Dr WILSON BERTU JAMES
Assistant Director Staff
Profile
NAME: Dr. Wilson James Bertu Assistant Director
DEPARTMENT/ DIVISION: Dermatophilosis
Summary of education and qualification:
IJMB (A/LEVEL) ABU Zaria 1987
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), ABU, Zaria 1995
Master of Science (MSc) Vet. Public Health, ABU, Zaria 2009
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D) Vet. Public Health, ABU, Zaria 2014
Personal Statement
Dr. Wilson James Bertu is a Chief Veterinary Research Officer, at National Veterinary Research Institute, (NVRI) Vom, Nigeria. He is currently the HOD, Dermatophilosis Research Division and a former HOD of Bacterial Research Division. He holds the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), M. Sc, and doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Veterinary Public health and Preventive Medicine from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He is at the final stage of his Fellowship training in Veterinary Public health and Preventive Medicine Specialty of the College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria, Zaria Campus.
He first worked as a Clinician at Mass agroveterinary Clinic and then as Branch Manager at Junaz Ltd and Karluck Nig. Limited all in Jos, Plateau State.
He joined the services of NVRI, Vom as a Veterinary Research Officer II in 2001and rose through the ranks to the post of Chief Veterinary Research Officer in 2014.
He has been involved in Brucella research for over 18 years. He is highly experienced in the area of phenotypic and molecular characterization of brucella and in the serological diagnosis of brucellosis. He is currently focusing his research on antigen development for enhanced brucella diagnosis and development of DNA vaccine that will eliminate the disadvantages associated with the killed, whole cell brucella (S19) vaccines currently in use.
His research interest also include the epidemiology of brucellosis, prevention and control at animal-human interface. He has participated in the Integrated Control of Neglected Zoonoses (ICONZ) project (FP7/ 2007-2013) funded by the EU.
He has attended various trainings both in Nigeria and outside Nigeria some of which included, One Health Nextgen training in University of Ghana, Accra in 2015, Laboratory Training Course on Brucella Bacteriology, Brucella antigen production, Brucella storage, Classical Typing and Molecular Typing by Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR held at University of Navarra, Pamplona and CITA, Zaragoza, Spain in 2013, Workshop on “An integrated approach to controlling brucellosis in Africa held at ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2013, PhD Research Methodology training held at Sokoine University, Tanzania in 2011, On-Line Course on Introduction to GIS in Epidemiology organized by ICONZ and Avia- GIS, Belgium in 2010. Third International Conference on Neglected Zoonotic Diseases: Community based interventions for prevention and control of NZDs, held at Executive Board Room, WHO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland in 2010.
He has also attended various Conferences and seminars and presented a number of oral and poster presentations of his research works to the research and academic communities at different times in his nearly twenty years career.
Positions and Honors:
Positions and Employment (reverse chronological)
HOD, Dermatophilosis Research Division 2018-Date
HOD, Bacterial Research Division 2016-2077
Chief Veterinary Research Officer - 2014
Principal Veterinary Research Officer 2009
Senior Veterinary Research Officer 2005
Veterinary Research Officer II 2001
Professional Membership
Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA)
Association of Veterinary Research Officers, NVRI, Vom
Association of Public Health Veterinarians of Nigeria (APHVN)
International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN)
International Brucellosis Network
ISID
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Merit Award from Mangun Traditional Council, Mangu LGA, Plateau State.
Selected Peer-reviewed Publications (last five years)
Bertu, Wilson J., Ducrotoy, Marie J., Mu˜noz, Pilar M.,Mick, Virginie, Z´u˜niga-Ripa, Amaia, Bryssinckx, Ward, Kwaga, Jacob K.P., Kabir, Junaid, Welburn, Susan C., Moriy´on, Ignacio, Ocholi, Reuben A( 2015). Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Brucella strains isolated from autochthonous livestock reveals the dominance of B. abortusbiovar 3a in Nigeria. Veterinary Microbiology http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.08.014.
Marie J. Ducrotoy, Crawford W. Revie, Alexander, P.M. Shaw, Usman B. Musa, Wilson J. Bertu, Amahyel M. Madu, Reuben A. Ocholi, Ayodele O. Majekodunmi, Susan, C. Welburn (2017). Wealth, household heterogeneity and livelihood diversification of Fulani pastoralists in the Kachia Grazing Reserve, northern Nigeria, during a social transition. PLOS ONE, DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0172866 march 3, 2017
Marie Julie Ducrotoy, Ayodele O. Majekodunmi, Alexandra P. M. Shaw, Husein Bagulo2, Usman Baba Musa, Wilson J. Bertu, Amahyel Madu Gusi, Reuben A. Ocholi, Ward Bryssinckx and Susan C. Welburn.(2016). Fulani cattle productivity and management in the Kachia Grazing Reserve, Nigeria. Journal of Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice, 6:25.
Bertu, W. J; Ocholi, R.A; Gusi, A.M; Abdullahi, S; Zwandor, N. J; Durbi, I.A.A; Opara, J; Okewole, P.A. (2015). Brucella abortus infection in a multispecies livestock farm in Nigeria. International Journal of Biotechnology and Food Science, Vol 3(3), pp, 36-40.
N.B Alhaji, Y.S. Wungak, W. J. Bertu (2016). Serological survey of bovine brucellosis in Fulani nomadic cattle breeds (Bosindicus) of North-central Nigeria: Potential risk factors and zoonotic implications. ActaTropica, 153, 28-35.
Bertu, W.J; Ocholi, R.A; Gusi, A.M; Mwankon, E; Hassan M;Brucella Lateral Flow Assay: A Newly Introduced Test For Rapid Diagnosis Of Brucellosis. Vom Journal of Veterinary Science Vol. 7, 2010: 41 – 44.
Wilson J. Bertu, Amahyel, M. Gusi, Moses Hassan, Esther Mwankon, Reuben A. Ocholi, Daniel D. Ior, Bakari A. Husseine, Gideon Ibrahim, Theresa H. Abdel, Henk L. Smits (2012). Serological evidence for brucellosis in BosIndicus in Nigeria. Trop. Anim. Health Prod, 44:253-258.
Ducrotoy, M., Bertu, W.J., Matope, G., Cadmus, S., Conde-A´ lvarez, R., Gusi, A.M., Welburn, S., Ocholi, R., Blasco, J.M.,Moriyon, I ( 2015). Brucellosis in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current challenges for management, diagnosis and control. ActaTropicahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.10.023.
Gusi, Amahyel Madu; Ocholi Reuben Adama;Bertu Wilson James; Moses Hassan; Ibrahim Lubabatu; Mwankon Esther;Wungak Yiltawe;Woma Timothy Yusufu and Ularamu Husseini Gulak.(2015).Sero-Prevalence of Camel Brucellosis in Three Abattoirs of Northern Nigeria. Journal of Vet. Med. and animal health. 7(11) pp 328-330.
Marie, J. Ducrotoy; Wilson, J. Bertu; Reuben, A. Ocholi; Amahyel, M. Gusi; Ward, Bryssinckx; Sue Welburn, Ignacio Moriyon.(2014). Brucellosis as an emerging threat in developing economies: Lessons from Nigeria. PLOs Neglected Tropical Diseases, 8 (7) e3008.
Victor, I; Wachida, N; Bertu, W. J; Paul, A. (2012). Isolation of Brucella abortus biotype 1 in cattle with bilateral hygroma of the forelimb in Loko, Benue state, Nigeria.
Contact Email (official and personal)
wilson.bertu@nvri.gov.ng
wilchris2003@yahoo.com
