Animal Research International

1309 – 1314

Authors: OKOYE, Ikem Chris, DAKUL, Daniel A. and WAKAWA, Abdul I.

The survey was conducted to explore the hard-held beliefs of rural Hausa women that help to sustain onchocerciasis transmission in an onchocerciasis endemic focus in North eastern Nigeria. The beliefs explored pertained to the perceived symptoms and effects of onchocerciasis peculiar to women. The study area was the Hawul River Valley, North Eastern, Nigeria. An area known for serious ocular and socio-economic tolls of onchocerciasis. 158 women (age range 20 to 60) enlisted by purposive sampling were surveyed on their disease perception of onchocerciasis using standard guidelines. Focal group discussions, in-depth interviews and questionnaires were used as instruments. The disorders that the respondents associated with onchocerciasis included blindness (86.1 %), various menstrual problems (65.8 %), impaired (failing/blurred) Vision (61.4 %) and itching (58.2 %). Least responses were for ‘others’ (17.7 %) and scrotal enlargement (22.8%). The respondents significantly associated barrenness (2 = 3.41; df = 4; P < 0.05) and foetal abortion/miscarriage (2 = 1.53; df = 4; P < 0.05), with onchocerciasis but their association of scrotal elephantiasis was statistically insignificant (2 = 0.26; df = 4; P > 0.01). Irregular menstruation (54.8 %); prolonged menstrual period (36.5%); painful menstruation (29.8 %) and others (22.1 %) were implicated for menstrual problems. Popular beliefs and deep-rooted convictions are valuable in formulating socio-culturally accepted health education programmes that directly address people’s areas of concern while deep-rooted ignorance and incorrect beliefs about the causes and effects of a disease may lead to neglect of personal protection measures and allow the intensification of disease morbidity. The study throws more insight into local disease perception, which is known to have direct effect on health and illness behaviour.

1328 – 1336

Authors: EWUIM, Sylvanus Chima, AKUNNE, Chidi Emmanuel, ANUMBA, Anthonia Ifeoma and ETAGA, Harrison Oghenekevwe

The insects associated with palm wine from raffia palm (Raphia hookeri) were studied in three villages in Southeastern, Nigeria for four weeks. The insects were sieved out after 24 hours from each 10 litres of raffia palm. Gas chromatography was used to analyse the raffia palm wine after 24 hours. The daily collection of the insects lasted for 28 days between February and March 2008. The results showed that as the number of days increased the concentration of glucose and fructose decreased with alcoholic content increasing at varying pH and temperature. A total of eight insect species made up of seven genera represented by seven families – Formicidea, Apidae, Drosophilidae, Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae, Nitidulidae and Curculronidae were obtained. There was a preponderance in the collection of Camponotus maculatus, Maycodrosophylla sp. and Lepidoptera larvae in all the sites with C. acvapimensis and Apis mellifera L. collected in fairly large numbers from all the sites (villages). There was also preponderance in the collection of Diptera larvae, even though they were collected from only one village Ide. Sparsely collected insect species from Ide village included Sarcophaga tibialis Macq, Auchmeromyia senegalensis, and Brachypeplus sp. (as a singleton). Cryptarcha sp. was found only in Ide and Okebuonye villages while Rhynchophorus phoenicis was collected in all the villages. The significant difference in the collection of Mycodrosophilla sp. in the three villages was traced to variability in the movement of the conspecifics and habitat heterogeneity while the significant difference in the collection of Diptera larvae was attributed to differences in habitat use, differences in food resources, and availability, and environmental heterogeneity. The factors responsible for the recovery of insect species from raffia palm wine were traced to foraging activities on palms, accidental dropping into palm wine gourd, olfactory response of species, pestiferous activities of species, palm pollination, use of incision points on palm stems and inflorescence as food and oviposition resources, and the role of raffia palms in the life history of species.

1345 – 1352

Authors: NWOSU, Okechukwu Kenneth and NWOSU, Nwando Geraldine

The stability of five parameters in serum and plasma after prolonged storage was studied by determining the effects of storage temperature and time on the laboratory results of samples obtained from renal-diseased patients. Serum and plasma were separated from the clot and red cells and analysed in duplicates immediately to obtain the baseline fresh value (zero hour value). The remaining serum and plasma were stored at 40C ± 20C and 320C ± 20C for 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours, and then assayed in duplicates. Statistically significant changes from the zero-hour mean value were determined using ANOVA. Instability (P<0.05) was observed at 320C for sodium and potassium ions after 96 hours, chloride after 72 hours, creatinine after 42 hours, and urea after 24 hours. All parameters in serum and plasma stored at 40C (refrigerated) were stable within 5 days. Proper storage temperatures and time must therefore be considered for these analytes if measurement does not take place immediately after specimen collection.

1359 – 1365

Authors: OPARA, Maxwell Nwachukwu and EZEH, Nwokedi Onyekachi

The prevalence of Ixodid ticks of cattle in Borno and Yobe states, Northeastern Nigeria was studied from March to October, 2010. Out of 3,150 cattle examined in these areas, 1,095 (34.8%) of them were infested with ticks. Of these, 57.1% of the infestation was among cattle in Borno State, while 42.9% was observed in Yobe State. Out of the total number of cattle examined, 2,175 (69.0) were males and 33.8% of them were infested with ticks. The number of females examined was 975 (31.0), out of which 36.9% had ticks. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the infestation of ticks between the male and female cattle. The ticks observed on the cattle in both states were Amblyomma variegatum (43.8%), followed by Hyalomma sp (24.7%), Boophilus sp (21.9%) and Dermacentor sp (9.6%). Overall, tick infestation occurred most among the White Fulani breed with a prevalence of 240 (21.9%), followed by N’ dama and Red Bororo in which the prevalence of ticks was 180 (16.4%) for each of the breeds. The least (6.8%) infestation of ticks was among the Keteku breed. The preferred sites of attachment for ticks among cattle examined in Borno state were inner thigh, dew lap, abdomen, legs, udder, dorsum, ear and hump, in this order. Cattle examined in the Yobe state were infested on their dorsum, inner thigh, legs, abdomen, udder and then on the dew lap, ear and hump. The ticks observed infesting cattle in these states are of veterinary importance because they are vectors of economically important blood protozoan parasites. Adequate control measures should therefore be adopted to protect these animals.

1375 – 1379

Authors: IKELE, Chika Bright, MGBENKA, Bernard Obialo and OLUAH, Ndubuisi Stanley

An investigation on the effect of Diethyl phthalate (DEP) on the gill of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus was carried out in the laboratory. Seventy-five (75) catfish fingerlings were subjected to continuous exposure to sublethal concentrations of DEP (30, 40, 60 and 80 µg/L) for a period of four weeks. The gills of the catfish were removed every 15 days for histological examination. The degree of distortion of the gills (heamorrahging of the gill, continuous degeneration of the gill filaments, disruption of epithelium owing to rapid cell lysis, severe destruction of the lamellae) was proportional to the exposure periods (0, 15, and 30 days) and concentration of the DEP was found to be dose and time-dependent which led to asphyxiation and stress in the catfish.