Department of Zoology-Journal Articles

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    Open Access
    Livestock wastes: fish-wealth solution
    (WIT Press, 2011-05) Adewumi, A. A.; Adewumi, I. K.; Olaleye, V. F.
    A review of the use of livestock wastes for sustainable fish wealth creation was done, using information from literature and field survey. Livestock wastes including animal manure and poultry by-products, which are a menace to the environment, are sources of wealth creation in fish farming. In Nigeria, about 932.5 metric tonnes of manure is produced annually from the well established livestock industries which keep expanding at the rate of 8% year-1. Nigeria is the largest importer of frozen fish in the world with a fish demand of between 106,200–128,052 MT year-1. This situation calls for increased fish production which can be achieved through the effective utilization of livestock wastes. Livestock wastes are rich source of nutrients. Integration with fish farming makes livestock wastes assets in production. Properly treated animal manure can serve as organic fertilizer/feed component for enhancing fish farming profitability and reduction of Green House Gas (CHG) emission. Poultry byproducts such as livestock offal, feather meal, housefly (Musca domestica) maggots from droppings can form part of fish feed ingredient. Research has shown that properly managed fish cultured under the integrated chicken-fish farming system are fit for human consumption. In Nigeria, integration of livestock with fish farming has lead to efficient resources utilization including labour, feed, land space, reduction on investment risk through diversification, income generation, family food source, employment opportunities and conservation of environment due to waste management. Keywords: wastes, zooplankton, fertilizer, feed, fish, menace, assets, livestock, maggot, integration. Water
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    Open Access
    Effects of residue quality and climate on plant residue decomposition and nutrient release along the transect from humid forest to Sahel of West Africa
    (Biogeochemistry, 2007-09-26) Tian, G; Badejo, M.A; Okoh, A.I; Ishida, F; Kolawole, G.O; Salako, F.K; Hayashi, Y
    Fieldlitterbagstudieswereconductedinthe 2000 rainy season and the 2000/2001 dry season along the transect of West African major agroecological zones (agroeco-zones)tomeasurethedecompositionof,andN and P release from 5 plant residues (leaves of woody species) with increasing quality: Dactyladenia barteri, Pterocarpus santalinoides, Alchornea cordifolia, Senna siamea and Gliricidia sepium. The decomposition rate constant (wk–1) ranged from 0.034 (Dactyladenia, subhumid zone) to 0.49 (Gliricidia, humid zone) in the rainy season, and from 0.01 (Dactyladenia, subhumid zone) to 0.235 (Pterocarpus, arid zone) in the dry season. The direct correlation between the decomposition rate of plant residues and their quality was only valid in agroeco-zones where there is not moisture stress. Similarly, the direct correlation between the decomposition rate of plant residues and moisture availability was only valid for plant residues with high quality. The decomposition rate of the low quality plant residue could increase from humid to arid zone in West Africa. In the arid zone, the low quality plant residue could also decompose faster than high quality plant residue. The climate-residue quality interactive effects on plant residue decomposition in West Africa were attributed to the feedback of low quality plant residue’s mulching effect, soil fauna and appreciable photodegradation in dry regions. A decomposition equation that could be used to predict the decomposition rate of plant residues with various qualities
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    Open Access
    Prevalence and intensity of Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) in dogs and its potential public health significance in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
    (Journal of Helminthology, 2014-05-21) Sowemimo, Oluyomi A.
    A study on the prevalence and intensity of Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) in dogs was carried out in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Faecal samples were collected from 269 dogs between January and December 2004, processed by the Kato–Katz technique and then examined for T. canis eggs. The prevalence of T. canis obtained was 33.8%. The intensity of infection, measured as mean egg count per gram of faeces (^SEM) was 393.8 ^ 83.4. The prevalence and intensity of T. canis in dogs aged 0–6 months were significantly higher (P , 0.05) than older age groups. The prevalence and intensity of T. canis infection were significantly higher in males than in female dogs (P , 0.05). Since T. canis is known to cause visceral larva migrans (VLM) in young children, there is the possibility that the high prevalence of T. canis infection obtained in this study might constitute an important risk factor for transmission to humans. Therefore, there is the need to educate the residents of Ile-Ife on the danger of close association of their children with household pets.
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    Open Access
    The prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
    (Cambridge University Press, 2008-10-02) Sowemimo, Oluyomi A.
    A study of gastrointestinal parasites in 269 faecal samples from dogs (Canis familiaris) collected from Ile-Ife, Nigeria between January and December 2004, revealed seven helminth species: Toxocara canis 33.8%, Ancylostoma sp. 34.6%, Toxascaris leonina 3.3%, Trichuris vulpis 3.7%, Dipylidium caninum 4.1%, Uncinaria stenocephala 0.7% and Taenia sp. 1.1%. The faecal egg intensities, determined as mean eggspergram offaeces (^SEM) were:T.canis393.8 ^ 83.4, Ancylostoma sp. 101.5 ^ 32.8, T. leonina 14.3 ^ 7.9, T. vulpis 3.4 ^ 1.5, D. caninum 2.2 ^ 0.8, U. stenocephala 0.2 ^ 0.2. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was significantly higher (P , 0.05) in dogs of age 0–6 months than in older age groups. There was no significance difference in overall prevalence of intestinal helminth parasites between male (58.3%) and female (50.0%) dogs (P . 0.05). The prevalence of helminth parasites was significantly higher (P , 0.05) in free-ranging than in kennelled dogs. The prevalence of helminth parasites was also significantly higher (P , 0.05) in African shepherds than in Alsatians and other exotic breeds. Each helminth parasite had similar prevalences and intensities among both genders(P . 0.05)exceptinT.vulpis.Theoverallprevalenceofintestinalparasites maycontinuetoriseduetolackoffunctional veterinaryclinicsfordogcareinIleIfe. Therefore, there is the need to establish a veterinary facility in Ile-Ife
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    Open Access
    Sporadic Cryptosporidium infection in Nigerian children: risk factors with species identification
    (Cambridge University Press, 2010-08-27) TANNER, C. J.; MOLLOY, S. F.; KIRWAN, P.; ASAOLU, S. O.; SMITH, H. V.
    A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate risk factors for sporadic Cryptosporidium infection in a paediatric population in Nigeria. Of 692 children, 134 (19.4%) were infected with Cryptosporidium oocysts. Cryptosporidium spp. were identified in 49 positive samples using PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism and direct sequencing of the glycoprotein60 (GP60) gene. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to identify risk factors for all Cryptosporidium infections, as well as for C. hominis and C. parvum both together and separately. Risk factors identified for all Cryptosporidium infections included malaria infection and a lack of Ascaris infection. For C. hominis infections, stunting and younger age were highlighted as risk factors, while stunting and malaria infection were identified as risk factors for C. parvum infection