Characterization of the cecal microbiome composition of Nigerian indigenous chickens.

Poultry cecum microbes are dynamic and complex. They play important roles in disease prevention, detoxification of harmful substances, nutrient processing, and ingestion harvesting. It may be possible to increase poultry productivity by better understanding and controlling the microbial population. We analyzed the composition and function of Nigerian hens' cecal microbiota using high-throughput sequencing methods. Using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes (V1-V9) hypervariable regions, the cecal microbiota of three Nigerian indigenous chicken genotypes (Naked neck, Frizzle, and Normal feather) was described and compared. A total of two phyla were represented among the three genotypes (Firmicutes and Proteobacteria). Microbiological diversity was found in the community, with naked neck having the most evenness, followed by normal feather, which had the least. There were a lot of similarities between the naked neck and frizzle feather chicken groups when it came to genetic diversity between them. For example, the bacterial cecal microbiota of the naked neck chickens was more diverse, with a higher concentration of motility proteins, two-component systems, bacterial secretion systems, and the formation and breakdown of secondary metabolites. More understanding on gut microbiota roles and interactions will help Nigerian poultry farmers improve their methods and give valuable data for the study of bacteria in the chicken gut.

Cadmium induced damage in Wistar rats, ameliorative potentials of progesterone.

Asides the increased human exposure to Cadmium containing products; the adverse effects of Cadmium on human health is further exacerbated by its toxicity at low dosage, long biologic half-life and low rate of excretion from the body. This study investigated the protective potential of progesterone on cadmium-induced damage in Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats received CdCl2 once daily for 21 days. Progesterone was given 30 min. after administration of CdCl2 while 3 other groups were given distilled water, CdCl2 and progesterone alone. Blood samples were collected from the animals for the determination of liver function and antioxidant status while the liver, kidney, cerebellar and hippocampal tissues were excised and fixed in Neutral buffered formalin for histopathological studies. While Cadmium caused changes in liver function parameters which were indicative of oxidative stress, pre-treatment with progesterone caused restoration to values which were non-significant to the control. Similar findings were made for G6PD, GSH, SOD, CAT and MDA. Histopathology revealed tissue damage in the Cd treated group; this was attenuated by prior treatment with progesterone. Progesterone ameliorated the free radical induced oxidative stress and tissue injury arising from exposure to Cadmium; attention should be given to its antioxidant role in Cadmium toxicity.

Multidrug-resistant Salmonellae isolated in Japanese quails reared in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Salmonellosis is a major bacterial disease causing huge economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. This study was carried out to determine the period prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella enterica in Japanese quails in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Four hundred cloacal swabs of quail birds were collected from 4 locations within Abeokuta. Salmonella was isolated from the samples using conventional methods for selective isolation of Salmonella and biochemical identification. Isolates were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction assays for the amplification and detection of Salmonella-associated virulence genes (invA and stn) using specific primers. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. In all, Salmonella was isolated from 14 (3.5%) cloacal swabs. All 14 isolates possessed invA and stn genes. The Salmonella isolates showed resistance to tetracycline (100%), doxycycline (100%), ampicillin (100%), sulphamethoxazole (92.9%), nalidixic acid (85.8%), ceftazidime (78.6%), neomycin (64.3%), streptomycin (50%) and gentamycin (28.6%) but all the isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin. The isolates were resistant to at least three antimicrobials indicating multidrug resistance. The results concluded that Japanese quails harbour multidrug-resistant Salmonella which could be transmitted to humans through consumption of contaminated food or by direct and indirect contact with the carrier birds. Antimicrobial resistance could be due to overdependence on antimicrobials. Ciprofloxacin could be considered in the treatment of zoonotic Salmonellosis in humans.

Bad-breath: Perceptions and misconceptions of Nigerian adults.

OBJECTIVE: To provide baseline data about bad-breath perception and misconceptions among Nigerian adults. METHODS: Multi-center cross-sectional study of individuals aged 18-64 years using examiner-administered questionnaires. Age comparisons were based on the model of emerging adults versus full adults. Data were recoded for statistical analyses and univariate and secondary log-linear statistics applied. RESULTS: Participants had lopsided perceptions about bad-breath. While 730 (90.8%) identified the dentist as the expert on halitosis and 719 (89.4%) knew that bad-breath is not contagious, only 4.4% and 2.5% associated bad-breath with tooth decay and gum disease respectively. There were no significant sex differences but the older adults showed better knowledge in a few instances. Most respondents (747, 92.9%) would tell a spouse about their bad-breath and 683 (85%) would tell a friend. CONCLUSIONS: Participants had lop-sided knowledge and perceptions about bad-breath. Most Nigerian adults are their "brothers' keepers" who would tell a spouse or friend about their halitosis so they could seek treatment.

Dental caries in children--an assessment of the knowledge of Nigerian paediatricians.

BACKGROUND: A high proportion of Nigerian children with caries are left untreated resulting in complications. Paediatricians often provide primary care and maybe useful in improving oral health care. AIM: To assess the oral health knowledge on dental caries and professional experience of a sample of Nigerian paediatricians. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire-based cross sectional survey of paediatricians attending the annual national conference of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria in January 2011 at Abuja, Nigeria was conducted. The questionnaire assessed knowledge on early childhood caries, oral health services provided and attitude to preventive dental services. Data analysis was done using EPI-info (version 3.5) statistical software. RESULTS: Of the 200 questionnaires administered, 145 were properly completed and returned (response rate of 72.5%). The respondents' gender was almost evenly distributed. Their age range was 26-77 years (mean 41.8 +/- 7.4 years). A total of 83 (57.2%) respondents reported receiving oral health education prior to this study. Over 90% of the respondents had received various dental complaints from their patients. Very few (26.2%) performed oral screening routinely although 94.2% believed that oral screening should be routinely carried out. Only 28.9% of the respondents felt adequately informed about oral health though 86.6% were willing to receive training on oral health care. Most of the respondents agreed that dental assessments and counselling should be included in routine paediatric clinical examination. CONCLUSION: Paediatricians could be useful in increasing access to oral health care for Nigerian children. Hence, oral health education should be included in the training programme of Nigerian paediatricians.

SELF-ASSESSED DENTAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE OF NIGERIAN DOCTORS.

OBJECTIVES: To assess medical doctors' knowledge of common dental diseases and the need to include dental education in the Nigerian undergraduate medical curriculum. DESIGN: Cross-sectional multicentre non-random survey using a convenience sample. SETTING: Tertiary hospitals across two geo-political zones of Nigeria. Participants were mostly recruited while attending seminars and other departmental events which brought doctors together. SUBJECTS: Medical doctors in tertiary hospitals across two geo-political zones of Nigeria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge of common dental diseases namely, dental caries, gingivitis and periodontitis was evaluated using an open-ended questionnaire. The definition, etiology, treatment and age-related risk were assessed. Exposure to dental education during undergraduate training was assessed. Opinion on desirability and suggested length of future training were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 127 doctors (35 interns, 30 residents, 34 senior residents and 28 consultants) participated in the study. Overall, knowledge of definition, etiology, treatment and relative prevalence were recorded. About 69 doctors (54.3%) correctly defined dental caries, 120 (94.5%) correctly defined gingivitis while only only 29 (22.8%) correctly defined chronic periodontitis. The proportions of respondents who correctly identified disease etiology were 26 (20.5%) for caries, 31(24.4%) for gingivitis and 12 (9.4%) for chronic periodontitis. The proportions of respondents who correctly identified appropriate treatment modalities were 39 (30.7%) for caries, 18 (14.2%) for gingivitis and 6 (4.7%) for periodontitis. Those who correctly identified the relative, age-related prevalence of the three diseases were 81 (63.8%) for caries, 51 (40.2%) for gingivitis and 47 (37%) for periodontitis. CONCLUSION: Most of the medical doctors who participated in the study demonstrated inadequate knowledge of common dental diseases and about 97% of respondents supported the idea of including dental education into the current Nigerian undergraduate medical curriculum.

The perception of caregivers attending a Nigerian teaching hospital on teething.

BACKGROUND: in November 2008. There was a national tragedy which recorded about eighty four Nigerian infant deaths due to the consumption of adulterated teething syrup- 'my pikin' administered to children by mothers to prevent 'teething problems". This could have been prevented if they had been well informed about the teething process. OBJECTIVE: to determine the knowledge, understanding and beliefs of caregivers attending LASUTH immunization clinic about teething. METHODS: An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 260 caregivers of children aged 4-36 months attending the immunization clinic in LASUTH over a six weeks period. The questionnaire assessed their knowledge, understanding, beliefs about teething and the teething experience in their wards. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 30.4 5.3years. Fifty seven percent had tertiary education. However, none of the caregivers obtained information about teething from the dentist. There was an association between educational level and attitude to teething (p=0.002) as well as their understanding of the teething process (p=0.0009). Gum irritation was the most reported symptom observed in this study. Many of the caregivers had erroneous beliefs regarding the systemic symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea and vomiting which they attributed to teething. CONCLUSION: Many of the caregivers studied still had erroneous beliefs regarding teething. Thus there is a need to disseminate the right information about teething to care givers in this environment in order to discourage the use of the term "teething" for a serious childhood illness that might require prompt medical attention.

Risk factors for farm-level African swine fever infection in major pig-producing areas in Nigeria, 1997-2011.

African swine fever (ASF) is an economically devastating disease for the pig industry, especially in Africa. Identifying what supports infection on pig farms in this region remains the key component in developing a risk-based approach to understanding the epidemiology of ASF and controlling the disease. Nigeria was used for this matched case-control study, because there is perpetual infection in some areas, while contiguous areas are intermittently infected. Risk factors and biosecurity practices in pig farms were evaluated in association with ASF infection. Subsets of farms located in high-density pig population areas and high-risk areas for ASF infection were randomly selected for analysis. Most plausible risk factor variables from the univariable analysis included in the multivariable analysis include: owner of farm had regular contact with infected farms and other farmers, untested pigs were routinely purchased into the farm in the course of outbreaks, there was an infected neighbourhood, other livestock were kept alongside pigs, there was a presence of an abattoir/slaughter slab in pig communities, wild birds had free access to pig pens, tools and implements were routinely shared by pig farmers, there was free access to feed stores by rats, and feed was purchased from a commercial source. Only the presence of an abattoir in a pig farming community (OR=8.20; CI(95%)=2.73, 24.63; P<0.001) and the presence of an infected pig farm in the neighbourhood (OR=3.26; CI(95%)=1.20, 8.83; P=0.02) were significant. There was a marginally significant negative association (protective) between risk of ASF infection and sharing farm tools and equipment (OR=0.35; CI(95%)=0.12, 1.01; P=0.05). Of the 28 biosecurity measures evaluated, food and water control (OR=0.14; CI(95%)=0.04, 0.46; P<0.001), separation/isolation of sick pigs (OR=0.14; CI(95%)=0.04, 0.53; P=0.004) and washing and disinfection of farm equipment and tools (OR=0.27; CI(95%)=0.10, 0.78; P=0.02) were negatively associated (protective) with ASF infection. Consultation and visits by veterinarian/paraveterinarians when animals were sick (OR=8.11; CI(95%)=2.13, 30.90; P=0.002), and pest and rodent control were positively associated with ASF infection of Nigerian farms (OR=4.94; CI(95%)=1.84, 13.29; P=0.002). The presentation of sick and unthrifty pigs for slaughter at abattoirs, farmers' inadvertent role, an infected neighbourhood, a pig to pig contact, rodents and wild birds may contribute to infections of farms, whereas washing, disinfection of tools, food and water control, and separation of sick pigs reduces the likelihood of infections. Underlying reasons for these observations and strategies for control are discussed.

Evolution of Salmonella nomenclature: a critical note.

Salmonellae are widely distributed but nomenclaturally controversial pathogens of both humans and animals. Despite elaborate studies, much still remain to be discovered about these organisms. Although Salmonella nomenclature has proved to be rather complex, in 2005, Salmonella enterica finally gained official approval as the type species of the genus Salmonella. In addition, one other species has been approved and recognised in the genus Salmonella, namely, Salmonella bongori. New serovars (serotypes) are continually being discovered each year and reported in the journal Research in Microbiology. Salmonella serovars and their antigenic formulae are listed in the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor scheme and updated by the World Health Organization's Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Salmonella at the Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

Dental attendance in a sample of Nigerian pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Good oral health is a fungamental component of pregnant women overall health and quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To determine the proportion of dental services utilisation and the reasons for non utilisation among women receiving antenatal care at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). METHODS: A cross-sectional study of all pregnant women receiving antenatal care in a Nigerian teaching hospital (LASUTH) between July and September 2008 was conducted. The study assessed the women's opinions on regular dental visits, dental visits during pregnancy, the frequency of utilization of oral health services before and during pregnancy and their reasons for non-attendance. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty two (342) pregnant women with age range 18 to 44 years (mean 30.37 +/- 4.5) participated in the study. Only 163 respondents (33.0%) reported ever visiting a dentist, 24 (7.0%) had done so just before or during the present pregnancy. Among the dental clinic attendees the commonest reason for attendance was pain (88 women or 53.9%). Majority (62%) of those who had never visited a dentist attributed their non-attendance to the absence of dental pain. There was a significant relationship between the respondent's age and the utilization of dental services (p < 0.001). The older women had utilised dental services more often than their younger counterparts. Educational level and ethnic grouping were not significantly related to their use of dental services. CONCLUSION: A high proportion of women receiving antenatal care at LASUTH do not visit the dentist regularly. It is important to provide women in the reproductive age with information on the benefit of regular dental care especially during pregnancy.