Zoology-Scholarly Publications

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    Open Access
    Advancing interdisciplinary knowledge for ocean sustainability
    (Springer Nature, 2023-11-02) Santos, C.F; Agardy, T; Aheto, D; Allison, E.H.; Bennett, N.J.; Blythe, J.L.; Calado, H; Day, J.C.; Crowder, L.B.; de Vos, A; Flannery, W; Galparsoro, I; Gissi, E; Gjerde, K.M; Gobin, J.F; Green, S; Isaacs, M; Karauaihe, S.T; Lombard, A.T; Lopes, P.F.M; Ojea, E>; Orbach, M.; Pecl, G.; Reid, A.; Scherer, M.; Shelton, A.J; Sogbanmu, T.O; Villasante, S; Wedding, L; Sumaila, U. R
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    Open Access
    Wastewater-based epidemiology in hazard forecasting and early-warning systems for global health risks
    (Elsevier, 2022-03-01) Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara; Adams, B.; Adewale, I. D.; Agunbiade, F. O.; Akinyemi, M. I.; Archer, E.; Badru, F. A.; Barnett, J.; Bishop, I. J.; Di Lorenzo, M.; Estrela, P.; Faraway, J.; Fasona, M. J.; FayomI, S. A.; Feil, E. J.; Hyatt, L. J.; Irewale, A. T.; Kjeldsen, T.; Lasisi, AKS; Loiselle, S.; Louw, T. M.; Metcalfe, B.; Nmormah, S. A.; Oluseyi, T. O.; Smith, T. R.; Snyman, M. C.; Sogbanmu, T. O.; Staton-Fraser, D.; Surujlal-Naicker, S.; Wilson, P. R.; Wolfaardt, G.; Yinka-Banjo, C. O.
    With the advent of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) has been applied to track community infection in cities worldwide and has proven succesful as an early warning system for identification of hotspots and changingprevalence of infections (both symptomatic and asymptomatic) at a city or sub-city level. Wastewater is only one of environmental compartments that requires consideration. In this manuscript, we have critically evaluated the knowledge-base and preparedness for building early warning systems in a rapidly urbanising world, with particular attention to Africa, which experiences rapid population growth and urbanisation. We have proposed a Digital Urban Environment Fingerprinting Platform (DUEF) – a new approach in hazard forecasting and early-warning systems for global health risks and an extension to the existing concept of smart cities. The urban environment (especially wastewater) contains a complex mixture of substances including toxic chemicals, infectious biological agents and human excretion products. DUEF assumes that these specific endo- and exogenous residues, anonymously pooled by communities’ wastewater, are indicative of community-wide exposure and the resulting effects. DUEF postulates that the measurement of the substances continuously and anonymously pooled by the receiving environment (sewage, surface water, soils and air), can provide near real-time dynamic information about the quantity and type of physical, biological or chemical stressors to which the surveyed systems are exposed, and can create a risk profile on the potential effects of these exposures. Successful development and utilisation of a DUEF globally requires a tiered approach including: Stage I: network building, capacity building, stakeholder engagement as well as a conceptual model, followed by Stage II: DUEF development, Stage III: implementation, and Stage IV: management and utilization. We have identified four key pillars required for the establishment of a DUEF framework: (1) Environmental fingerprints, (2) Socioeconomic fingerprints, (3) Statistics and modelling and (4) Information systems. This manuscript critically evaluates the current knowledge base within each pillar and provides recommendations for further developments with an aim of laying grounds for successful development of global DUEF platforms.
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    Open Access
    Epidemiological Determinants of Entamoeba histolytica and Schistosoma spp. Infections in Selected Communities in Ijebu-East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
    (Cairo: Ain Shams University Faculty of Science Department of Entomology, 2022-07-20) Akinsanya B.; Okonofua C.C.; Oluwole A.A.; Adubi T.O.; Adeyemi O.O.
    Amoebiasis and schistosomiasis remain major public health problems in poor, developing countries with poor sanitary and water infrastructure. Disease surveillance provides necessary data for intervention programs. This study, therefore, determined the prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica and Schistosoma spp. and assessed associated risk factors in selected communities in the Ijebu-East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Urine and stool samples were randomly collected from 123 people living in five communities in the study area. Stool samples were subjected to the Kato-katz method for the detection of E. histolytica cysts and Schistosoma ova. Urine samples were examined by filtration technique for the presence of S. haematobium eggs. Demographic and socio-economic data, and knowledge, attitude and perceptions of subjects to infection were assessed using a standard questionnaire.Results: The study revealed that only 7(5.7%) of the 123 study participants were infected with E. histolytica. Females (8.3%) were more infected than males (1.96%) (p>0.05), and the age group >51 years had the least prevalence (p>0.05) of E. histolytica infection. None of the assessed risk factors were significantly associated with infection. However, subjects that had watery stools had a significantly higher prevalence of infection (P<0.05). Schistosoma spp. infections were not detected in this study, but respondents’ frequent contact with water bodies in their communities was shown. Conclusions: This study confirmed the presence of E. histolytica infection in Ijebu-East LGA, although at low prevalence. Health education is imperative to improve personal hygiene practices and prevent the transmission of these infections in the study area.
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    Open Access
    Exploring the genetic diversity of Eimeria acervulina: A polymerase chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) approach
    (Veterinary Parasitology, 2023-08-20) Adeyemi O.; Quill A.; Morikone M.; Evans L.; Formoy C.; Idowu E.T.; Akinsanya B.; Jatau I.D.; Blake D.P.
    Eimeria, protozoan parasites that can cause the disease coccidiosis, pose a persistent challenge to poultry production and welfare. Control is commonly achieved using good husbandry supplemented with routine chemoprophylaxis and/or live parasite vaccination, although widespread drug resistance and challenges to vaccine supply or cost can prove limiting. Extensive effort has been applied to develop subunit anticoccidial vaccines as scalable, cost-effective alternatives, but translation to the field will require a robust understanding of parasite diversity. Using a new Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) panel we begin to describe the genetic diversity of Eimeria acervulina populations in Africa and Europe. PCR-RFLP genotyping E. acervulina populations sampled from commercial broiler and layer chickens reared in Nigeria or the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (RoI) revealed comparable levels of haplotype diversity, in direct contrast to previous descriptions from the close relative E. tenella. Here, 25 distinct PCR-RFLP haplotypes were detected from a panel of 42 E. acervulina samples, including 0.7 and 0.5 haplotypes per sample in Nigeria (n = 20) and the UK/RoI (n = 14), respectively. All but six haplotypes were found to be country-specific. The PCRRFLP markers immune mapped protein 1 (IMP1) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) were most informative for Nigerian E. acervulina, while microneme protein 3 (MIC3) and HSP90 were most informative in UK/RoI populations. High haplotype diversity within E. acervulina populations may indicate frequent genetic exchange and potential for rapid dissemination of genetic material associated with escape from selective barriers such as anticoccidial drugs and future subunit vaccines.
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    Open Access
    Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Poultry Farmers Regarding the Control of Chicken Coccidiosis in Lagos State, Nigeria
    (Pan African Journal of Life Sciences, 2023-04-21) Adeyemi O.O.; Idowu E.T.; Akinsanya B.; Jatau I.D.
    Background: Coccidiosis, caused by coccidia of the genus Eimeria, accounts for significant production loss-es in the global poultry industry. This study evaluated commercial poultry farmers' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) on chicken coccidiosis and its control in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires assessing KAPs relating to chicken coccidiosis and its control were administered to 157 poultry farmers. Summary statistics were performed on the collated data using the Statis-tical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The relationship between respondents’ knowledge and demographic features was analysed using the Chi-square test of independence on SPSS. Results were consid-ered significant at p < 0.05. Results: The majority of the respondents were males (91, 58%), married (108, 68.7%), and between 31 and 50 years old (106, 67.5%). Most have had tertiary education (84, 53.5%) and farming experience between 1 and 5 years (97, 61.8%). All the respondents have heard about coccidiosis previously, and of these, 57 (36.3%), 45 (28.7%), and 37 (23.6%) sourced this information from veterinarians, fellow farmers, and during training/workshops, respectively. Ingestion of faecally contaminated feed and water by chickens was opined as the cause of coccidiosis by 48 (30.6%) respondents, followed by bacteria (30, 19.1%) and poor hygiene and sanitation (27, 17.2%). Most mentioned that ingesting faecally contaminated feed and water (126, 80.2%) is the mode of coccidiosis transmission, and 76 (48.4%) identified bloody and watery diarrhea as the major clinical sign. The gender of the farmers and their educational status were significantly associated with the level of coccidiosis knowledge. Of the study participants, 150 (95.5%) have experienced an outbreak of coccidiosis on their farms before, and the majority observed bloody diarrhea (90, 60.0%) as the major clinical sign. None of the farmers used ionophore drugs. Embazin-forte® (Sulphaquinoxaline) was the drug most reportedly used to prevent and treat coccidiosis. Few farmers (11, 7%) adopted anticoccidial vaccines for coccidiosis prevention using either Immucox®, Livacox®, or both. Conclusion: This study showed that poultry farmers in Lagos State have adequate knowledge of chicken coccidiosis. Chemical anticoccidials were the only drugs used for prevention and treatment, and vaccines were not adopted. There is a need for veterinarians and poultry extension workers to enlighten farmers in the study area about the proper, safe, and effective use of anticoccidial drugs and vaccines.