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Dogs, as the most common pet animal worldwide, habours a wide range of intestinal parasites with zoonotic potential, thus raising serious concern over public health. This study presents the intestinal helminthes in dogs and risk factors associated with dog owners in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. The dogs’ faecal samples were examined using formal-ether sedimentation techniques. Questionnaire was administered to elicit responses from the dog owners. A total of 110 faecal samples collected randomly from dogs were processed and examined for helminthes eggs. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthes was 39.1%. Prevalence was higher in Bende-Ovu 39.7% than Umuoshie 38.1%. There was no statistical relationship found in both communities (P>0.05). The four species of parasites identified were Ancylostoma caninum (44.2%), Toxocara canis (30.2%), Diphylidium caninum (23.3%) and Trichuris vulpis (2.3%) with Ancylostoma caninum occurring most 59.2% in Bende-Ovu and Toxocara canis (56.2%) in Umuoshie. This was statistically significant (P0.05). There is greater statistical significance (P0.05). Age related prevalence in the breed of dogs’ in Bende-Ovu and Umuoshie were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Questionnaire analyses revealed that majority (64.6%) of the dog owners are not aware of canine zoonosis. Most (58.4%) of them don’t take diseases transmitted by dogs seriously. The trend of the breed and species prevalence of zoonotic intestinal parasites of dogs observed in this study constitutes public health problems in the study area. Therefore, intervention measures such as health education should be provided to dog owners to reduce the risk of transmission of parasites from dogs to humans.

The management of solid waste continues to be a major challenge in urban areas. This study Ogbor-Hill solid waste dumpsite,Aba Nigeria. Formal-ether concentration technique was used to detect the presence of intestinal parasites among theresidents. Refuge sludge was examined using the Baermann funnel method and questionnaire was administered to collectdata from the residents on socio-demographic characteristics. A total of 423 faecal samples were examined and 164(38.8%)persons were infected. A total of 576 parasitic eggs/cyst/trophozoites were recovered from the dumpsite. The parasite foundamong the residents were Hookworm (12.1%), Entamoeba histolytica (10.6%), Ascaris lumbricoides (9.0%), Trichuristrichiura (5.0%) and Taenia saginata (2.1%). Of the five species of parasites found, the eggs of Hookworm species werehighest (34.5%) followed by A. lumbricoides (23.5%), E. histolytica (20.2%), T. trichiura (12.1%) and T. saginata was least(9.7%). Females (48.8%) were more infected than males (34.5%) but was not significant (p = 0.070225). Age group 21–30years recorded the highest (58.3%) infection followed by age group 11–20 years (54.4%) while 51 years and above were theleast (3.7%). There was no significant relationship in the age group (Pp>0.05). Those that reside closer to the dumpsite werefound to be more (54.1%) infected than those whose distance is farther (31.8%). The overall intensity of parasitic infectionshowed a positive correlation (R = 0.161). Solid waste not properly managed has been known to have a negative impact onhealth, environment and aesthetic values. A well planned waste management and health education programme for residentsliving around the dumpsite will go a long way in reducing the potential of epidemic risks posed by dumpsites in Abamunicipal. Keywords: Intestinal parasite, Solid waste dumpsite, Ogbor Hill, Aba

Trypanosomiasis is a debilitating disease of man and animals in Africa, Asia and South America, caused by a group of extracellular protozoan haemoflagellates of the genus Trypanosoma and transmitted by the tse-tse flies (Glossina spp) to man, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep among others. A study on trypanosomiasis in cattle was carried out at Ndi Okala shed Ohafia, in Ohafia LGA, Abia State. A total of one hundred and fifteen (115) cattle made up of 90 males and 25 females had their blood examined for the presence of trypanosomes using wet films, giemsa stained thin and thick films method. Out of this number, thirty (30) were infected giving a prevalence rate of 26.09%. The mean white blood cell count (WBC) was higher in the infected group and gave an indication of the presence of infection while the mean packed cell volume (PVC) was lower in the infected group, an indication of anaemia. Two species of trypanosome namely T. vivax (6.09%) and T. brucei (20.0%) were encountered. Periodic surveillance, treatment and control measures are advocated to avert the high medical and socioeconomic complications that may arise from the disease.Keywords: Trypanosomiasis; cattle; Ohafia; Abia State; Nigeria

Information on the parasites of common African toads ( Bufo regularis ) is still limited, judging by the global efforts to conserve amphibians. This informed the decision to provide baseline data of the gastrointestinal parasites of B. regularis of Umuahia South Local Area (LGA) of Abia State, Nigeria. Using standard methods, 321 B. regularis comprised of males, n =145, 45.17% and females n =176, 54.83% were collected from five communities (Old Umuahia, Amakama, Okwu, Ubakala and Agbama) in Umuahia South LGA, between June and November 2014. They were later examined for gastrointestinal parasites using standard procedures. Data analysis revealed that male B. regularis had more (n = 61, 19.03%) gastrointestinal parasites than the females (n = 58, 18.69%). Different species of gastrointestinal parasites belonging to class Cestoda ( Osphiotaenia nigriocollis, Lanfrediella sp and Proteocephalid Cestode larva ); Trematoda ( Messoceolium monody and Echinostoma revolutum ), Nematoda ( Amplicaecum africanum, Rhabdias bufonis, Ascaridoid, Oswaldocruzia pipiens and Camallanus sp ) and Protozoa ( Nyctotheroides bambuiensis, Lankesterellla bufonis and Protoopolina sp ) were identified with prevalence 20.25%, 4.36%, 7.48% and 4.98%, respectively. Prevalence of parasites varied significantly (p

Epidemiological research carried out in different countries has shown that the social and economic situations of the individuals are an important cause in the prevalence of intestinal parasites and bacterial infections. The prevention of these infections improves health care, work efficiency and economic productivity. In this study, a total of 1,092 stool samples were examined using culture method on special media for bacteria isolation, direct wet preparation and formal-ether concentration for parasites. The overall prevalence with parasitic/bacterial infection were 83 (7.6%) for Entamoeba histolytica, 64 (5.9%) for Ascaris lumbricoides, 30 (2.7%) for hookworm ova, 5 (0.5%) for G. lamblia cyst, 1 (0.1%) for B.coli cyst, 51 (4.7%) for Salmonella paratyphi and 17 (1.6%) for E. coli. There was a higher infection in males 43 (63.2%) than females 25 (36.8%). The statistical analysis showed there was a significant difference (p>0.05) observed between the sexes. Pupils between the ages 6-10 years had higher prevalence of bacteria and parasitic infection 45 (66.2%) and 81 (48.8%), followed by 11-15 age-group (33.8%) and 77 (46.4%) respectively while age 16+ had no bacteria and parasitic infection. There was significant difference with age (p>0.05). ASUBEB criteria for selection were used to group the school into urban, suburban and rural. The schools in group 4 had higher prevalence 72 (28.7%) which are suburban schools while Group 5 had the least prevalence 23 (9.2%) and are urban schools.Keywords: Prevalence; intestinal parasites; intestinal bacteria; school pupils

Malaria during pregnancy poses a substantial risk to mother and foetus especially an infection with Plasmodium falciparum. This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of falciparum malaria among pregnant women in Aba South Local Government Area, Abia State, south-east Nigeria. Blood samples from 432 pregnant women who attended Primary Health Care Centre and Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) were examined using Giemsa stained thick and thin films. Structured questionnaires were also administered to the women from whom blood samples were collected. A total of 173 (40.0%) were found to be infected with P. falciparum. It was the only type of malaria parasite species encountered. Distribution of infection among age groups was highest 12 (60.0%) among age group 15-20 years and lowest 121 (36.7%) among age group 26 years and above with significant difference (p

The present study was carried out to investigate the rate of microbial contamination of ready-to-eat meat and meat products sold in different fast food restaurants in Aba. This study was carried out between June and August, 2015. Samples were collected aseptically from five fast food restaurants using sterile polythene bags. The samples were collected in the morning and evening hours and each restaurant was sampled six times (morning and evening respectively) for a period of three months. The results obtained showed that meat pie recorded the highest heterotrophic bacterial count ranging from 1.3 × 10 5 to 3.8 × 10 5 cfu/g in the morning and 1.8 x 10 5 to 4.9 x 10 5 cfu/g in the evening. This is followed by fried chicken with heterotrophic bacterial count ranging from 1.0 × 10 5 to 1.4 × 10 5 cfu/g in the morning and 1.5 x 10 5 to 3.1 x 10 5 cfu/g in the evening. The total heterotrophic bacterial count is higher in the evening (1.3 x10 5 to 4.9 x 10 5 cfu/g) than morning (1.0 x 10 5 to 3.8 x 10 5 cfu/g). The mean coliform and fungal counts also showed that the products sampled in the evening hours were more contaminated than the ones sampled in the morning. All the sampled products were contaminated above the acceptable limit of 10 3 to

A study was conducted between March and September 2007 to determine the relationship between HIV/AIDS and poverty in two urban cities in Abia State, Nigeria.Atotal of 382 respondents, made up of 235 (61.5%) HIV/AIDS positive patients, 119 (31.2%) HIV-negative 28 (7.3%) were of unknown status. Using educational level, employment status and salary structure, it was found that the disease in the state was not caused by poverty. It was therefore concluded that drastic measures besides poverty alleviation, should be adopted if emergence of new infections in the state must be checked.

The survey was designed to study mothers' perception and management of childhood malaria in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria, due to the observation that malaria associated childhood morbidity and mortality continued to be on the increase in the area despite availability of new drugs and techniques for malaria control. One thousand, seven hundred and twenty-eight (1,728) mothers of different socio-economic background and between the ages of 30-59 years were randomly selected from the local government area and interviewed on the etiology, symptoms, management and treatment of childhood malaria in the area. Results obtained showed that both knowledge of the etiology and symptoms as well as management of malaria in children by mothers were still poor. About 30% neither knew the cause of the disease nor its major symptoms. Management practices were majorly based on self-medication with modern drugs obtained from mostly sub-standard chemist stores. When the home treatment failed, as many as 47.2% of the mothers did not take their wards to the hospital but continued the same treatment or sent them to prayer-houses and herbalists. While occupation, educational level and age of the mother affected correct knowledge of the etiology at 5% significant level, they had no significant (p>0.05) impact on recognition of the correct symptoms and choosing of first line treatment by mothers. Control of mosquitoes was mainly by use of sprays or burning of herbs, only about 13.4% used bed nets. Aside from enhanced awareness campaign in the area, there may be need for the Roll Back Malaria Implementation Committee and other stakeholders to consider other options like subsidizing the prices of effective malaria drugs or giving them free to mothers for their sick children, as is the case with other deadly childhood diseases. Keywords : childhood malaria, morbidity, mortality, etiology and symptoms, self-medication, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 28 (2) 2007: pp. 55-60

Entomological studies were undertaken in the primary health Zone A of Nigeria to ascertain the distribution and ecology of breeding sites of Simulium damnosuim complex. A total of 29 sites were prospected for immature stages of Simulium in seven [7] states in the zone: Akwa Ibom [5], Cross River [4], Imo [12], Abia [4], Enugu [1], Ebonyi [11], and Benue [4]. Ten of these breeding sites were positive for pre-imaginal stages of S.damnosum complex: Atan and Akpan-Ikpong (in Cross River State), Ibii (Umulolo), Imo, Ibii (Aku), Ibu, Ugbi and Iyi-aka) in Imo State; Idodo (in Enugu State; and Oturkpo (in Benue State). Three cytospecies of the complex were breeding in the study sites ( S. damnosum s.s; S.squamnosum, and S. yahense ). In addition to S. damnosum complex, other Simulium (though not vectors of human onchocerciasis) that were found breeding in some of these breeding sites included S. adersi, S .alcoki, S. auresimile, S. colasbelcouri, S. hargreavesi, S. mamahoni, S. unicornitum, S. vorax and S. walshi . Water temperature and pH were not significant (p>0.05) while dissolved oxygen and water velocity of the breeding sites of S. damnosum were significantly higher than the other sites. Keywords : Simulium damnosum complex, S. squamosum. S. yahense , onchocerciasis, south-eastern Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 28 (1) 2007: pp. 32-38

A five month study (April-August, 2001) was carried out in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State to ascertain the impact of haemoglobin level and concomitant infections on malaria parasitaemia and the on-set of fever during malaria attack. Two sets of subjects were used; the clinically-ill and non-clinically ill. The clinically-ill were those who reported ill with the usual symptoms of fever, headache, chills and joint pains at the clinic of the National Root crop Research Institute Umudike, which serves all patients from the whole Local Government Area. The non-clinically ill where students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike who were not apparently ill. Two hundred and five of the clinically ill subjects and 300 of the other group were examined for malaria parasitaemia using Thick Blood Film Method, while their haemoglobin were estimated using Colorimeter Method. The result revealed that malaria prevalence was high for both groups, although the clinically ill showed a significantly (p The Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 24 2003: 25-32

A study on the prevalence of gastro-intestinal tract parasites was conduced in three primary schools in Umudike, Ikwuano local government area, Abia State. 300 stool samples from pupils' ages 5-16 years were examined. The following parasites were isolated, namely Hookworms (53.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (36.7%), Trichuris trichiura (2.3%) Entamoeba histolytica (11.7%), Entamoeba coli (0.3%) and Giardia lamblia (1.7%). Multiple parasitism were also encountered. The age groups 5-7, 8-10 and 11-13 years recorded high prevalence rate of 54.7%, 54.3% and 57.8% respectively for hookworms and 40.0%, 39.0% and 35.6% respectively for Ascaris lumbricoides . Infection was greater among pupils who used pi latrine and water closet (WC). The Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 24 2003: 129-136