Browsing by Author "Balogun, Joshua Babalola"

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    Molecular-based detection of sub-clinical African Trypanosoma vivax infection and its association with some selected serum biochemical references and blood electrolytes in four traditionally bred Nigerian native Sheep.
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2018-09-12) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Sanni, Timothy M; Amusan, A. S; Decampos, J.S; Talabi, Adewale O.; Ozoje, M.O; Balogun, Joshua Babalola; Wheto, M.; Ikeobi, C.O.N
    Trypanosomosis remains a major challenge to livestock production in much of tropical Sub- Saharan Africa, while diagnosis and treatment still depends on inefficient parasitological techniques. Endemic infections of trypanosomosis depend on animal reservoirs with sub-clinical parasitemia. We report molecular diagnosis of sub-clinical Trypanosoma vivax (T. vivax) infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the first time in Nigerian sheep and associate parasite presence with gross physiological traits and biochemical references in extensively managed tropical sheep. PCR was used to amplify a 400 bp DNA fragment of the parasite genome in 161 sheep of both sexes across four geographical zones of Nigeria. Results showed a high sub-clinical infection rate (SCIR) of 73.9% in the total sheep investigated. Overall, SCIRs of 85.4%, 75%, 62.5% and 72.5% were recorded in Balami, West African Dwarf, Uda and Yankassa sheep, respectively; while geographical SCIRs were 73.5 % (South-West), 71.7 % (North-West), 73.5 % (North-East) and 88.0 % (North-Central). SCIRs of 73.5 % were found in ewes and 76.3 % in rams. T. vivax infection presence had a significant (p<0.05) effect on blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Alanine transaminase or Alanine aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) where infected sheep had a higher ALP levels of 242.24 +21.72 IU/dl than non-infected sheep (189.86 +10.77 IU/dl). Also T. vivax infected sheep had higher AST (185.92+13.90 IU/L) than non-infected counterparts (167.31+15.58 IU/L). Tropical sheep appear to be a fertile reservoir for T. vivax infection of other livestock. Molecular diagnosis of sub-clinical trypanosomosis using PCR-based assay is suitable for large scale epidemiological studies of trypanosomosis, early diagnosis of sub-clinical infection and treatment of the disease in extensively managed tropical sheep