Dermatophytes from skin lesions of domestic animals in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytes are well-recognized cutaneous fungi with public health implications. In Nigeria, several studies have been carried out on dermatophytosis in humans; however, data on dermatophytes in animals are lacking. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and species of dermatophytes in skin lesions in domestic animals in Nsukka Agricultural Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. ANIMALS: Forty-six domestic animals (dogs, goats, sheep and pigs) presented for sale in the local markets in the study area and with suspected lesions of dermatophytosis were used for the study. METHODS: Plucked hairs and epidermal scales from the skin lesions of affected animals were inoculated on Sabouraud dextrose agar slants containing 0.05 mg/mL of chloramphenicol and 0.5 mg/mL of cycloheximide. Inoculated slants were incubated at room temperature (27°C) for up to 4 weeks and examined at 2-3 day intervals for fungal growth. Laboratory identification of the fungal isolates was based on their colonial, microscopic and biochemical characteristics. RESULTS: Of the 46 animals with suspected lesions of dermatophytosis, six (13.0%) were positive for a dermatophyte, and the following dermatophytes were identified: Microsporum gypseum, two of 12 sheep; Microsporum audouinii, one of 16 dogs; Trichophyton mentagrophytes, one of 16 dogs and one of 12 sheep; and Trichophyton schoenleinii, one of 13 goats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Anthropophilic dermatophytes are among the fungal agents associated with dermatophytosis in animals in Nsukka Agricultural Zone. These dermatophytes could constitute health risks to humans in contact with the animals.

Wide circulation of peste des petits ruminants virus in sheep and goats across Nigeria.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects goats and sheep in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and threatens Europe [R.E.1]. The disease is endemic on the African continent, particularly in West Africa, and is a major factor driving food insecurity in low-income populations. The aim of this research study was to carry out surveillance, genetic characterisation and isolation of recently circulating PPR viruses (PPRV) in sheep and goats from the six agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. A total of 268 post-mortem tissue samples of lung and mesenteric ganglia were collected from clinically suspected sheep and goats in 18 different states, of which five never previously sampled. The presence of PPRV was confirmed using a reverse-transcription coupled with a polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. A total of 72 samples, 17 sheep (6%) and 55 goats (21%), were found to be PPR positive. Positive samples were distributed in almost all states, except Kano, where PPR was detected in previous studies. The PPRV-positive samples were further confirmed by sequencing or virus isolation in areas where the infection had never previously been detected. These results confirm the active circulation of PPRV across all six agro-ecological zones of Nigeria, and consequently, the need for introducing strict measures for the control and prevention of the disease in the country.