Impact of COVID-19 on pets and pet owners: A survey conducted in selected veterinary clinics in Accra, Ghana.

The study explores the impact of Covid-19 on pets and their owners using a structured questionnaire. One hundred fifty-seven (157) respondents were recruited from six veterinary clinics at strategic points within Accra. Only a third of owners gave their pet(s) special attention out of fear of contracting Covid-19 from their pet(s).

Genetic architecture of body weight, carcass, and internal organs traits of Ghanaian local chickens.

Information on the genetic architecture of the production traits of indigenous African chicken is limited. We performed a genome-wide association study using imputed Affymetrix Axiom 600K SNP-chip genotypes on 1,113 chickens from three agroecological zones of Ghana. After quality control, a total of 382,240 SNPs remained.

In Vitro and In Vivo Toxicological Evaluation of P: Beauv. (Avicenniaceae) Leaf Extract in a Rat Model.

is an important ethnomedicinal plant that has long been used to treat malaria and several other diseases. Despite the plant's antimalarial and other therapeutic properties, there is limited evidence-based data on its potential toxicity. Hence, the purpose of the current study was to assess the safety of leaf ethanolic extract (AAE).

Genetic Analyses of Response of Local Ghanaian Tanzanian Chicken Ecotypes to a Natural Challenge with Velogenic Newcastle Disease Virus.

Newcastle disease is a devastating poultry disease that often causes significant economic losses in poultry in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, as well as South and Central America. Velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) outbreaks are associated with high mortalities, which can threaten household livelihoods, especially in the rural areas, and lead to loss of high-quality proteins in the form of meat and eggs, as well as household purchasing power. In this study, we exposed unvaccinated Ghanaian and Tanzanian chickens of six local ecotypes to velogenic NDV strains, measured NDV response traits, sequenced their DNA on a genotyping-by-sequencing platform, and performed variance component analyses.

Host response to successive challenges with lentogenic and velogenic Newcastle disease virus in local chickens of Ghana.

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious viral disease that constantly threatens poultry production. The velogenic (highly virulent) form of ND inflicts the most damage and can lead to 100% mortality in unvaccinated village chicken flocks. This study sought to characterize responses of local chickens in Ghana after challenging them with lentogenic and velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains.

Gross and histopathologic findings in sheep with plastic bags in the rumen.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the gross and histo-pathological lesions caused by plastic bags in the rumen of sheep. Sixteen (16) castrated, one-year old Dorper sheep were used for the study. The animals were divided into 4 groups each consisting of 4 sheep.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices on usage, disposal, and effect of plastic bags on sheep and goats.

The objective of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices of people in the Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya, on the usage, disposal, and effect of plastic waste on sheep and goats (shoats). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 384 respondents in four communities in the two counties. Most of the people irrespective of their age, occupation, and educational status used plastic bags of some type on a daily basis.

Full genome sequence of a peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) from Ghana.

The full genome of a peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) isolated from a sheep lung sample collected in Ghana, Western Africa, in 2010, has been sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the virus clustered within the lineage II clade while comparison of its full genome with those of other PPRV strains revealed the highest identity (96.6 %) at a nucleotide level with the PPRV strain Nigeria/76/1.