Jacob Kwaga

• DVM, M.Sc (ABU), Ph.D (Sask.)
• Ahmadu Bello University

Rabies is a fatal viral zoonosis of serious public health concern worldwide that occurs in over 150 countries. In Nigeria, the disease is endemic and remains neglected, misdiagnosed and underreported. The level of public awareness perceptions and attitudes towards the disease are important factors in planning for effective control strategies. The a...

Staphylococcus species are among the dominant groups of saprophytic bacteria; however, lately, they are globally known for being opportunistic pathogens and prime cause of community-associated and hospital-acquired infections in humans and animals. This study was conducted to determine the phenotypic characteristics of Staphylococcus isolated from...

Toxoplasma gondii is a single-cell parasite capable of infecting almost all homeotherms posing a grave public health risk globally. There is limited available literature on the T. gondii strains circulating in bird species in the Plateau State, of Nigeria. Consequently, this study was carried out to identify and confirm T. gondii infection and also...

The attainment of the global target of zero dog‐mediated human rabies by 2030 depends on functional rabies programmes. Nigeria, a rabies‐endemic country, and the most populous country in Africa has a very poor rabies control strategy with a score of 1.5 out of 5 based on the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE). In this article, we r...

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection caused by members of the genus Salmonella . It is one of the most common and important zoonotic diseases. The route of infection from animals to humans is usually through contaminated food, water and environment. Bacteriological investigation on 303 cloacal swab samples collected from local (139) and commercia...

Background In Nigeria, there have been reports of widespread multiple antimicrobial resistance (AMR) amongst Salmonella isolated from poultry. To mitigate the impact of mortality associated with Salmonella on their farms, farmers resort to the use of antimicrobials without sound diagnostic advice. We conducted this study to describe the AMR pattern...

Dengue is a disease caused by dengue virus. It is a major mosquito-borne viral disease of humans that is endemic in areas of tropical and subtropical regions, which are environmentally suitable for vector propagation. The disease poses a major threat to the overwhelmed and weak public healthcare delivery system in the developing world, especially i...

Rabies virus (RABV) infection leads to a fatal neurological outcome in humans and animals and is associated with major alterations in cellular gene expression. In this study, we describe the effects of RABV infection on the mRNA expression levels of two genes, encoding the Ca²⁺-binding proteins (Ca-BPs) calbindin D-28K (Calb1) and calretinin (Calb2...

Background Cholera, a diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, transmitted through fecal contamination of water or food remains an ever-present risk in many countries, especially where water supply, sanitation, food safety, and hygiene are inadequate. A cholera outbreak was reported in Bauchi State, North-eastern Nigeria. We inves...

Background Commensal Escherichia coli residing in the guts of humans and animals are reservoirs of multidrug resistance (MDR) genes, including quinolone resistance genes, in humans and poultry. This study aimed to characterize quinolones resistance in E. coli recovered from poultry workers, chickens, and poultry farm/market environments in Abuja, N...

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a cosmopolitan and pathogenic microorganism associated with various diseases spectra and antimicrobial resistance of public health importance. Aim: This study determined the phenotypic characteristics of S. aureus isolated from patients in healthcare institutions in Zaria metropolis. Study design: A cross-s...

Rabies virus (RABV) infection leads to a fatal neurological outcome in humans and animals and is associated with major alterations in cellular gene expression. In this study, we describe the effects of RABV infection on the mRNA expression levels of two genes encoding the Ca²⁺ binding proteins (Ca-BPs) Calbindin D-28K (Calb1) and Calretinin (Calb2)...

The high rate of antibiotic resistance constitutes a global threat to the continuous use of these drugs, because of increasing treatment failures. The aim of this study was to survey antibiotic prescription practices of veterinarians and the possible contribution to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Nigeria durin...

Dermatophytosis is a contagious, zoonotic skin disease affecting a variety of domestic and wild animals including man. It is caused by a group of morphologically and physiologically related fungi in the Genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton.Trichophyton mentagrophytes was responsible for dermatophytosis on an 8-month-old Friesian-Buna...

Canine rabies is endemic in Nigeria as evident by several reports, however, it is a vaccine preventable disease in both animals and man. Dog owners’ knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) toward rabies is instrumental to a successful rabies prevention and control measures against transmission. This study determined the prevalence of rabies antibodi...

Testing for coliforms has a long history in dairy production, and has helped to identify the unsanitary condition of unpasteurized and pasteurized milk products. The study was performed to evaluate the level of coliform bacterial contamination in raw cow milk and milk products (kindirmo, mai-shanu, and nono). A total of 426 samples comprising 106 r...

Dermatophytosis is a contagious, zoonotic skin disease affecting a variety of domestic and wild animals including man. It is caused by a group of morphologically and physiologically related fungi in the Genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton-Trichophyton mentagrophytes was responsible for dermatophytosis on an 8-month-old Friesian-Buna...

Background Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country. By November 2021 it had experienced three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Peer-reviewed seroprevalence data assessing the proportion of the Nigerian population that have been infected were extremely limited. Methods We conducted a serosurvey in one urban site (n = 400) and one rural site (n = 4...

Background Cholera, a diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, transmitted through fecal contamination of water or food remains an ever-present risk in many countries, especially where water supply, sanitation, food safety, and hygiene are inadequate. A cholera outbreak was reported in Bauchi State, North-eastern Nigeria. We inves...

Dengue is a disease caused by the dengue virus that is primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito. Currently, the disease poses a threat to public health with about 390 million people reported to be infected annually across the endemic regions of the world. In Nigeria, the disease is underreported and often misdiagnosed as malaria. This study...

Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa with an estimated ~213 million inhabitants. As of November 2021 there have been three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Nigeria but there has been only one seroprevalence survey conducted to assess the proportion of a population that have been infected, which was performed in December 2020 after the fi...

Introduction Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has recently gained worldwide recognition, as the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms has led to increased mortality and economic burden. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of veterinarians towards rational antimicrobial prescribing and identify factors influencing use....

Background and aim: Pathogenic Listeria species are responsible for foodborne diseases and high mortality and morbidity among immunosuppressed humans . Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and November 2015 to determine the AMR profile and virulence genes associated with Listeria monocytogenes from beef sold in...

Free-range chickens play a vital role in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis because they feed on the ground, exposing them to infective oocysts shed by cats that contaminate the environment. The role of chickens in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Nigeria is understudied. Therefore, in the present study, we surveyed 222 free-range chickens slaug...

Background Trypanosomiasis is a fatal disease that threatens the economy of at least 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly with regard to livestock farming. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of trypanosome infection in cattle, and molecularly identified the species of trypanosomes in infected cattle and the spatial distributi...

Nitrogen’s dual effects as a critical nutrient input in rice production and a major environmental pollutant necessitate developing approaches that enhance Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE). As a staple crop in Nigeria, the development and release of NUE rice for commercial purposes, represent an important milestone in addressing food and nutrition secu...

A study was carried out to isolate Brucella strains from cattle in Kachia Grazing Reserve (KGR) and some communities on Jos Plateau and to carry out phenotypic and molecular characterization of the isolates along with other isolates obtained from field submissions and those in the archive of National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom. A tot...

showed high level of resistance to imipenem and meropenem (> MIC 32 mg/L). A unique trend in the distribution of carbapene-mase genes throughout the 6-year period have been observed with bla NDM and bla OXA-48 variants remained the two major carbapen-emase detected. In addition, coexistence of carbapenemase genes in CRKP and an increase of NCP-CRKP...

Background: Trypanosomiasis is a fatal disease that threatens the economy of at least 37 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa most especially livestock farming. In this study, we sought to investigate the prevalence of trypanosome infection in cattle, the potentials of these livestock as reservoirs of human-infective trypanosomes and the spatial distrib...

Toxoplasma gondii parasites present strong but geographically varied signatures of population structure. Populations sampled from Europe and North America have commonly been defined by over-representation of a small number of clonal types, in contrast to greater diversity in South America. The occurrence and extent of genetic diversity in African T...

A structured questionnaire was administered to 151 purposively selected fish farmers to assess their practices and perceptions on antimicrobial usage (AMU) in fresh water fish farms in North-central Nigeria. Risk pathways for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread, risk status and drivers for misuse and overuse of antimicrobials were also assessed a...

Toxoplasma gondii, the cause of toxoplasmosis is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of veterinary and public health importance. Ground feeding birds play an active role in the epidemiology of the disease and are the best indicators of soil contamination with the oocysts. Thirteen (14.1%; 95% CI = 7.7–23.0) of the 92 wild birds (6 of Colif...

Species of the family Enterobacteriaceae lead to illnesses affecting humans and animals globally and is a serious public health problem worldwide especially in developing countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence and distribution of faecal Enterobacteriaceae isolates from lactating cattle in Jos-Plateau and environs,...

In Nigeria, dairy industry holds monumental prospects in the management of protein deficiencies among the timid Nigerian populace. Emergence of metabolic products of some important fungi, Aflatoxins B1 and M1 (AFB1 and AFM1), may hamper such potentials and poses public health threat to the consumers of dairy products. Hence, the need to undertake a...

Nigeria, with a population of over 190 million people, is rated among the 10 countries with the highest burden of infectious and zoonotic diseases globally. In Nigeria, there exist a sub-optimal surveillance system to monitor and track priority zoonoses. We therefore conducted a prioritization of zoonotic diseases for the first time in Nigeria to g...

Background Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in animal production has led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens. Transmission of AMR foodborne pathogens from reservoirs, particularly chickens to the human population does occur. Recently, we reported that occupational exposure was a risk factor for multi...

Newcastle disease is one of the greatest constraints to the development of poultry production in Nigeria. In this study, the spatial distribution of Newcastle disease antibodies was determined using the Geographic Information System. A total of 400 serum samples were collected from chickens in districts around Kaduna Metropolis and screened for New...

Canine rabies is endemic in Nigeria as evident by several reports, however, it is a vaccine preven table disease in both animals and man. Dog owners’ knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) tow ard rabies is instrumental to a successful rabies prevention and control measures against transmis sion. This study determined the prevalence of rabies antib...

A cross sectional study on Brucella infection was carried out in Jigawa State in order to evaluate seroprevalence and transmission exposure factors among migratory cattle herds. A total of 1,810 cattle of different ages and sexes were systematically selected from 147 herds across four agricultural zones in the State and screened using Serum Aggluti...

Bats are often consumed by some ethnic groups in Nigeria despite association of bats with many important emerging viruses. More than 300 bats representing eight species were captured during 2010-2011 in eight locations of northern Nigeria. Available fecal swabs (n = 95) were screened for the presence of arenaviruses, CoVs, paramyxoviruses (PMVs), r...

showed high level of resistance to imipenem and meropenem (> MIC 32 mg/L). A unique trend in the distribution of carbapene-mase genes throughout the 6-year period have been observed with bla NDM and bla OXA-48 variants remained the two major carbapen-emase detected. In addition, coexistence of carbapenemase genes in CRKP and an increase of NCP-CRKP...

Background: The indiscriminate use of antimicrobial agents in livestock is the main cause of antimicrobial resistance in humans. Aim: The study was conducted on pig farms to assess the management practices and misuse of antibiotics in Abia State, Nigeria using structured questionnaire and assessments through direct observations. Methods: Question...

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a zoonotic enteric pathogen of public health significance worldwide. A cross-sectional study was carried out during which 384 faecal samples of household-reared small ruminants and water used in the various houses where the animals are reared were collected. The samples were enriched on tryptone soya broth and cultured o...

The metallic keypads of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) were examined for bacterial contamination, occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus. Surface swabs were collected from 235 Bank ATMs operating in Kaduna metropolis. The laboratory analysis employed were quantification of bacterial and coliform loads, identification...

This study was carried out to obtain a 16-year retrospective data on dog bites/suspected dog rabies cases and to determine the prevalence of rabies antigen in the brains of dogs slaughtered for human consumption in Makurdi, Benue State. Data for retrospective studies (2003 - 2018) of dog bite/suspected rabies cases was collected from both governmen...

Colistin is a last resort drug used to treat infections caused by multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria that have developed resistance to carbapenem. The emergence and rapid dissemination of the nine plasmid-mediated mobile colistin resistance genes (mcr-1 to mcr-9) has led to fear of pan-drug resistant infections occurring worldwide. To date,...

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in animal production has led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens. Transmission of AMR foodborne pathogens from reservoirs, particularly chickens to the human population do occur. Recently, we reported that occupational exposure was a risk factor for multid...

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in animal production has led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens. Transmission of AMR foodborne pathogens from reservoirs, particularly chickens to the human population do occur. Recently, we reported that occupational exposure was a risk factor for multid...

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in animal production has led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens. Transmission of AMR foodborne pathogens from reservoirs, particularly chickens to the human population does occur. Recently, we reported that occupational exposure was a risk factor for mult...

As feared and deadly human diseases globally, Rabies virus contrived mechanisms to escape early immune recognition via suppression of the interferon response. This study, preliminarily investigated whether Rabies virus employs epigenetic mechanism for the suppression of the interferon using the Challenge virus standard (CVS) strain and Nigerian str...

Background Globally, chicken is known to be a reservoir for the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes to humans. In Nigeria, antimicrobial drugs are readily accessible for use in poultry production, either for preventive or therapeutic purposes. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) are transmissible to humans bec...

Rabies virus infection is an endemic disease which remains central to public health issues. The presence of epigenetics associated with the over-expression of B7-H1 in mice brain infected with rabies virus was investigated for the first time. A significant increase (p < 0.05) in mRNA level of B7-H1 as the disease progressed was observed. The percen...

Fish production systems in North-western Nigeria has a significant role in food, nutrition and income generations to families, yet an important setup for zoonotic disease transmission. The aim of this study was to provide a broad knowledge of the structure, activities and food safety risks of the fish value chains operating in North-western Nigeria...

Rabies is one of the most dreadful diseases and a major viral zoonosis which has been shown to cause an almost 100% fatality rate in infected victims. It is characterized by acute progressive encephalitis, ganglioneuritis and parotid adenitis in mammals. This study determined the genotypic characteristics of rabies virus in dogs slaughtered for hum...

Multiple drug resistant (MDR) strains of Salmonella are frequently encountered with increased rates in recent years. Many variants of the organism have developed MDR genes which they retain even when antimicrobial drugs are no more in use, limiting the choice of drugs for therapy of Salmonella infections resulting in morbidity and mortality in both...

Background Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a global health threat. Antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli infections are associated with high morbidity and expenditure when compared with infections caused by susceptible strains. In Nigeria, antimicrobial drugs are readily available over-the-counter with potential for indiscriminate use by...

A study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from bovine mastitis in settled Fulani herds in Kaduna state. Three hundred and sixty milk samples randomly collected from selected herds in Kaduna South, Igabi, Lere, Sabon-Gari, Giwa and Zaria were examined. The preval...

Background and Aim: Dermatophytosis is an infection of the superficial, keratinized structures of the skin, nails, and hair of man and animals caused by a group of fungi called dermatophytes in the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. The prevalence of dermatophytosis among cattle in Nigeria and Plateau State, in particular, is yet...

A Field experiment was conducted during the 2018 cropping season, at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Agriculture Federal College of Education, (FCE) Yola. Yola is located in Northern Guinea Savanna Zone at latitude 9o­14’ North and longitude 12o38’ East and altitude of 158m above sea level. The treatments for experiment consist...

Background: Toxoplasmosis causes serious economic losses in livestock. Congenital transmission can occur in pregnant women, commonly with serious consequences.Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to screen for the absence or presence of anti-T. gondii IgM or IgG antibodies and explore associated risk factors in pregnant women (n=261) that...

Dog bite exposes victims to many potential zoonoses, particularly rabies which is feared because of its extremely high fatality rate of almost 100%. This study was carried out to evaluate the incidences of dog bite reported to some human hospitals in Plateau State, Nigeria and to provide data that will help in planning of rabies control programmes...

Porcine rotaviruses are potential reservoirs for genetic exchange with human rotaviruses. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of porcine Rotavirus antigen and associated risk factors in pig-raising communities and institutional piggeries in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. A total of 376 faecal samples from pigs of all...

This study was carried out to determine the public health risks posed by table eggs due to contamination with Salmonella and level of contamination of table eggs with aerobic and coliform bacteria. A total of 3820 pooled egg, 114 cloacal and 140 ovarian follicle samples were tested for Salmonella. Also 100 pooled egg samples were analyzed for total...

Background: The livestock industry plays a vital role in the economy of Nigeria. It serves as a major source of income and livelihood for majority of Nigerians who are rural settlers and contributes about 5.2% to the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Helminths however, cause economic losses due to reductions in milk production, weight gain, f...

Staphylococcus aureus is a commensal and pathogenic bacterium with impact on public health and livestock industry. The study investigated nasal carriage, antibiotic resistance, and molecular characterization of S. aureus in pigs and pig workers. Nasal swabs from 300 backyard-raised pigs and 101 pig workers were used for the study. Resulting isolate...

Nigeria, being a tropical nation, characterized by favorable climatic conditions, may display high chances of feed contaminations due to aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus with the consequences of health risks associated with the consumption of dairy products. A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the risks of occurrence and distribution o...

Background: In Nigeria not much is known about West Nile virus (WNV) in pigeons. This study determined the involvement of household-reared pigeons in the circulation of WNV in Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Serological detection was done using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a pretested interviewer-administer...

The field experiment was conducted at Food and Agricultural Organization/ Tree crop program (FAO/TCP) Teaching and Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Adamawa State University, Mubi, Northern Guinea Savannah zone of Nigeria, on a sandy loam soil. To study the three level of row spacing (20,30 and 40cm) and five levels of nitrogen (N) fertilizer...

Dermatophytes from cattle were successfully characterized to species and strain levels for the first time in Nigeria. This study was undertaken to isolate and characterize dermatophytes from cattle in Plateau State, Nigeria. Two molecular techniques were utilized. The first was the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the internal tran...

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an important zoonotic disease worldwide and hence it is of great public health significance. It is present in most developing countries where surveillance and control activities are often inadequate or unavailable. This study was designed to detect mycobacteria in raw milk of cows using ZN-stain, PCR, and cultural techn...

Fish farming is among agricultural activities that are used to fight food and nutritional security in Nigeria. But, the aim of the Nigerian government is not only to make its citizen food and nutritional secure, but to provide a safe food for its populace as well. The mere isolation and characterization of potential food borne illness pathogens doe...

This study was to identify the bacteria commonly involved in contamination of smoked-dried fishes; Stock fish (Gadusmorhua), Bonga fish (Ethalmosafimbriota), Croaker (Pseudotolithustypus), African catfish (Clariasgariepinus), mackerel (Scomberscombrus) available in Umuahia metropolis, Eastern Nigeria. A total of 300 fish were sampled randomly from...

This study was to identify the fungi commonly involved in contamination and deteriorations of smoked-dried fishes; Stock fish (Gadus morhua), Bonga fish (Ethalmosa fimbriota), Croaker (Pseudotolithus typus), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus) available in Umuahia metropolis, Eastern Nigeria. Sampling was randomly done...

Understanding the accurate distribution and genetic characteristics of chicken Eimeria parasites is of fundamental importance for efficient, robust and long-lasting methods of control of coccidiosis. The present study employed a PCR technique using a universal genus-specific primers that targeted the internal transcribe spacers 1 and 2 (ITS-1/ITS-2...

Purpose: High level ampicillin- and aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci are being increasingly reported from non-hospital sources. This study was carried out to characterize these strains from non-hospital sources in Nigeria. Methodology: A collection of Enterococcus faecium isolated from vegetables, soil, farm animals and manure and observed t...

The present study was conducted to assess the molecular discrimination of field isolates of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax of Nigeria origin in vitro (PCR) whether there will be genetic alteration of the parasites as the infections of the isolates in Yankasa sheep progresses from acute through relapses to chronic stages. A total of th...