Haemo- and endoparasites of indigenous chickens reared in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria.

Poultry production as one of the major sources of protein in Nigeria is constrained by parasitic diseases including haemo- and gastrointestinal (GI) parasites. The haemo- and endoparasites of indigenous chickens reared in Gwagwalada market, Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria were studied. Blood and fecal samples were collected from 108 chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) between April–August, 2017.

Cryptosporidium oocysts: prevalence in dogs in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.

Cryptosporidium is known to be a zoonotic protozoan parasite, located mainly intracellularly causing the disease called cryptosporidiosis, a diarrheic disease of human and animals. Risk factors for dogs’ illness includes exposure to contaminated drinking water from well, borehole and tap water. Hunting as an activity of some dogs serve as a major exposure.

Evolutionary changes in symbiont community structure in ticks.

Ecological specialization to restricted diet niches is driven by obligate, and often maternally inherited, symbionts in many arthropod lineages. These heritable symbionts typically form evolutionarily stable associations with arthropods that can last for millions of years. Ticks were recently found to harbour such an obligate symbiont, Coxiella-LE, that synthesizes B vitamins and cofactors not obtained in sufficient quantities from blood diet.

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Fasciola gigantica from Nigeria.

Fasciola gigantica is considered the major pathogen causing fasciolosis in Africa; however, molecular characterization of this fluke has not been adequately elucidated. It is important to scientifically elucidate the dispersal history of F. gigantica by analyzing its genetic diversity.

Molecular screening for Midichloria in hard and soft ticks reveals variable prevalence levels and bacterial loads in different tick species.

Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii, symbiont of the sheep tick Ixodes ricinus, was the first described member of the family Candidatus Midichloriaceae, order Rickettsiales. Recent reports are expanding our view of this family, now including numerous bacteria of great biological and medical interest, indicating a widespread distribution with an increasing range of hosts, with ticks being strongly represented. Here we present a molecular screening of 17 tick species, detecting and quantifying bacteria of the family Midichloriaceae in seven of them, including the first report of a representative of this family in a soft tick species (Argasidae), Ornithodoros maritimus.

Hematological and plasma biochemistry of the adult wild African grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus).

Hematological and plasma biochemical values of wild grasscutters were evaluated to determine their potential to transmit zoonotic pathogens. Three 5-mL blood samples were collected from each of 1000 grasscutters caught in the wild for hematology, biochemical, and parasitological tests. Hematological and biochemical values were compared with those from captive-reared grasscutters.

Cysticercosis of slaughter cattle in southeastern Nigeria.

The incidence of cysticercosis due to Taenia saginata in both local and exotic breeds of cattle slaughtered for meat in southeastern Nigeria between November 1999 and April 2002 is reported. The examination of various organs of 25,800 cattle in 10 major abattoirs of this region showed that 6750 (26.2%) were infected with Cysticercus (C.