Abstract

Faecal specimens were collected from different animal species (puppies, Guinea fowl, chicken and pigs) at different farm locations in Lagos (Inner City - Central urban area; peripheral City – rural/farming houses; Rural - a farming and agricultural zone, where people raised their own domestic animals). In all, 200 animals were sampled out of which twenty (14%) were positive for Campylobacter, seventeen (17) of these (60.7) were positive for animals from peripheral zone, nine (9)(32.1%) were found positive for animals from the rural zone and two (2)(7.1%) were positive for animals obtained from the inner zone of Lagos metropolis. The trend of infection by Campylobacter as exemplified in this study was pig, two samples (7.1%); chicken, 7 samples (25%); sheep, two samples (7.1%); puppies, 0 (0.0%), and guinea fowl, 17 samples (60.7). The peripheral zone had more incidence of Campylobacter with an incidence rate in the order peripheral zone (8.5%» rural zone (4.5%) > inner zone (1.0%). The results of biochemical tests reveal that three (3) samples were positive for Campylobacter coli biotype II, seventeen (17) samples were positive for Campylobacter coli biotype I and one (1) sample for Campylobacter jejuni biotype I. These results are indicative that the epidemic of Campylobacter infection is possible amongst handlers of these farm animals.

Key words: Faecal, peripheral, central, inner, puppies, campylobacter, coli, jejuni.