Poultry is a vital component of global meat production, with particular importance in Nigeria and Africa, as it promotes food security, economic growth, and rural livelihoods. Indigenous chickens, although less productive, are well adapted to local environments and provide significant socio-economic and nutritional benefits. The rising demand for animal protein and concerns over antimicrobial resistance (AMR) necessitate the development of sustainable alternatives to antibiotics in poultry production. Probiotics have emerged as effective feed additives that enhance gut health, immunity, nutrient absorption, and overall productivity. While extensively studied in commercial poultry, research on probiotics in Nigerian Indigenous Ecotype Chickens (NIECs) remains limited. Key challenges in indigenous poultry systems include low productivity, disease vulnerability, limited veterinary access, and environmental pressures. Addressing these requires improved management practices, infrastructure, veterinary support, and enabling policies. Multi-strain probiotics, particularly those containing Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacillus species, demonstrate promise in enhancing productivity, improving product quality, promoting environmental sustainability, and ensuring food safety. Focused research on local probiotic strains, field trials, farmer education, and policy support is crucial for harnessing the full benefits of probiotics and transforming indigenous poultry farming into a resilient and sustainable sector.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacteria responsible for many hospital-acquired infections. Phages are promising alternatives for treating P. aeruginosa infections, which are often intrinsically resistant. The combination of phage and antibiotics in clearing bacterial infection holds promise due to increasing reports of enhanced effectiveness when both are used together. The aim of the study is to isolate and characterize a novel P. aeruginosa phage and determine its effectiveness in in vitro combination with antibiotics in controlling P. aeruginosa. In this study, a novel jumbo myophage HPP-Temi infecting P. aeruginosa Pa9 (PP334386) was isolated from household sewage. Electron micrographs of the phage were obtained to determine the morphological features of HPP-Temi virions. Complete genome analysis and a combination of Pseudomonas phage HPP-Temi with antibiotics were examined. The phage HPP-Temi was able to productively infect P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 but was unable to infect a closely related genus. The phage was stable at 4–37 °C, 0.5% NaCl, and pH 8 for at least one hour. The HPP-Temi genome is a 302,719-bp-long dsDNA molecule with a GC content of 46.46%. The genome was predicted to have 436 ORFs and 7 tRNA genes. No virulence factor-related genes, antimicrobial resistance, or temperate lifestyle-associated genes were found in the phage HPP-Temi genome. Phage HPP-Temi is most closely related to the known or tentative representatives of the Pawinskivirus genus and can be proposed as a representative for the creation of a novel phage species in that genus. The phage and antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) combination at varying phage titers (10³, 10⁶, 10⁹) were used against P. aeruginosa Pa9 (PP334386) at 3.0 × 10⁸ CFU/mL, which was carried out in triplicate. The result showed that combining antibiotics with phage significantly reduced the bacteria count at 10³ and 10⁶ titers, while no growth was observed at 10⁹ PFU/mL. This suggests that the effect of phage HPP-Temi in combination with antibiotics is a potential and promising agent for the control of P. aeruginosa infections.

The increasing outbreak of zoonotic diseases presents challenging times for nations and calls for a renewed effort to disrupt the chain of events that precede it. Nigeria’s response to the 2006 bird flu provided a platform for outbreak response, yet it was not its first experience with Influenza. This study describes the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Influenza surveillance and, conversely, while the 1918 Influenza pandemic remains the most devastating (500,000 deaths in 18 million population) in Nigeria, the emergence of SARS CoV-2 presented renewed opportunities for the development of vaccines with novel technology, co-infection studies outcome, and challenges globally. Although the public health Intervention and strategies left some positive outcomes for other viruses, Nigeria and Africa’s preparation against the next pandemic may involve prioritizing a combination of technology, socioeconomic growth, and active surveillance in the spirit of One Health.

Farm animals harbour bacterial pathogens, which are often viewed as important indicators of animal health and determinants of food safety. To better understand the prevalence and inform treatment, we audited laboratory data at the Bacteriology Laboratory of the NVRI from 2018–2021. Antibiotics were classified into seven basic classes: quinolones, tetracyclines, beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, nitrofuran, and cephalosporins. Trends were analysed using a generalised linear model with a log link function for the Poisson distribution, comparing proportions between years with an offset to account for the variability in the total number of organisms per year. Avian (73.18%) samples were higher than any other sample. The major isolates identified were Escherichia. coli, Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Proteus spp., and Pseudomonas spp. We found that antimicrobial resistance to baseline antibiotics increased over the years. Of particular concern was the increasing resistance of Klebsiella spp. to cephalosporins, an important second-generation antibiotic. This finding underscores the importance of farm animals as reservoirs of pathogens harbouring antimicrobial resistance. Effective biosecurity, surveillance, and frugal use of antibiotics in farms are needed because the health of humans and animals is intricately connected.

There is a growing concern for exploring the animal-human interface through surveillance of peri-urban animals. Wildlife at this interface has been reported to pick up and redistribute antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and other infectious diseases. Samples from two stray Owl fledglings found at the National Veterinary Research Institute, Nigeria were used for this study. Corynebacterium amycolatum, Mammalicoccus siuri, and Escherichia coli were isolated and identified from cloacal and oropharyngeal swabs collected from the birds. Almost all (4/5) of the isolates had multidrug resistance. Also, three species of Leptospira (L. enterohaemorrhagica. L grippotyphosa, and L. mini) were identified by the microscopic agglutination technique (MAT). Our findings emphasised the growing One Health concerns for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread in the environment and the importance of Wildlife in periurban centres as sentinels for potential zoonotic transmission.

Rat hepatitis E virus (rHEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen, increasingly detected in human, animal, and environmental samples globally. Although rHEV shares the same subfamily as human hepatitis E virus (HEV; Paslahepevirus balayani), which is endemic across Africa, little is known about rHEV ecology on the continent beyond an isolated travel-related case linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon. As a rodent-borne virus, rHEV poses a public health risk due to the widespread presence of the synanthropic reservoir Rattus norvegicus. Limited data on hepatitis of unknown origin further emphasise the need for active surveillance to understand the distribution, epidemiology, and impact of rHEV on human health. This review summarises our current knowledge on the global distribution of rHEV in humans, animals, and the environment, highlighting the importance of ongoing surveillance through the One Health Approach. Monitoring the virus in countries such as Nigeria, a country with a significant pig population and documented circulation of hepatitis E virus (HEV), could improve healthcare for immunocompromised and at-risk populations. Furthermore, the viral evolution may facilitate host adaptation and transmission, thereby complicating control efforts. These factors underscore the necessity for targeted research and intervention strategies to address the emerging threat of rHEV effectively.