This retrospective survey was undertaken between 2002 and 2007 on samples from dogs residing in G... more This retrospective survey was undertaken between 2002 and 2007 on samples from dogs residing in Grenada. The objectives of the study were to identify the most common histologic types of canine cutaneous tumors, determine the relative frequency of each tumor type, and compare results to reports from other regions. In a series of 225 skin masses examined, the proportion of neoplasms was 72% whereas nonneoplastic tumors accounted for 15.6%, and inflammatory conditions constituted 12.4%. There were 10 types of nonneoplastic tumors with hamartomas being the most common (28.5%), followed by sebaceous hyperplasia (25.7%) and fibroepithelial polyps (22.8%). The 10 most common cutaneous neoplasms were hemangiosarcomas (19.1%), histiocytomas (8.6%), melanocytomas (8%), mast cell tumors (6.8%), lipomas (6.8%), hemangiopericytomas (6.2%), papillomas (5.6%), fibrosarcomas (5.6%), hemangiomas (4.9%), and squamous cell carcinomas (4.3%). Tumors of vascular origin and transmissible venereal tumors ...
A serological survey was conducted to detect avian pneumovirus (APV) antibodies in commercial pou... more A serological survey was conducted to detect avian pneumovirus (APV) antibodies in commercial poultry birds in Grenada using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Sera were collected from 226 layers and 233 broilers. Age of the layers ranged from 12 to 18 months while that of the broilers ranged from 6 to 7 weeks. One hundred forty of the layers (61.9%) and 74 of the broilers (31.8%) were positive for APV antibodies. Chickens are not vaccinated for APV in Grenada and these results indicate that commercial poultry birds are exposed to this important poultry pathogen. This is the first report of serologic evidence of APV in Grenada and the Eastern Caribbean region.
This paper summarises part of a wider, retrospeclivc. study of cutaneous tumours in dogs that wer... more This paper summarises part of a wider, retrospeclivc. study of cutaneous tumours in dogs that were referred to the School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada over a six year period. In a series of over 160 cases, more than 15% proved to be tumours of vascular origin. the highest among all tumours in frequency. The clinical presentation ranged from small, often multiple, foci to large, discrete, usually ulcerated masses. Histologically, the lesions cauld be classified into three main groups: angiomatosis, hemangiomas and hemangiasarcomas. The main sites involved were the trunk and the Iimbs. Other sites were the head, the prepuce and the scrotum. The majority of affected dogs were local mixed breeds ('Grenadian pothound') with shark hair coats. Males and females were equally represented but, in general, the angiomatous lesions and hemangjon~as were found in a younger age group than the l~emangiosarcomas. Our hypothesis is that the prevalence of vascul...
Abstract. American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma ... more Abstract. American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is endemic to parts of South America and the Caribbean. Infected dogs are important in the epidemiology of the parasite as they can play a role in the transmission of the parasite to humans. A total of 399 dog sera (242 stray and 157 pet dogs) were examined for T. cruzi infection; using a qualitative immunochromatographic dipstick test, based on recombinant antigens specific for American trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma detect rapid test; InBios international, Inc., Seattle, Washington). Overall seroprevalence for T. cruzi was estimated at 10.5% (95% confidence interval: 7.5% to 13.5%); with stray dogs being significantly more affected (p<0.05, χ2). Results from this study indicate that dogs in Grenada are moderately exposed to T. cruzi compared to other areas in the region.
Bovine brucellosis, caused mainly by Brucella abortus, a zoonotic bacterium, has been reported fr... more Bovine brucellosis, caused mainly by Brucella abortus, a zoonotic bacterium, has been reported from many areas of the world, including Central and South America, and the Caribbean island state of Trinidad and Tobago. Although brucellosis has been eradicated from domestic cattle in Canada it still exists in one or two herds in the United States. Serological tests are important in estimating prevalence of Brucella exposure in order to target eradication programmes. In this study, serum samples from 150 cattle were tested using a commercial competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (SVANOVIR®Brucella-Ab C-ELISA) which detects antibodies to both B. abortus and Brucella melitensis. All cattle tested were greater than 6 months old and were unvaccinated. Sampled cattle were from 35 herds representing animals from all 6 parishes of Grenada. Nine of the 150 animals (6%) were positive for antibodies to B. abortus and/or melitensis by the C-ELISA. Of the 35 herds, 7 (20%) had C-ELISA- posi...
ABSTRACT Aim: Chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) causes immunosuppression leading to serious ... more ABSTRACT Aim: Chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) causes immunosuppression leading to serious losses in chickens. Though CIAV has been reported in commercial chickens from many countries of the world, no information is available on CIAVfrom Grenada. This paper reports the result of a serological survey of CIAVin layer and broiler chickens in Grenada. Materials and Methods: A total of 226 serum samples from layers and 233 from broiler chickens were tested for CIAV antibodies using CIAV/ELISA(IDEXX, West brook, Maine, USA). Results: The results showed seroprevalence for CIAVin layers at 92.9% (95% confidence interval, 89.55% to 96.25%) with a parish seropositivity in the range 89.28% - 100%, whereas in broilers overall seroprevalence was 58.3% (95% confidence interval, 51.97% to 64.63%) with a range of 2.85%-92.85%, according to parish. Conclusion:Ahigh prevalence of antibodies to CIAVin commercial chickens indicates a CIAVcontaminated environment in Grenada. This in turn emphasizes the need for vaccination of chickens against CIAVand further research on the impact of this disease in Grenada. Keywords: antibodies, Chicken infectious anemia virus, chicken, ELISA, Grenada.
DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals, SPARC Europe Award 2009 English. Free, full text, quality... more DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals, SPARC Europe Award 2009 English. Free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals, covering all subjects and many languages. ...
This retrospective survey was undertaken between 2002 and 2007 on samples from dogs residing in G... more This retrospective survey was undertaken between 2002 and 2007 on samples from dogs residing in Grenada. The objectives of the study were to identify the most common histologic types of canine cutaneous tumors, determine the relative frequency of each tumor type, and compare results to reports from other regions. In a series of 225 skin masses examined, the proportion of neoplasms was 72% whereas nonneoplastic tumors accounted for 15.6%, and inflammatory conditions constituted 12.4%. There were 10 types of nonneoplastic tumors with hamartomas being the most common (28.5%), followed by sebaceous hyperplasia (25.7%) and fibroepithelial polyps (22.8%). The 10 most common cutaneous neoplasms were hemangiosarcomas (19.1%), histiocytomas (8.6%), melanocytomas (8%), mast cell tumors (6.8%), lipomas (6.8%), hemangiopericytomas (6.2%), papillomas (5.6%), fibrosarcomas (5.6%), hemangiomas (4.9%), and squamous cell carcinomas (4.3%). Tumors of vascular origin and transmissible venereal tumors ...
A serological survey was conducted to detect avian pneumovirus (APV) antibodies in commercial pou... more A serological survey was conducted to detect avian pneumovirus (APV) antibodies in commercial poultry birds in Grenada using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Sera were collected from 226 layers and 233 broilers. Age of the layers ranged from 12 to 18 months while that of the broilers ranged from 6 to 7 weeks. One hundred forty of the layers (61.9%) and 74 of the broilers (31.8%) were positive for APV antibodies. Chickens are not vaccinated for APV in Grenada and these results indicate that commercial poultry birds are exposed to this important poultry pathogen. This is the first report of serologic evidence of APV in Grenada and the Eastern Caribbean region.
This paper summarises part of a wider, retrospeclivc. study of cutaneous tumours in dogs that wer... more This paper summarises part of a wider, retrospeclivc. study of cutaneous tumours in dogs that were referred to the School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada over a six year period. In a series of over 160 cases, more than 15% proved to be tumours of vascular origin. the highest among all tumours in frequency. The clinical presentation ranged from small, often multiple, foci to large, discrete, usually ulcerated masses. Histologically, the lesions cauld be classified into three main groups: angiomatosis, hemangiomas and hemangiasarcomas. The main sites involved were the trunk and the Iimbs. Other sites were the head, the prepuce and the scrotum. The majority of affected dogs were local mixed breeds ('Grenadian pothound') with shark hair coats. Males and females were equally represented but, in general, the angiomatous lesions and hemangjon~as were found in a younger age group than the l~emangiosarcomas. Our hypothesis is that the prevalence of vascul...
Abstract. American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma ... more Abstract. American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is endemic to parts of South America and the Caribbean. Infected dogs are important in the epidemiology of the parasite as they can play a role in the transmission of the parasite to humans. A total of 399 dog sera (242 stray and 157 pet dogs) were examined for T. cruzi infection; using a qualitative immunochromatographic dipstick test, based on recombinant antigens specific for American trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma detect rapid test; InBios international, Inc., Seattle, Washington). Overall seroprevalence for T. cruzi was estimated at 10.5% (95% confidence interval: 7.5% to 13.5%); with stray dogs being significantly more affected (p<0.05, χ2). Results from this study indicate that dogs in Grenada are moderately exposed to T. cruzi compared to other areas in the region.
Bovine brucellosis, caused mainly by Brucella abortus, a zoonotic bacterium, has been reported fr... more Bovine brucellosis, caused mainly by Brucella abortus, a zoonotic bacterium, has been reported from many areas of the world, including Central and South America, and the Caribbean island state of Trinidad and Tobago. Although brucellosis has been eradicated from domestic cattle in Canada it still exists in one or two herds in the United States. Serological tests are important in estimating prevalence of Brucella exposure in order to target eradication programmes. In this study, serum samples from 150 cattle were tested using a commercial competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (SVANOVIR®Brucella-Ab C-ELISA) which detects antibodies to both B. abortus and Brucella melitensis. All cattle tested were greater than 6 months old and were unvaccinated. Sampled cattle were from 35 herds representing animals from all 6 parishes of Grenada. Nine of the 150 animals (6%) were positive for antibodies to B. abortus and/or melitensis by the C-ELISA. Of the 35 herds, 7 (20%) had C-ELISA- posi...
ABSTRACT Aim: Chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) causes immunosuppression leading to serious ... more ABSTRACT Aim: Chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) causes immunosuppression leading to serious losses in chickens. Though CIAV has been reported in commercial chickens from many countries of the world, no information is available on CIAVfrom Grenada. This paper reports the result of a serological survey of CIAVin layer and broiler chickens in Grenada. Materials and Methods: A total of 226 serum samples from layers and 233 from broiler chickens were tested for CIAV antibodies using CIAV/ELISA(IDEXX, West brook, Maine, USA). Results: The results showed seroprevalence for CIAVin layers at 92.9% (95% confidence interval, 89.55% to 96.25%) with a parish seropositivity in the range 89.28% - 100%, whereas in broilers overall seroprevalence was 58.3% (95% confidence interval, 51.97% to 64.63%) with a range of 2.85%-92.85%, according to parish. Conclusion:Ahigh prevalence of antibodies to CIAVin commercial chickens indicates a CIAVcontaminated environment in Grenada. This in turn emphasizes the need for vaccination of chickens against CIAVand further research on the impact of this disease in Grenada. Keywords: antibodies, Chicken infectious anemia virus, chicken, ELISA, Grenada.
DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals, SPARC Europe Award 2009 English. Free, full text, quality... more DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals, SPARC Europe Award 2009 English. Free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals, covering all subjects and many languages. ...
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Papers by Alfred Chikweto