Heartwater in Nigeria

A study was carried out to determine which materials from animals dying or dead of heartwater could initiate the disease in susceptible goats, using the intravenous and subcutaneous routes. C. ruminantium was consistently isolated by intravenous injection of the whole blood or of lung macrophages and by subcutaneous injection of brain homogenate. In animals dead of heartwater, it appeared that isolation of the organism was achieved only when extensive post-mortem autolysis had not supervened. Experiments with blood fractions showed that leucocytic and plasma fractions of infective blood transmitted heartwater; the erythrocytic fraction consistently failed to induce an infection.     

Heartwater in Nigeria

Summary Investigations were carried out on the susceptibility to heartwater of different species of domestic ruminants available in northern Nigeria. Brown goats originating from Zaria and areas north of it, and Friesian-zebu calves from the Shika Agricultural Research Station, were uniformly and highly susceptible to the disease. Brown goats from southern Zaria showed a variable susceptibility with 64 per cent contracting the disease. Many indigenous cattle and some indigenous sheep were resistant to infection.

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Hidropericardio En Nigeria. I. Susceptibilidad De Diferentes Razas Locales Y Especies De Rumiantes Domesticos A La Enfermedad

Resumen Se Ilevaron a cabo investigaciones sobre la susceptibilidad a hidropericardio, de diferentes especies de rumiantes domésticos en el nordeste de Nigeria. Las cabras pardas originarias de Zaria, y territorios más al norte, y los terneros Cebú-Friesian de la Estación Experimental de Shika, fueron uniforme y alteamnte susceptibles a la enfermedad. Las cabras pardas del sudoeste de Zaria mostraron susceptibilidad variada; solamente un 64 por ciento de ellas contrajeron la enfermedad. Numerosos bovinos y ovejas nativas fueron resistentes a la enfermedad.

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Heartwater Au Nigeria. I. Sensibilite De Differentes Races Et Especes De Ruminants A La Heartwater

Résumé Des recherches ont été faites sur la sensibilité à la heartwater de différentes espèces de ruminants domestiques disponibles en Nigeria du Nord. Les chèvres brunes originaires de Zaria et des régions Nord de cette ville et des veaux Frison x Zébu de la Station de Recherches Agricoles de Shika se sont montrés uniformément et hautement sensibles à la maladie. Les chèvres brunes du Sud de Zaria ont montré une sensibilité variable avec 64 p. 100 d'animaux contractant l'affection. De nombreux bovins indigènes et quelques moutons du pays ont résisté à l'infection.

     

Avian kerato-conjunctivitis in Nigeria

Summary A kerato-conjunctivitis affecting600 chickens was characterised macroscopically by swollen closed eyes and microscopically by caseous necrosis of the conjunctiva and infiltration by inflammatory exudates. Yellow cheesy debris adhered to the conjunctiva and cornea. Pasteurellae were isolated from75 per cent of the cases sampled.

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Sumario Una querato-conjuntivitis que afectó a 600 pollos estaba caracterizada macroscopícamente por ojos cerrados e hinchados y microscopícamente por necrosis caseosa de la conjuntiva e infiltración por exudados inflamatorios. Un debris amarillo y caseoso se adhería a la conjuntiva y a la córnea. Pasteurelas fueron aisladas del 75 por ciento de los casos muestreados.

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Résumé Une kerato-conjonctivite qui affectait 600 poussins était caractérisée macroscopiquement par des paupières enflées et fermées et microscopiquement par une nécrose caséeuse de la conjonctive et une infiltration par des exsudats inflammatoires. Des débris caséeux jaunatres adhéraient à la conjonctive et à la cornée. Des germes du genrePasteurella furent isolés de 75 p. 100 des cas examinés.

     

Swine pox in Nigeria

An outbreak of swine pox on a pig farm in Ibadan, Nigeria is reported. Diagnosis was based on clinical and pathological signs and the observation of poxvirus particles in a serum sample. Neonatal deaths were common in the outbreak. Indigenous pigs did not show any sign of the disease even though mixed breeds were kept in the same pens. It is suggested that indigenous pigs were probably carriers of the swine pox virus.     

Adoption and failure rates of vaccinations for disease prevention in chicken farms in Jos,Nigeria

Vaccinations against diseases to prevent disease outbreaks are strategic to disease prevention, but vaccination failures may constitute a challenge in practice. This study was aimed at assessing the adoption and failure rates of vaccinations in 80 chicken farms in Jos, Nigeria. Data were obtained through a structured questionnaire validated by interviews and checking of farm and veterinary records. Vaccination score (0–1) from the vaccination checklist (5 for broilers and 12 for layers) and vaccination procedure score (0–1), based on scored adopted procedures, were calculated for each farm. Vaccine effectiveness was calculated for each vaccine using the odds ratio from the association of frequencies of disease outbreaks in vaccinated and unvaccinated flocks. Farmers used more of imported than local vaccines. Vaccination procedure and vaccination scores did not influence frequencies of disease outbreaks, but vaccination scores tended to non-robustly correlate (r = − 0.89, p > 0.05) with rates of disease outbreak. Vaccination rates were highest against Newcastle disease and infectious bursal disease, and their vaccinations also had the highest effectiveness. There was an association (p = 0.009) between composite vaccination rates and disease outbreaks with 2.1 odds of outbreaks in vaccinated than unvaccinated flocks. Vaccination failures occurred in the use of 11 out of 12 vaccines and the highest failure rate (47.9%) was in vaccination against coccidiosis. Therefore, vaccination failure is a critical factor in poultry vaccination practice within the locality. The adoption of poultry vaccinations needs to be strategised in the context of a national poultry vaccination policy in order to promote effective poultry disease prevention and control.

     

Canine parvovirus infection in Nigeria

Pups of Nigerian mongrel dogs randomly bought from two village markets for experimental purposes at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, were observed to be ill within 4 days of purchase. By 13 days after purchase 52.5 per cent of all the animals had died. All sick animals were anorectous and suffered from diarrhoea. The faeces were mostly dark yellow to light brown and a few contained spots of blood. Few animals responded to treatment with fluids, antibiotics and vitamins and death occurred within 24 hours of the onset of clinical signs. In most cases, post mortem and histopathological lesions were similar to those characteristic of canine parvovirus. The sera of the surviving animals tested for haemagglutination-inhibition antibodies to canine parvovirus, using porcine red blood cells, were positive.     

Theileria mutans in Nigeria.

Two strains of bovine Theileria from northern Nigeria were shown to be identical to Theileria mutans in the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. One of the strains was transmitted by the tick Amblyomma variegatum; large macroschizonts, typical for T mutans, could be demonstrated in infected cattle. It is concluded from these experiments and from the literature that there is reliable evidence so far for the occurrence in Nigeria of only two bovine Tehileria species, T mutans and T velifera.