Retrospective Study of Pneumonia Diagnosed, from 2013 – 2023, at The Necropsy Unit of The Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria

2 Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

This retrospective study, conducted at the Necropsy Unit of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria, investigated the temporal trends and patterns of pneumonia diagnosed from 2013 to 2023 in diverse animal species. Data were extracted from the record book, entered into Microsoft Excel sheet, and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results revealed that pneumonia was diagnosed in 27.9% (293/1052) of the carcasses presented during the study period. The temporal trend showed that cases of pneumonia diagnosed were highest in 2017 (17.4%), and least in 2023 (1.7%). Based on species, caprine (33.1%) exhibited the highest prevalence, followed by canine (28.3%) and ovine (18.4%), with porcine displaying the lowest prevalence (1.7%). Marked sex variations existed, with males having higher pneumonia rates in canine (56.6%), equine (63.6%), lapine (61.1%) and porcine (60.0%) species, while females exhibited higher prevalence in bovine (52.9%), caprine (61.9%), feline (75.0%), and ovine (55.6%) species. Also, the age variations showed highest pneumonia cases in animals <1 year old in several species, whereas in canine species, the highest prevalence occurred in the 1-3 years age group, and in animals >3 years in equine and porcine species. There was significant (p<0.05) association between age and the species of animals diagnosed with pneumonia. This study provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of respiratory infections in veterinary pathology, and the multifaceted nature of pneumonia prevalence. Thus, there is need to consider these factors in the understanding and effective management of respiratory infections in diverse animal populations.

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