Int. J. Agric.Sc & Vet.Med. 2015 Bello Rabi'u Alkali et al., 2015 Research Paper ISSN 2320-3730 www.ijasvm.com Vol. 3, No. 4, November 2015 2015 www.ijasvm.com. All Rights Reserved EVALUATION OF CHALLENGES FACED BY NIGERIAN VETERINARY LABORATORY STAFF IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF AVIAN INFLUENZA Bello Rabi'u Alkali 1*, Kyauta Bulus Tanyigna 2 and Yahaya Abubakar Yabo 3 *Corresponding Author: Bello Rabi'u Alkali, balkali@yahoo.co.uk This study was designed to evaluate challenges faced by the Nigerian Veterinary Laboratory Staff which militates against effective diagnosis of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Nigeria. The investigation was carried out at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Jos and five designated Nigerian Veterinary Teaching Hospitals at Ibadan, Nsukka, Maiduguri, Sokoto and Zaria using a well structured questionnaire with the provision for questions on staff strength, skills, availability of laboratory reagents/equipment and availability of funds, etc. Of the 69 questionnaires distributed, the result showed that 36.2% of the staff did not respond to the questionnaire, while 14.5% indicated lack of facilities for all the methods,17.4% indicated lack of facilities to carry out RT-PCR, while, 7.2%, 8.7% and 4.3% indicated lack of facilities to carry out Rapid test, Serology and Viral isolation respectively. In conclusion, lack of funding, inadequate staff, training, reagents, basic equipment and facilities required for HPAI diagnosis as well as the dearth of Veterinary laboratory technologists are the major challenges being faced by Veterinary laboratory staff in the diagnosis of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Nigeria. Keywords: Avian, Challenges, Diagnosis, Influenza, Laboratory, Pathogenic, Veterinary INTRODUCTION Avian influenza (Bird flu.) is a highly pathogenic and contagious disease of domestic fowl caused by a virus commonly found in water birds (Capua et al., 2002; and Capua and Alexander, 2004). The first record of avian influenza virus was documented by Perroncito in 1878 in Italy (Perez et al., 2005). In 1955 a specific type (A) influenza virus was identified as the causal agent of what was then called fowl plague. It has since been found that Avian Influenza (AI) viruses cause a wide range of disease syndromes, ranging from severe to mild clinical manifestation, in domestic poultry (Taubenberger and Morens, 2006). Severe disease is usually caused by subtypes H5, H7 and H9 and is described as Highly Pathogenic 1 Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria. 2 National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru, Jos-Nigeria. 3 Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria. 42
Avian Influenza (HPAI) while the Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza occurring naturally can be any combination of H1-16 and N1-9 (Luke and Subbarao, 2006). The first report of HPAI in Nigeria was in a commercial poultry farm in North Central Nigeria in February 2006 (Monne et al., 2008). The outbreak led to spontaneously spread throughout Northern Nigerian with newer cases also confirmed in Southern Nigeria. Within 24 months of the index case, the infection was confirmed in 25 States and the Federal Capital Territory. In the course of the outbreak, 630 million was paid as compensation to 3,037 beneficiaries, and over 1.3 million birds were depopulated (Joanniset al., 2008). It was a traumatic experience for the poultry industry. Wealth and resources were lost to the ravages of HPAI. The Federal Government of Nigeria with the support of International donor agencies came up with a policy thrust for the prevention and spread of the disease in the country (Ugwu, 2007). Despite this effort, a number of challenges militated against effective diagnosis of the disease particularly in Veterinary teaching hospitals located in various part of the country. The result was that all samples collected in various part of the country were routed to NVRI for diagnosis with many arriving mutilated and unsuitable for laboratory examination. The main objective of the study was to assess the challenges faced by the Nigerian Veterinary laboratory staff involved in HPAI diagnosis with a view to offering suitable recommendations for effective HPAI diagnosis in the country. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Challenges facing Veterinary staff or militating against effective diagnosis of HPAI in Nigeria were investigated using a well structured questionnaire with the provision for questions on staff strength, skills, availability of laboratory reagents/equipment and availability of funds, etc. The responses were collated and presented in tables and charts and inferences drawn using inferential statistics. RESULTS The challenges faced by Veterinary Laboratory Staff in the diagnosis of HPAI diseases were evaluated in respect of availability of funds, diagnostic reagents and standard facilities, staff strength and expertise. Challenge of Diagnostic Facilities When respondents were asked to indicate the diagnostic methods which they lack the facilities to carry out in their laboratories, 36.2% did not respond, 14.5% indicated lack of facilities for all the methods, 17.4% indicated RT-PCR, while, 7.2%, 8.7% and 4.3% indicated Rapid test, Serology and Viral isolation respectively (Figure 1). The fact that all the techniques were listed showed a general lack of diagnostic facilities in the veterinary laboratories. Challenge of Laboratory Staff Strength The data on the staff strength is summarized and depicted in Table 1. The result indicated that 44.9% laboratories have only between 1-4 staff conducting HPAI diagnosis indicating a clear dearth of staff in veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Although a large number (30.4%) did not indicate the staff strength in their laboratories, it is instructive to note that in some laboratories only a single staff (2.9%) is involved in HPAI diagnosis. General Key Challenges The result of the assessment of the key challenges that militated against the effective diagnosis of HPAI in the country is summarized 43
Figure 1: Diagnostic Capacity of Some Techniques for Avian Influenza Diagnosis at NVRI During the Outbreaks in Nigeria Table 1: Laboratory Staff Strength of NVRI During the Outbreaks of HPAI in Nigeria Responses Frequency Percent Cumulative percent You are the 2 2.9 2.9 only one Two 6 8.7 11.6 Three 10 14.5 26.1 Four 13 18.8 44.9 Others 17 24.6 69.6 No response 21 30.4 100.0 Total 69 100.0 in Figure 2. The factors identified by the respondents include lack of skills (4.3%), lack of scientific supervisor (2.9%), lack of technical supervisor (1.4%), inadequate technical staff (2.9%), lack of reagents (13%), lack of operational equipment (8.7%), poor storage facilities (4.3%) and lack of funding (20.3%) while 27.5% indicated all of the above as part of the challenges. Although from this result, all of the above factors were identified as challenges, inadequate finding stands out among all the other challenges which actually to a greater extent equally depend on the financial resource of an organization. DISCUSSION The diagnosis of Avian Influenza (AI) virus infections including highly pathogenic avian influenza represents a considerable challenge due to the lack of pathognomonic or specific clinical signs, their variation in different avian hosts and the marked antigenic variation amongst influenza A viruses (Alexander, 2008). However, the key to a successful diagnosis of avian influenza will be determined by the laboratory facilities available and the level of staff expertise (Gough, 2004). 44
Figure 2: Key Challenges Faced by Laboratory Staff in HPAI Diagnoses The result of this study clearly showed a number of challenges faced by the Nigerian veterinary laboratory staff during the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Nigeria which militated against effective diagnosis of the disease in the country. Furthermore, the Veterinary Teaching Hospitals in the country that were designated for the diagnosis of the disease had limited laboratory capacity for HPAI diagnosis in terms of technical staff, equipment/reagents and thus suspected HPAI samples collected all over the country had to be routed to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Jos for confirmation. This was because of general lack of diagnostic facilities in Nigerian veterinary laboratories at the time and thus effective diagnosis of the disease was only possible at the NVRI during the outbreak. The present study showed that facilities for conventional laboratory techniques used for the diagnosis of Avian influenza which involve the isolation, identification and characterization (including virulence estimates) of the virus (Alexander, 2008) were absent in all the Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (VTHs.) and present only at NVRI. Also new molecular biological techniques being used especially reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and realtime RT-PCR technologies which are employed for rapid diagnosis (Alexander, 2008) were also absent at VTHs. Serological diagnosis of Avian influenza may be achieved through Haemaglutination Inhibition Test (HIT), Agar Gel Immunodiffusion test (AGID), and competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent 45
Assay (c-elisa ) (NADIS, 2006). The study showed that both NVRI VTHs can effectively perform these procedures but for general lack of reagents, equipment and funds at VTHs. This is in addition to operation of several commercially available antigen-capture kits that can detect the presence of influenza A viruses in poultry such as the Directigen FluA tests. It is instructive that OIE/FAO had intervened through encouragement of training of laboratory personnel, supply quality reagents, and collaboration with OIE/FAO Reference Laboratories to mitigate the challenge in Africa. This is in addition to assisting countries in enhancing their veterinary infrastructures to meet the future needs for early detection, surveillance and control programmes for avian influenza (OIE, 2005). The lack of regular funding to VTHs like their human counterparts seriously affects their operations. This limits their ability to procure adequate equipment/reagents and provide their staff with sufficient training necessary for effective Avian influenza diagnosis. In order to mitigate this problem, there is need for immediate passage in to law the bill establishing these hospitals in the country. This will allow the hospitals to hire more qualified staff with right skills and technical knowhow not only for diagnosis of avian influenza but other emerging and re-emerging diseases. More so a functional laboratory network needs to be established between VTHs and NVRI to enable provision of training programmes for laboratory personnel to ensure that appropriate diagnostic tests are used, test results are interpreted correctly, and appropriate quality assurance programmes are being used according to the OIE guidelines (OIE, 2005). This is in addition to provision of adequate financial resources for the smooth operations of both the VTHs and NVRI. Recommendations for Effective HPAI Diagnosis in Nigeria A number of wide reaching suggestions were made by the respondents for the effective diagnosis of HPAI disease. Notable among the suggestions include the following: Provision of adequate funding for laboratory diagnostic activities Local and overseas staff training Provision of reagents, operational equipment and other diagnostic facilities Provision of adequate and highly skilled laboratory technologists Continuing professional education to update staff knowledge CONCLUSION The major challenges identified include lack of funding, inadequate staff, training, reagents and basic equipment and facilities required for HPAI diagnosis. Another challenge is the dearth of Veterinary laboratory technologists as the majority of the personnel involved in the diagnosis are Veterinary research officers who are otherwise not by training responsible for laboratory operations. The VTHs of Universities should be re-established as regional diagnostic centres to serve and complement the effort of the Central Reference Laboratory (NVRI) at Vom by providing them with adequate diagnostic facilities and resources, as well as the legal framework for operation. REFERENCES 1. Alexander D J (2008), Avian Influenza Diagnosis, Crown Copyright Journal Compilation, Veterinary Laboratories Agency Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey, Virology Department, Blackwell Verlag, UK. 46
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