Animal Research International

448 – 450

Authors: EKWUNIFE, Chinyelu Angela and ENEANYA, Christine Ifeoma

The presence of Fasciola gigantica in cattle slaughtered in Onitsha abattoir and three other abattoirs in Onitsha area of Anambra State, Nigeria was investigated from November to December 2004. The study involved actual postmortem inspection on the slaughtered cattle. The liver were examined for Fasciola by making length wise incision on the ventral side of the liver in such a way that the bile duct and gall bladder are cut open. All cases of Fasciola were detected from the liver. Afor-Igwe abattoir recorded the prevalence rate of 10.8% while the prevalence rates of 7.0%, 7.7% and 13.4% were recorded at Nkwor-Ogidi abattoir, Oye Olisa abattoir and Onitsha main market abattoir respectively. Out of a total of 1580 cattle examined, 166(10.51%) were infected with F. gigantica. Of the 166 diseased liver, 26(15.7%) had light worm load, 77(46.4%) medium worm load and 63(38%) had heavy worm load. The lowest number of worm recovered per liver was 3 while the highest was 88. This study has established the presence of F. gigantica in Onitsha Area. It was also observed that most diseased liver were not condemned. This situation calls for serious attention of the veterinary workers in the state. In view of the fact that these cattle which were brought from the Northern part of Nigeria were made to trek to places of pasture (near streams and rivers) within Onitsha area where the snail intermediate host of the parasite thrives, it is suggested that grazing of cattle should be highly restricted to lesser snail infected areas. The range land system (Artificial pasture land) seems to be the panacea to fascioliasis in cattle.

457 – 460

Authors: SAGANUWAN, Alhaji Saganuwan

Haematological and biochemical effects of sulphadimidine were studied in Nigerian mongrel dogs. Five Nigerian mongrel dogs of either sex weighing between 7 and 12 kg were used for the study. The pretreatment blood and serum samples were collected and the weight of animals taken before the administration of 100 mg/kg body weight for a period of 7 days. The animals were weighed daily. The results showed that there was no significant difference between preadministration and post administration weights (P>0.05) of dogs. Packed cell volume decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with duration sampled dogs. Liver function test revealed significant decrease (P < 0.05) of total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. Other indices of liver function and electrolytes indices were normal (P > 0.05). The mean weight gain (8.8 ± 2.04 kga) of the animals before sulphadimidine administration was comparable with the weight gain (8.77 ± 0.89 kgb) of animals after the sulphadimidine administration. Sulphadimidine caused anaemia of moderate value (26.4 ±3.36%a) in the treated samples as compared to pretreated samples (46.4±6.27b). Total bilirubin (12.32 ±1.4 µmola) in pretreatment samples was decreased in comparison with treated (18.5 ±2.0 αmol/lb) samples. Alkaline phosphatase was decreased in preadministration samples (114.2 ±5.7µg/lb) as compared to post administration samples (130 ±9.61 µmol/la). Therefore longtime administration of sulphadimidine in anaemic mongrel dogs may aggravate anaemic condition. Sulphadimidine may increase renal excretion of bilirubin and decrease bone mineralization in mongrel dogs during bone formation.

466 – 472

Authors: UGWU, Lawrence Linus Chukwuma, MGBENKA, Bernard Obialo, ENEJE, Lawrence Odo, UDE, Emmanuel Fame and NWENYA, Jeremiah Igwe

Studies were carried out on the toxicity, growth and survival of Clarias gariepinus juveniles exposed to different concentrations of oil-polluted water. Thirty-nine aerated aquaria (60 × 30 × 30 cm3), arranged in a 4 × 3 Complete Randomized Block Design were used for the study. Three oil types: the Bonny light crude oil (BLCO), the premium motor spirit (PMS) and kerosene (DPK) at oil concentrations of 1.00, 1.50, 2.00 and 2.50 ml L-1 were used in triplicates of 5 ml to contaminate 15 L of dechlorinated tap water and 20 fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus (22 ± 0.24 g) exposed to it. A control treatment (0.00 ml L-1) of non-oil contamination was also used in triplicates. A 96-hour toxicity phase in the oil-polluted water preceded a 42 days recovery phase. 38% crude protein diet was fed to fish during exposure and recovery phases at 3% and 5% body weight per day, respectively. Water temperature, pH, fish mortality and normalized biomass index (NBI) of each aquarium were monitored. The total organic nitrogen, soluble organic nitrogen and colloidal organic nitrogen in addition to soluble and adsorbed ammonia in the aquaria water and sediments were analyzed using standard methods. Results showed that the water temperature was 26 ± 2.04° C, pH was 6.50 ± 0.30 and fortnightly feed intake of fish increased between days 14 and 42. This increase, which corresponded with the increase in the fortnightly weight gain, could be attributed to the reduction of stress caused during the 96-h toxicity phase. The increase in the soluble ammonium and the exchangeable ammonium concentrations of water correlated with the increase in the concentrations (1.50 – 2.50 ml L-1) of BLCO, PMS and DPK. Percent mortality of fish reduced between days 14 and 42 irrespective of oil treatment while fish exposed to the control treatment had lower percent mortality than those exposed to the oil treatments. This trend was corroborated by the relatively higher NBI for the control during the exposure (-0.02) and recovery {0.08 (14 days), 0.08 (38 days) and 0.21 (42 days)} periods than those of oil treatments (-49.64 to -0.10).

478 – 480

Authors: FAPOHUNDA, Olawumi Oluwafunmilola and OGUNKOYA, Mary

The proximate composition of fresh, smoked and deteriorated fish samples (Tilapia zilli, Parachanna obscura and Clarias gariepinus) were determined using standard methods of analyses. It was revealed that Tilapia zilli contained; moisture 4.11 - 67.33 %, protein 20.10 – 65.90 %, ash 3.41 – 14.64 %, fat 4.44 – 7.73 % and carbohydrate 4.72 – 11.89 %, Parachanna obscura had moisture 6.47 - 68.61%, protein 18.23 – 64.67%, ash 2.68 – 13.20 %, fat 3.55 – 8.87 % and carbohydrate 6.79 – 10.25 %, while Clarias gariepinus produced moisture 4.61- 56.99%, protein 17.21 – 68.05%, ash 4.82 – 15.32 %, fat 4.79 – 8.19% and carbohydrate 1.92 – 17.35%. It was observed that smoke drying methods increased the protein, ash and fat contents of the samples. The low fat content observed for the deteriorating sample might be due to rancidity with the resultant rancid odour.

485 – 488

Authors: OKOYE, Ikem Chris and SAMBA, Scholastica Atteh

The rates of infection of various hepatitis B virus serological markers were measured on the basis of age, sex and socio-economic activities amongst the community population of Mubi, a known border community in North-Eastern Nigeria. Sera of 992 subjects consisting of 613 males and 379 females were analysed by radioimmunoassay. The overall HBV exposure among the subjects surveyed was 40.3 %. The rate of HBsAg infection was 9.0 %; 19.0 % for anti-HBs and 12.2 % for anti-HBc. The occurrence of HBV markers by age of the subjects showed that infants less than 1 year old had the highest HBV exposure rate of 43.9%; the rate declined at the 1-10 years age group and increased steadily thereafter with age until the > 51 years age bracket. The incidence of the HBV markers by sex of subjects showed that infection rates were higher in males (43.4%) than in females (35.4%). The rate of HBs infection rose progressively with age and significantly higher (p<0.01) in males (20.1%) than in females (17.2 %). The infection rate of HBc did not correlate with increase in age and significantly higher (P < 0.01) in males (13.2 %) than in females (10.8%). The distribution of the HBV markers was associated with differences in socio-cultural environment and practices (Fig. 2); thus, prison inmates who constituted the bulk of commercial blood donors had the highest rate of infection (28.5 %), followed by traders/artisans (21.0%) and students/pupils (18.0%). This study suggests vertical (maternal to infant) and horizontal transmission early in life in the spread of HBV markers in Mubi area and recommends passive active HB immunization (anti-HB vaccine), personal and urban hygiene and that testing for HBsAg by the most sensitive methods should be required for all blood donors. HBsAg-carriers and People who are known to have the infection or to be at high risk e.g. prostitutes, prisoners, etc should be discouraged from donating blood.

494 – 504

Authors: UBACHUKWU, Patience Obiageli

The socio-economic impact of onchocerciasis (river blindness) on humans is reviewed with special reference to females and children. The results of many studies reveal that onchocerciasis is usually a serious threat to public health and an impediment to socio-economic development in areas with high intensity and high endemicity of the disease. In such places, blindness and serious visual impairment are common, and mortality among the blind may be four times as high as among non-blind persons of the same age in the same community. As a result of debilitation and blindness, the infected person is unable to maintain for long any type of productive activity. Inhabitants of fertile river valleys move to the less fertile upland country. Many young men migrate to urban areas, reducing the productivity of the community and disrupting family life. Employees classified as having a severe Onchocercal Skin Disease (OSD) earned 15 % less in daily wages than those not infected. People with Onchocercal Skin Disease are stigmatized in their communities. OSD limits the range of social involvement and can affect sexual life of affected individuals. With reference to women and children, young females with OSD suffer stigmatization more than young men. This affects their age of marriage and the kind of partners they marry, limiting them to already married men, divorced men, elderly men, childless men, etc. Severe itching that often accompanies OSD may reduce the period lactating mothers breastfeed their babies. Children, particularly females, from households headed by individuals with onchocerciasis, especially blindness and OSD are more at risk of being school dropouts. Academic performance of school children with visual impairment is adversely affected. To reduce these effects, there is need for intense public enlightenment to augment the efforts of World Health Organization (WHO) in combating the disease using mass treatment with ivermectin (Mectizan).