During lyssavirus surveillance, 350 brains from four species of fruit bats and one species of insectivorous bat were collected from seven locations in Northern Nigeria during May to October, 2006. Lyssavirus antigen was not detected in the brains, and isolation attempts in mice were unsuccessful. However, serologic tests demonstrated the presence of lyssavirus-neutralizing antibodies in bat sera. Of 140 sera tested, 27 (19%) neutralized Lagos bat virus, and two of these additionally neutralized Mokola virus. The positive samples originated from the straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) and the Gambian epaulet bat (Epomophorus gambianus). No neutralizing activity was detected against other lyssaviruses including rabies, Duvenhage, and West Caucasian bat viruses.

Every year, about 50,000 people die of rabies of which about 55% of the mortalities occur in Asia and over 40% in Africa. Children are victims of up to 50% of these mortalities. The figure is alarming and immediate action is required to stop this scourge. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice about rabies among children attending primary schools located in the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) premises and those outside the university as well as those receiving informal education. The participants for this study were children drawn by random selection from the schools chosen by purposive sampling. With the aid of questionnaires, information was obtained from a total of 477 children with 400 from formal educational settings among 3 schools, and 77 from quaranic schools ( almajiris ) in the informal setting. More children receiving formal education were aware about the disease (50.8%) than those receiving informal education (32.5%), likewise those residing within ABU quarters (71%) were better informed than those residing outside ABU quarters (43.3%). Among children in the formal schools, 25.9% obtained information from friends and at school (25.9%), while in the informal setting, 56% obtained information from friends and only 16% from school. With regards to attitude and practice, 75.5% of children receiving formal education came from homes where dogs were vaccinated against rabies and 23.3% of them play with dogs they know, while 11.1% of those receiving informal education vaccinate their dogs and fewer of them (14.3%) play with dogs known to them. Many children (65.7%) of those in formal schools know the role of dogs in rabies transmission, compared to only 8% in the informal schools. However, only 9.7% of children in formal schools associate both signs of furious and dumb form of rabies with the disease, compared with 28% in informal schools. Among children bitten by dogs, 87.5% of those receiving informal education received hospital treatment compared to 63.7% of those going to formal schools. About 13% in each of the two categories received traditional treatment. It is, therefore, important for children to be properly educated about rabies so that they can avoid dogs, recognise potential exposures, report to a responsible adult and pass on the knowledge to their peers.

Canine rabies is endemic in Nigeria. Some of the dogs slaughtered for human consumption may be infected with rabies virus, thus exposing handlers of raw dog meat to the disease since the virus may be present in the nerves in the meat. A cross-sectional study was designed and a structured questionnaire was designed and administered to a convenience sample of 160 processors and consumers (100 from Zaria and 60 from Kafanchan), by face to face interview at the slaughter sites or dog meat sale points. The questionnaire sought information on demographic characteristics of the respondents, rabies knowledge, attitude and actions the respondents would take if exposure occurs. Associations between demographic variables and categorized knowledge, attitude or practice scores were assessed using x 2 analysis. The relationship between non-categorized scores was assessed using multiple regression analysis. Also, 154 brain samples from slaughtered dogs (74 from Zaria and 80 from Kafanchan) were checked for rabies antigen using direct fluorescent antibody test. Of the 160 respondents, 49 (30.6%) were involved in the slaughtering and sale of dog meat while 111(69.4%) were involved in handling and consumption of processed dog meat. Only 123(76.9%) knew that dogs are common source of rabies in Nigeria and 105(65.6%) knew that rabies affect humans. Also 110(68.8%) did not have adequate knowledge of the clinical signs of rabies. The level of knowledge, having positive attitudes and knowing acceptable practices were directly proportional to the level of education. Respondents from Kafanchan had higher level of knowledge and more positive attitudes towards rabies than those from Zaria. There were significant correlations between knowledge and attitude scores (r=0.49) and between knowledge and practice scores (r=0.43) at p<0.001. Rabies antigen was detected in the brain of 6 (3.9%) of the slaughtered dogs. The findings indicate that processors and consumers of dog meat are deficient in the knowledge of rabies. There is therefore a need for educational programmes targeted at this high risk group to increase their level of knowledge and reduce the risk of exposure.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a vector-borne viral hemorrhagic disease with global clinical significance. Certain species of ticks are vectors of CCHF, which can be transmitted from animals to humans and humans to humans by direct exposure to blood or other body fluids. The zoonotic transmission at the human–animal interface from viremic animal hosts to humans is a public health concern with a paucity of data in Nigeria. Samples from 184 pastoral cattle from three local government areas (LGAs) of Plateau state, Nigeria, were screened for CCHF virus using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ID Screen^® CCHF Double Antigen for Multi-Species). Overall seropositivity of 30.4% (n = 56) (95% CI: 23.88%, 37.63%) was recorded from the study areas in Plateau State, while 48/126 (38.1%, 95% CI: 29.59%, 47.17%) sampled cows tested positive for CCHFV antibodies. Seropositivity was significantly higher (p < 0.001) among older cattle greater than two years, 54.69% (95% CI: 2.88%, 11.24%) compared to cattle younger than two years, 17.5% (95% CI: 11.17%, 25.50%). The location of farms played a significant role in the seropositivity of CCHF with the least risk observed in Wase LGA. CCHF is an important zoonotic disease in different parts of the globe with a high risk of transmission to pastoralists, livestock keepers/slaughterhouse workers, and veterinarians who handle animals. There is a need for a collaborative one-health approach with various stakeholders to unravel the dynamics of CCHFV epidemiology in Nigeria.

Background: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease that has become emerging and re-emerging in some regions of the world, infecting livestock and humans. One-humped camels are important economic livestock species in Africa used for traction, transportation, and food. Regional and international trade has continued to increase the risk of this disease, spreading widely and causing severe economic and public health catastrophes in affected regions. In spite of these risks, there is a dearth of information about the status of RVF in camels in Nigeria. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of the RVF virus in one-humped camels in Nigeria and identify the risk factors associated with the disease.Methods: A cross-sectional study with simple random sampling was carried out in seven local government areas of Jigawa and Katsina States. The sera from camels were tested for anti-RVFV IgG. Camel owners were administered a structured questionnaire to ascertain their knowledge, attitude, and practice.Results: An overall prevalence of 19.9% (95% CI; 17.07-22.90) was recorded. Based on age groups, the highest prevalence of 20.9% (95% CI; 17.00-25.31) was obtained among older camels (6-10 years), while female camels recorded a high prevalence of 20.4% (95%CI; 15.71-25.80). Sule Tankar-kar recorded the highest prevalence with 33% (95%CI; 1.31-4.72, p= 0.007) and OR 2.47 in Jigawa State while Mai’adua had 24.7% (95%CI; 0.97-2.73, p=0.030) with OR 1.62 in Katsina State respectively. From the risk map, local government areas bordering Niger Republic were at a high risk of RVF. Only high rainfall was not significantly linked with RVF occurrence among nomadic camel pastoralists (95%CI 0.93-5.20; p=0.070).Conclusion: There is a need for the country to have quarantine units across borders for screening animals coming from neighbouring countries for transboundary infectious diseases such as RVF.Author Summary: Rift Valley fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever that affects animals and humans with high mortality. Recently there has been increased demand in camel meat and products for food and therapeutic purposes. Climate change, coupled with insecurity in the Sahel, has had a significant impact on transhumance activities where camels and their owners move to different countries in search of pasture for their animals. Though Nigeria has not reported an outbreak of Rift Valley fever despite serological evidence in various animal species, there is a need to assess RVF in camels, which is a critical animal species, involved in transhumance with the potential of introducing transboundary diseases into new areas. The study assessed the presence of antibodies in camels, identified risk factors associated with the disease in camels and areas at risk for the disease. Our study found a seroprevalence of 19.9% in camels in two northern states of Nigeria, which shares a boundary with the Niger Republic that recently reported an outbreak. Our findings suggest that areas in proximity to Niger Republic are at a high risk to the disease and camels belonging to transhumance pastoralists are highly likely to contract Rift Valley fever since they are exposed to various ecological and environmental factors that precipitate the disease.