As part of an ongoing project to investigate the epidemiology of gastrointestinal helminths of cattle in Nigeria, we carried out a systematic random sampling of cattle slaughtered in a major abattoir in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria. Using sedimentation and floatation methods, we analyzed fecal samples from 397 animals between March and May 2013. Overall, 163 (41.6%) of the animals had at least one gastrointestinal helminth egg, comprising a total of eight helminths from different genera (i.e., four nematodes, three trematodes, and one cestode), with nematode infection being the highest (71.54%). In addition, eggs of four helminths of zoonotic importance were also obtained. Among the cattle examined, the Bunaji breed was the most infected (46%; 69/150). Furthermore, female animals (OR = 1.1; 95% CI: 0.60–1.84) and animals with moderate body condition (OR = 1.2; 95% CI: 0.80–1.79) are more likely to be positive to helminth infection. Our findings reveal that there were helminth infections of both zoonotic and socioeconomic importance among the cattle screened. Considering the impact of the infections on animal production and public health, we advocate that effective prophylactic measures be adopted as a first step to curtail helminth infections of cattle in Nigeria.
Summary Besides the liver, rumen is one of the most important components of metabolism in ruminants. However, the microbes residing in the rumen are influenced by several complex factors such as diet, which result in fluctuations in the rumen pH. Rumen pH affects feed intake and feed digestibility, subsequently causing microbial shift in the individual members of microbial community residing in the foregut and hindgut. This in turn causes an increase in lipopolysaccharide concentration, among other factors, in the gut fluid and animal blood. Irrespective of diet fed to animals, Firmicutes would probably be the most dominant in high grain diet while Bacteroidetes are dominant in hay diet, and both have a relative abundance of about 80% or more at times. The shift in microbial population is not limited to adult ruminants alone but also occur in calves. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the most abundant in both hay and concentrate diet of newly weaned calves. Prolonged, depressed pH, causes subacute ruminal acidosis. This leads to compromise in the integrity of both foregut and hindgut of ruminants, eventually causing structural changes in the gut physiology. Furthermore, diet containing C‐12:0 and C‐14:0, which are medium‐chain fatty acids, were toxic to rumen protozoa. Phytochemical content in some plant residues when fed to animals also causes shift in microbial population. Therefore, foregut and hindgut pH stability is important for ruminant health and for optimal productivity.
Echinococcosis is a public health parasitic disease that is cosmopolitan (Echinococcus granulosus) in its distribution. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have been recognised as the definitive host of the parasite. The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of canine echinococcosis in Southwest Nigeria using direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect sera antigen. Two hundred and seventy-three (273) canine sera were tested for the presence of Echinococcus antigen. Purpose of keeping (hunting or companion), age (young or adult), and sex of each dog were considered during sampling. Total prevalence recorded was 12.45% (34/273). There was significant difference (P < 0.05) between hunting (15.94%) and companion dogs (1.52%) but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between young and adult dogs. There was no association between sex and prevalence of canine echinococcosis. The result of this study established the presence of canine echinococcosis in Southwest Nigeria; thus there is the possibility of occurrence of zoonotic form of the disease (human cystic hydatid diseases) in the region.
Anthelmintic drug resistance has led to the search for alternatives in controlling helminth infections. Fifty West African Dwarf goats without history of anthelmintic treatment were divided equally into five groups. Group A was treated with ivermectin injection subcutaneously, group B with levamisole subcutaneously, group C with albendazole orally, and group D with aqueous extract of Vernonia amygdalina and group E was untreated control. Faecal samples were collected before treatment from each animal and larval culture was carried out. Faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was carried out for each group and the data analysed using FECR version 4 to calculate percent reduction in faecal egg count. Predominant helminth infections from larval culture were Haemonchus contortus (70%), Trichostrongylus spp. (61%), and Oesophagostomum spp. (56%). Mixed infection was present in all the animals. From the FECR test Vernonia amygdalina extract was more effective against helminths (100%), compared to ivermectin 96%, levamisole 96%, and albendazole 99%. The lower 95% confidence limit was 89 for ivermectin and levamisole and 91 for albendazole. There is low resistance to ivermectin and levamisole and susceptibility to albendazole while V. amygdalina has great potentials that could be explored for the treatment of helminth diseases in goats.
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