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The seroprevalence and maternal antibody profiles to Newcastle disease virus infection of guinea fowls were studied using haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, in Borno and Yobe States of Nigeria. Of 822 sera and 354 egg yolk extracts tested, 327 (39.8%) and 242 (68.4%) were positive for NDV antibodies respectively. The seroprevalence was significantly higher (P< 0.05) in the dry (47%) than in the rainy (32.8%) seasons. Maternal antibodies in egg yolk extract (sampled during the rainy season), were significantly (P< 0.05) higher (68.4%) than the seroprevalence. The frequency distribution of antibody titers were skewed with 79.8% and 63.2 % of sera and egg yolk respectively having reciprocal antibody titres ≤ 20. The geometric mean antibody titre was higher (P< 0.05) in the dry season (3.7±2.0) than in the rainy season (2.5 ±1.7). The geometric mean titre was also higher (P

A typical mammalian erythrocyte fragility phenotype (EFP) exhibits a sigmoidal curve of the dependence of fragilities (% haemolysis) on hypotonic saline concentrations, but the goat EFP tends to be hyperbolic. Physiological variation in median erythrocyte fragility (MEF) and the associated EFP of Sahel goats was investigated. Erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) was determined in hypotonic saline using heparinized venous blood from 47 goats (23 males and 24 non-pregnant dry females) aged 1-4 years and weighing 18.87 ± 6.32 (9-30) kg. Packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte count and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were also estimated. Low, medium and high EFP were based on MEF of < 7, 7-8 and > 8 g/L, respectively. MEF of all the goats was 7.5 ± 0.6 (5.9-8.4) g/L. Phenotypic drift from sigmoidal to hyperbolic EOF curve was observed at the lower and upper limits of the phenotypic variation. Frequencies of occurrence of low, medium and high EFP were not different (p > 0.05) between males and females. Fragiligrams of low, medium and high EFP separated at erythrocyte fragilities of 10-70% and saline tonicity of 7-8 g/L. The saline concentrations causing fragilities of 10-70% differed (p < 0.05) among the phenotypes. There was no correlation (r = -0.28, -0.30; p > 0.05) between MEF and MCV or PCV, and between PCV and MCV. In conclusion, phenotypic drift in EOF occurred in Sahel goats without influence by erythrocyte parameters and represented the physiological variability of EOF endpoint estimates that would serve as reference limits in evaluation of erythrocyte membrane defects. Keywords: Erythrocyte size, Median fragility, Osmotic fragility, Phenotypic drift, Sahel goat

The reliability of FAMACHA © chart for identifying anaemic goats was compared with Packed Cell Volume (PCV). The colour of the lower eyelids was graded with FAMACHA © chart based on FAMACHA © scores (FS) of 1-5. The animals were scored from severely anaemic (white or FS 5) through moderately anaemic (pink or FS 3) to non-anaemic (red or FS 1). The prevalence of anaemia in the animals was also determined. This study was done to control death of animals from anaemia by the use of FAMACHA © chart, a method which does not need laboratory analysis and can be used by the illiterate with minimal training. A total of 415 goats were used for the study. Blood samples were collected for determination of PCV. Data for both FS and PCV were evaluated using two separate cut off points for each sample (values of FS 4 and 5 or FS 5 and PCV values of ≤ 19% or ≤ 15 %), to determine anaemic animals. The FAMACHA © Score of the evaluated goats was normally distributed, with FS 3 occurring most frequently (34.5%), whilst, the least was FS 1 (5.3%). There was a high negative correlation between FS and PCV (r = -0.69, P < 0.02). The sensitivity of FS was high (64%) when FS 5 and PCV ≤ 19%, were used to determine anaemia, but when FS 4&5 and PCV ≤ 15% were used, the sensitivity decreased to 22%. Thus, it was concluded that FAMACHA © scores of 5 gave the most reliable indicator of anaemia in goats, coinciding with the PCV values of ≤ 19%. A high Likelihood Ratio of 22 was recorded in this study. Indicating that FS will be positive for anaemia 22 times in anaemic animals than in non anaemic animals. Keywords: Anaemia, FAMACHA © chart, Goat, Reliability, Sensitivity