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Bovine anaplasmosis caused by Anaplasma marginale is an important endemic disease that exerts negative impact on livestock production with huge socioeconomic consequences in most developing countries. Genetic studies have reported the existence of diverse ntSTs of A. marginale with varying pathogenicity in different countries. Continuous studies to obtain accurate information on disease etiologies is desirable for the formulation of cost-effective control measures. To this end, 582 blood samples from cattle were collected from 10 out of the 36 States of Nigeria from April 2021 to March 2022 and analyzed based on the major surface protein 5 (msp5) gene to determine the ntSTs of A. marginale in Nigeria. In all, 38 out of the 582 samples (6.5%) from cattle in the different Agro-ecological Zones (AEZs) of Nigeria were positive. The Nigerian A. marginale nucleotide sequences were 96.7 to 100% identical to sequences from other countries and were placed in distinct clusters with other A. marginale sequences deposited in GenBank. Network analysis revealed three ntSTs (#2, #4 & #8) of A. marginale from Nigeria with a nucleotide sequence type diversity (Hd) of 0.8, nucleotide diversity (Pi) of 0.015 and average number of nucleotide differences (k) of 7.09. Two different amino acid substitution sites were found in Nigerian and worldwide sequences at positions 148 and 160. This is the first nationwide report on the ntST diversity and genetic characterization of A. marginale in cattle in Nigeria based on the msp5 gene. Bovine anaplasmosis is widespread in Nigeria and deserves further attention.

Dog feces may contain zoonotic parasites that contaminate the environment and serve as a potential source of infection to animals and humans. In this study, microscopic and molecular analyses were used to estimate the prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites and assess the risk factors for infection in 948 dogs in three climatically distinct zones of Nigeria. Zoonotic helminths including Strongyloides stercoralis, Ancylostoma braziliense, A. caninum and Toxocara canis were detected either as single or multiple infections in 377 (39.8 %) of dogs examined. At multiple logistic regression analyses, association was found between GI parasite infection and deworming practices and dog management. Regarding A. braziliense, A. caninum and T. canis infections, intensity of egg shedding was statistically associated with the age of the dogs and not with their sex or breed. The majority of GI parasite-positive dogs did not receive regular deworming treatment (59 %) and roamed freely (56 %) thereby constituting public health risk. This is the first nationwide survey and analyses of risk factors of GI parasites of dogs using molecular methods as confirmation of their identity. The zoonotic potential of these parasites is exacerbated by the lack of both operational national policies to control the population of free- roaming dogs and to promote responsible dog ownership, and veterinary public health programs for dogs.