Yakubu  Yusuf, Usman  Bashir, Sani  Sulaiman, 
    Prevailing Bacterial Zoonoses in Sub-Saharan Nigeria: A 10 Years
Retrospective Study in Veterinary Hospitals,
    Veterinary Research,
    Volume 12,Issue 2,
    2019,
    Pages 19-26,
    ISSN 1993-5412,
    vr.2019.19.26,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=vr.2019.19.26)
    Abstract: Zoonoses are diseases transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. They occur worldwide and
present a significant threat to both human and animal health. A retrospective study was conducted to determine
the bacterial zoonoses prevalent in the sub-Saharan Region of Nigeria. Two veterinary hospitals in Sokoto State
were identified and data on diagnosed cases of microbial diseases between January 2006 and December 2015
were collected. A total of 14,832 cases were recorded of which 3,351 (22.6%) were considered to be of zoonotic
importance while the remaining 11,481 (77.4%) were strictly animal diseases. All the microbial zoonoses recorded
were bacterial infections comprising bovine brucellosis (21.10%), ovine brucellosis (37.45%), listeriosis (39.27%),
leptospirosis (1.55%) and glanders (0.63%). Brucellosis and leptospirosis were observed to prevail throughout
the year without any seasonal variation. While leptospirosis and glanders were seen to occur mostly in the
rainy season. Ovine species had the highest proportion of zoonotic diseases recorded (27.53%) while equine
species had the lowest (5.59%). The findings provided more information on the most commonly encountered
bacterial zoonoses in animals in the sub-Saharan part of Nigeria. There is the need for public enlightenment on
the potential health threats and the appropriate preventive measures against these diseases. Concerned
authorities in the study area need to establish an all-encompassing monitoring programme for zoonotic diseases
in both humans and animals.
    Keywords: Bacterial zoonoses;sub-Saharan Nigeria;veterinary hospitals;leptospirosis;zoonotic diseases