Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Pastoralists Towards Tick Bites, and Tick Control in Plateau State, Nigeria.

PURPOSE: Pastoralists regularly come in contact with ticks as they herd their animals and are exposed to pathogens that cause zoonotic diseases. No study has been conducted in Nigeria to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of these Pastoralists towards ticks, tick bite, and tick control, and thus this research. METHODS: A KAP survey of pastoralists (n = 119) was conducted in Plateau State, Nigeria. Data generated were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). RESULTS: The majority of the pastoralists (99.2%) had knowledge of ticks, with 79% of them being aware that ticks attach and bite humans, whereas only 30.3% believed that ticks transmit diseases to humans. Eighty-four per cent of the pastoralists do not wear protective clothing while herding their animals and 81.5% indicated to having been bitten by ticks, whereas hospital visit after tick bite was low (7.6%). Statistically significant variables were observed when knowledge of the respondents were compared in relation to the ability of ticks to cause diseases (Χ2 = 9.980, P = 0.007); hospital visit after a bite (Χ2 = 11.453, P = 0.003); and the use of protective clothing for herding (Χ2 = 22.596, P = 0). The main tick control measure was hand picking (58.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The pastoralists were unaware of the ability of ticks to transmit zoonotic pathogens. Preventive practices were insufficient to reduce tick bites, and thus were constantly exposed to tick-borne diseases. This study hopes to provide important insights for the development of educational awareness programmes for the pastoralists and serve as a guide for the health workers in designing future preventive programmes against tick-borne zoonoses in Nigeria.

Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of a type K1 strain Trypanosoma evansi isolate from Nigerian cattle: An evaluation of the therapeutic effects of compounds from Brassica oleracea on the histopathology of infected wister rats.

Background: Understanding the pathogenesis of animal trypanosomiasis can be improved by studying the genetics of bovine trypanosomes. Pathogenic animal trypanosomes are a major impediment to livestock production, with negative economic consequences spreading beyond Sub-Saharan Africa to subtropical regions of Northern Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. An atypical K1 strain of Trypanosoma evansi (T. evansi) isolates from infected cattle in Nigeria was analyzed. The therapeutic effect of phenolic-rich compounds on the histopathology of wistar rats infected with the K1 strain was studied. Methods: The K1 strain T. evansi was analyzed molecularly using PCR and sequence analysis of the Spacer-1 ribosomal RNA gene. To assess the evolutionary relationship, this was phylogenetically compared to other species studied in different parts of the world. Thirty adult male wistar rats were divided into six groups of five each. Animals in group A served as the standard control (not infected). Group B animals were infected but not treated. Group C animals were infected and given 3.5 mg/kg body weight of the standard drug diminazene aceturate. Animals in groups D, E, and F were infected and treated with phenolic-rich compounds isolated from Brassica oleracea (B. oleracea) at concentrations of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The phytochemicals were extracted using standard analytical procedures, and GCMS analysis revealed the presence of phenolic-rich compounds. The animals were given 0.2 mg/ml trypanosome intraperitoneally, diluted with normal saline. The vital organs of the animals were harvested and histologically examined. Results: The nested PCR amplification of the trypanosome's ITS-1 region revealed a DNA amplicon of 627 base pairs. The rRNA nucleotide sequence was deposited in GenBank under the accession number MN462960. Basic Local Alignment search of the obtained ITS-1 rRNA sequences revealed that the K1 strain trypanosome and other strains from different regions have an evolutionary relationship. The phenolic-rich compounds had protective effects on the organs of infected animals, resulting in a decrease in parasitemia levels. They have anti-trypanosome activities at the minimum and maximum effective doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Conclusions: The K1 strain T. evansi was isolated from naturally infected cattle in this study. The results indicate that phenolic-rich compounds have anti trypanosoma activities capable of healing organ damage caused by trypanosomiasis.

The clinical effect of experimental infection with Trypanosoma congolense on Dutch belted rabbits.

The clinical effect of Trypanosoma congolense infection on Dutch belted (does) rabbits was investigated. Sixteen Dutch belted rabbits weighing between 1.6 and 1.8 kg were grouped into two groups of eight each. Animals were accessed for packed cell volume (PCV), total leucocyte count (TLC), rectal temperature (RT), heart rate (HR), and body weight (BW) before infection as well as 18, 25, and 58 days post inoculation (PI). The level of parasitaemia was estimated on a weekly basis and was graded by number of parasites/field. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the mean PCV between treatment and control groups of the rabbits on all days PI. The other parameters were not significantly different between uninfected controls and treatment group although the rectal temperature fluctuated. The mean PCV of infected rabbits was 36.0 ± 0.53%, 35.3 ± 0.19%, and 28.0 ± 0.89% at days 18, 25, and 58 PI, while for uninfected, the mean PCV was 40.8 ± 0.11%, 41.8 ± 0.19%, and 41.3 ± 0.08% across the same time periods. Parasitaemia was detected at 6th day PI and remained high to the end of the study. The study suggests that the use of haematinics and anti-pyrexia treatments as part of disease management for rabbits would be useful.

Prevalence of canine babesiosis and their risk factors among asymptomatic dogs in the federal capital territory, Abuja, Nigeria.

Babesia sp. are intracellular parasitic organisms that affects mainly the red blood cells of most mammals, causing the disease known as babesiosis, and transmitted by ticks. Babesisosis is potentially fatal and a major disease of dogs in Nigeria. Therefore, active and routine surveillance is recommended. In this study, the infection was investigated among apparently healthy domestic dogs in six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria with the aim of determining the prevalence of the infection and the associated risk factors. Blood samples were collected from dogs (n = 480) at randomly selected households, from September 2015 to August 2016. Data regarding sampling location, sex, age, breed, use, presence or absence of ticks were recorded. Blood smears were prepared, stained with Geimsa stain, and examined under light microscope for Babesia sp. The results showed an overall prevalence of 10.8% Babesia canis infection. The prevalence among dogs examined in the six Area Councils were 6.3%, 12.5%, 10.0%, 12.5%, 11.3%, and 12.5 % for Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali Area Council, respectively. The prevalence was highest (12.5%) among dogs from Kwali, AMAC and Gwagwalada, and lowest 5 (6.3%) among dogs from Abaji. Of the infected dogs, 13.7% were females and 8.3%, males. Dogs between 12 < 36 months old had the highest (17.0%) prevalence of infection while those of >60 months of age had the lowest (4.5%). Based on breed, the infection was more prevalent among exotic dogs (12.9%) than cross breeds (9.4%). While none of pet dogs were positive for Babesia canis, prevalence of 11.1% and 11.3% were recorded for guard and hunting dogs, respectively. Tick infestation was recorded for 254 dogs of which 17.3% had Babesia canis while only 3.5% of 226 non-infested dogs were Babesia positive. Babesia infection during the rainy season was 14.6% while 3.5% of dogs were positive during dry season. The data on monthly prevalence showed that August and September had the highest (13.5%) prevalence while January and February had the lowest (2.0%). We conclude that the canine babesiosis in the FCT was significantly dependent on age, use of dogs, tick infestation, and season. Therefore, priorities should be given to these factors while instituting control measures against the infection.