and unsanitary practices.
The study into the phytochemical constituents and the in-vitro antibacterial effects of the crude... more The study into the phytochemical constituents and the in-vitro antibacterial effects of the crude aqueous extract of Parkia biglobosa was evaluated against twelve (12) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using agar plate disc diffusion technique at varying concentration of 100, 200, 400 and 600mg/ml with vancomycin 10μg standard drug as control. Preliminary phytochemical screening test of the aqueous extract revealed the presence of the following secondary metabolites; saponins, terpenoids, garlic tannins, reducing sugar, alkaloids, and flavonoids. The susceptibility of MRSA was tested against MRSA isolates from Human and Sheep. The diameter of zone of inhibition (DZI) on plates cultured with MRSA isolate revealed a dose dependant increase with the highest DZI of 25.33±1.33 on sheep MRSA isolate and 30.00±1.52 on human MRSA isolates, whereas the standard drug used as control (Vancomycin 10μg) had the highest DZI value of 20.33±0.88 against both humans and sheep MRSA i...
Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Dec 1, 2017
Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen associated with food poisoning and several forms o... more Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen associated with food poisoning and several forms of diseases in both man and animals. In poultry, the organism is incriminated in multiple infections and syndromes such as omphalitis, femoral head necrosis, tenosynovitis and bumble foot. The treatment of staphylococcal infections is becoming more challenging due to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are currently resistant to all β-lactam antibiotics (penicillins and cephalosporins). In order to understand the spectrum of MRSA in poultry, a total of 12 MRSA isolates positive for the presence of penicillin binding protein 2α (PBP2α) were tested for antibiotic resistance against 10 antibiotics using disc diffusion method. Isolates were found to be completely resistant (100%) against ceftazidime, followed by erythromycin and ofloxacin (91.67%), cefuroxime, cloxacillin, and cefoxitin (83.33%), gentamicin (75.00%) and vancomycin (64.29%) while the least resistance was recorded against ceftriaxone and amoxicillin/clavulanate (58.33%). The MRSA isolates also exhibited multi-drug resistance pattern with all resisting not less than four antibiotics. These data indicate that MRSA are prevalent in the poultry and precautionary measures are required to block their transmission to human.
| Globally, poultry production contributes substantially to national economic development of many... more | Globally, poultry production contributes substantially to national economic development of many developing countries. The study to investigate the distribution of poultry viral diseases prevalent around Maiduguri metropolis was carried out using a total of n=1114 and n=21 hospital records obtained from Borno State Veterinary Hospital (BSVH) and the University of Maiduguri Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UMVTH) from 2005 to 2010. The proportion of endemic viral diseases were analysed using SPSS version 20.0. The distribution of poultry viral diseases diagnosed at BSVH revealed a high prevalence of Newcastle disease (ND) (58.17%) and Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) (17.86%). While the prevalence of Fowl Pox and Infectious Laryngotracheitis were 8.26% and 0.81% respectively. However, low occurrence of Avian Influenza (0.36%), Infectious Bronchitis (IB) (0.27%), Lymphoid Leucosis (0.54%) and Marek's Disease (0.27%) were observed. In addition, 13.47% of all viral infections recorded were mixed infection. In UMVTH, the distribution of endemic poultry viral diseases diagnosed showed that the prevalence of Fowl Pox and ND was 47.62% and 42.86% while the prevalence of IBD observed was 9.52%. The overall viral poultry diseases diagnosed in Maiduguri metropolis during the period under investigation were ND (57.89%), IBD (17.71%) and Fowl Pox (8.99%) respectively. In addition, the prevalence of IB (0.26%), Infectious Laryngotracheitis (0.79%), Lymphoid Leucosis (0.53%), and Marek's Disease (0.26%) were observed to be relatively low. The result of this investigation demonstrated that the major viral poultry diseases affecting the progress of poultry production in Maiduguri are ND, IBD and fowl pox.
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Papers by Solomon Jauro