An assessment of poultry health problems in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

A six-year retrospective survey of poultry diseases presented to veterinary clinics in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria between January 1995 and December 2000 was conducted. Out of a total of 23,813 poultry cases, 18,304 (76.9%) and 5,509 (23.1%) cases were recorded at the State Veterinary Clinic (SVC) Maiduguri and Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) University of Maiduguri respectively. Out of the 18,304 cases presented at the SVC, viral diseases constituted about 44%, bacterial infections were 19.7%, parasitic infestations were 28.7% while non-infectious conditions were 8.7%. Similarly, out of the 5,509 cases recorded at the VTH University of Maiduguri, viral diseases were 69.9%, bacterial diseases were 10.7%, while parasitic and non-infectious conditions were 15.4% and 4.5% respectively. Among the viral diseases encountered, Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bursal disease (IBD) were the most important while fowl cholera and coccidiosis formed the major bacterial and parasitic diseases respectively. A successful development of control and preventive measures can only be achieved after a careful assessment of each condition is carried out. Key Words: Poultry health problems, semi-arid, retrospective study, Nigeria. Trop. Vet. Vol. 21: (3) 138-145 (2003)