Wild animals, sharing pathogens with domestic animals, play a crucial role in the epidemiology of infectious diseases. Sampling from wild animals poses significant challenges, yet it is vital for inclusion in disease surveillance and monitoring programmes. Often, mass surveillance involves serological screenings using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests, typically validated only for domestic animals. This study assessed the diagnostic specificity of commercially available ELISA tests on 342 wild ruminant serum samples and 100 from wild boars. We evaluated three tests for foot-and-mouth disease: two for Peste des petits ruminants, two for Rift Valley fever and one for Capripox virus. Diagnostic specificity was calculated using the formula True Negative/(False Positive + True Negative). Cohen’s kappa coefficient measured agreement between tests. Results showed high specificity and agreement across all tests. Specificity for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) ranged from 93.89% for Prionics to 100% for IDEXX, with IDvet showing 99.6%. The highest agreement was between FMD IDvet and IDEXX at 97.1%. Rift Valley fever (RVF) tests, Ingezim and IDvet, achieved specificities of 100% and 98.83%, respectively. The optimal specificity was attained by retesting single reactors and inactivating the complement. Contribution: Commercially available ELISA kits are specific for foot-and-mouth disease and similar transboundary animal diseases and can be used for highly specific wild animal testing.

No abstract available.

Human rabies transmitted by dogs still kills thousands of people each year worldwide. Dog bites are common in the city of Beni (Democratic Republic of Congo), which shows low rabies vaccination coverage. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with the rabies vaccination status of dogs. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the town of Beni among dog owners, during a household survey selected using a multistage sampling. The information sought concerned the knowledge and characteristics of the dog owners as well as the vaccination status of these dogs. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations between the vaccination status of the dogs and the main independent factors. Rabies vaccination coverage in Beni was 26% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22% – 30%). The main factors associated with the rabies vaccination status of the dog were primary education level of household head (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]:4.8; 95% CI: 1.2– 19.8); university education level of household head (aOR: 5.9; 95% CI: 1.6–22); perceived rabies severity (aOR: 44. 4; 95% CI: 10.4–188), having more than one dog in the household (aOR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.6–4.3); age range 7–12 months (aOR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1–0.6) and confined dog breeding (aOR: 3.9; 95% CI: 1.1–14.9). The low vaccination coverage in Beni requires mass vaccination campaigns against canine rabies targeting the dog owners with low education levels, those raising more than one dog, with stray dogs or dogs less than 12 months old.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess antibiotic usage, residues, resistance and drivers of their emergence in fish aquaculture in Northern Nigeria between 2019 and 2020. A structured questionnaire was administered to 151 randomly selected farmers. Fish, column and wastewater samples were analysed with enzyme link immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for residue detection and quantification. We performed descriptive and analytic statistical analyses. All selected farmers participated, 78.1% used antibiotics in ponds. Majority (77.1%) of the farmers did not know what antibiotic misuse entailed and 73.3% mentioned that antibiotic misuse and overuse cannot predispose to residues and resistance. The most frequently used antibiotics were tetracyclines (TCs) (99.2%). Significant risk routes for residue and resistance spread were: contaminated fish and its products ingestion, direct contact with fish and fomites contaminated as well as water and aerosols contaminated in the pond environment. Significant social and cultural that influenced residue and resistance development include antibiotics misuse/overuse (Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62–8.74) as well as poor education and expertise of the farmers (OR = 2.9; 95% CI: 1.24–6.94). The mean TCs residues level in column and wastewater was 123.6 ± 18.2 μg/kg−1. Poor knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotic usage were identified. Adequate antibiotic stewardship should be promoted through farmers’ education. Identified social and cultural factors can be mitigated through the ‘One Health’ approach.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Rabies is endemic in Sudan with continuing outbreaks occurring annually, the most common animals affected are dogs, followed by goats and equids. This work focused on equid rabies, to elucidate the current situation of the disease through analysis of reports of equid rabies outbreaks in Sudan during 2010–2022 supported by laboratory confirmation of the disease. During the study period, 66 animals were affected during 35 equid rabies outbreaks. The highest incidences were found in Al Gezira (30.3%), followed by Darfur (24.2%) and Kordofan (15.2%). The highest incidence rate was observed during 2018 (33.3%), followed by 2015 (16.7%). Within seasons, the highest incidence rate was reported during October – December (33.3%), followed by July – September (30.3%). Chi-square analysis revealed a significant correlation between rabid animals and year, season, and state. Wald statistics demonstrated that year and season had a significant association with the disease. Virus antigen was identified (72.2%) in brain tissues using the fluorescent antibody test. Viral nucleic acid was amplified (n = 6) with a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay. Contribution: As equids are kept in close contact with humans and other animals in the country, according to the present investigation, equid rabies in Sudan is a potential public health concern, emphasising the importance of implementing effective control measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the death of 7.1 million people worldwide as of 7 July 2024. In Nigeria, the first confirmed case was reported on 27 February 2020, subsequently followed by a nationwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 with morbidity and mortality reaching 267 173 and 3155, respectively, as of 7 July 2024. At the beginning of the pandemic, only a few public health laboratories in Nigeria had the capacity for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis. The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), already experienced in influenza diagnosis, responded to the public health challenge for the diagnosis of COVID-19 samples from humans. The feat was possible through the collective utilisation of NVRI human and material resources, including biosafety facilities, equipment, reagents and consumables donated by international partners and collaborators. Within 6 months of the reported COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria, over 33 000 samples were processed in NVRI facilities covering five states. Thereafter, many field and laboratory projects were jointly implemented between NVRI and collaborating sectors including the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), which brought together professionals in the health, veterinary, education and socio-sciences. In addition, One Health grants were secured to enhance surveillance for coronavirus and other zoonoses and build capacity in genomics. Bio-surveillance for coronaviruses and other emerging zoonotic pathogens at the human–animal interface was activated and continued with sample collection and analysis in the laboratory for coronaviruses, Lassa fever virus and Mpox. One Health approach has shown that inter-sectoral and multinational collaboration for diagnosis, research and development in animals, and the environment to better understand pathogen spillover events at the human–animal interface is an important global health priority and pandemic preparedness.

With the advancement of research and development of medical technology, there is an increase in the number of animals used in research. As millions of experimental animals are being used in different experiments worldwide, there is a lot of debate about the pain, distress, and death experienced by animals during scientific experiments. Experimental animals also require skilled manpower, time-consuming protocols and are costly. There are various alternatives to animal testing to overcome the drawbacks of animal experiments and avoid unethical procedures. Russell and Burch published principles of the Humane Experimental Technique which includes a strategy of 3 Rs (i.e. reduction, refinement, and replacement) in 1959. They introduced and defined the terms replacement, reduction, and refinement, which subsequently have become known as ‘alternatives’ or ‘alternative methods’ for minimizing the potential for animal pain and distress in biomedical research. Therefore, different methods and different alternative organisms are being used to implement the 3 Rs strategy. So, a brief account of these alternatives and the advantages associated is discussed in this review with examples. An integrated application of these approaches would give insight into the minimum use of animals in scientific experiments.

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of sex on growth pattern and carcass characters of commercial broilers. One hundred and twenty numbers of day-old chicks were wing banded, weighed and reared up to 40 days of age. The body weight was individually recorded from all the birds on 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 40 days of age to assess the influence of gender on body weight. At the end of the experiment 12 males and 12 females were subjected to slaughter studies to assess the carcass characters. The body weight between males and females were similar up to 14 days of age and thereafter, males recorded significantly (p<0.01) higher body weights on 21, 28, 35, 40 days of age, weighing 35.79, 107.69, 179.73, 211.88 g respectively higher than females. The ready-to-cook weight (%) and dressed carcass (%) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in males; whereas, New York carcass (%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher in females. Among the cut of parts, the drumstick percentage was significantly (p<0.05) higher in males, whereas, the wings percentage was significantly (p<0.05) higher in females. Among processing yields and losses, only shank & feet and abdominal fat (%) showed significant (p<0.05) difference between sexes; while, feather, blood, head, viscera, kidney and total offal yields had non-significant difference between sexes. Among giblets, only the heart yield was significantly (p<0.05) different between sexes with higher value in females. The results showed that the males attain marketable weight early, therefore can be marketed early. The males can be slaughtered earlier than females for producing specialized products from drumstick; whereas, females can be slaughtered early to harvest drumette.