Alfred Chikweto, BVetMed, MSc
Associate Professor, Veterinary Pathology
Department of Pathobiology
Biography
Dr. Alfred Chikweto is an Associate Professor at St. George’s University, specializing in veterinary pathology. He earned his BVM degree from the University of Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Chikweto obtained his MSc degree from St. George’s University, where he investigated neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions in the skin of dogs in Grenada. He subsequently earned his PhD at St. George’s University, with a thesis on molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in food animals in Grenada. Dr. Chikweto’s main research focus is T. gondii, a protozoan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis in both animals and humans. Other areas of research include cryptosporidiosis, angiostrongyliasis, canine heartworm disease and neoplasia. Dr. Chikweto has published widely as either a primary author or a co-author in peer-reviewed journals (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov & https://scholar.google.com/citations). He has been an ad hoc reviewer for a wide range of journals in the field of veterinary medicine (https://orcid.org). Dr. Chikweto is passionate about teaching and mentoring DVM students in order to advance the field of veterinary pathology and research.
Contact Information
Areas of Interest
- Toxoplasmosis
- Cryptosposporidiosis in small ruminants
- Angiostrongyliasis and neoplasia
Affiliations
- United States Department of Agriculture
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Selected Publications
- Chikweto A, Mapp-Alexander V, Cummings K, Bhaiyat MI, Alhassan A. Disseminated Sarcocystis miescheriana infection in a finisher pig in Grenada. Veterinary Medicine and Science. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.1480.
- Chikweto A, Beals N, Taylor A, McConnell S, Frank C, Bhaiyat MI. 2023. Retrospective study of Oestrus ovis larvae infestation in small ruminants in Grenada, West Indies. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional studies and Reports. 2023 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100958
- Chikweto A, Alhassan A, Su C, Macpherson C, Bhaiyat MI, Dubey JP. Toxoplasma gondii clonal type III is the dominant genotype identified in Grenadian pigs. Veterinary Medicine and Science. 8:2005–2011, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.870
- Chikweto A, Veytsman S, Tiwari K., Cash K, Stratton G. Thomas D. Sharma R.N. 2019. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in asymptomatic small ruminants in Grenada, West Indies. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2019.1002
- Alfred Chikweto , Keshaw Tiwari , Muhammad I. Bhaiyat , Jason Carloni , Kayla Pashaian , Angela Pashaian , Claude De Alliea , Ravindra N. Sharma. Gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants from Grenada, West Indies: A coprological survey and a review of necropsy cases. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.05.004
- Alfred Chikweto, Ravindra N. Sharma, Keshaw P. Tiwari, Shiv K. Verma, Rafael Calero-Bernal, Tiantian Jiang, Chunlei Su, Oliver C. Kwok, and Jitender P. Dubey.. Isolation and RFLP genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) in Grenada, West indies, revealed widespread and dominance of clonal type III parasites. Journal of Parasitology. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1645/15-945.
- Ulrike Zieger, Denise A. Marston, Ravindra Sharma, Alfred Chikweto, Keshaw Tiwari, Muzzamil Sayyid, Bowen Louison, Hooman Goharriz, Katja Voller, Andrew C. Breed, Dirk Werling, Anthony R. Fooks,Daniel L. Horton . The phylogeography of rabies in Grenada, West Indies and prospects for control. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 8: 1-11. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003251.
- Chikweto A, M.I. Bhaiyat, M. Lanza-Perea, S. Veytsman, K. Tiwari, C. De Allie, R.N. Sharma. 2014. Retrospective study of canine heartworm disease with caval syndrome in Grenada, West Indies. Veterinary Parasitology. 205 : 721-724 2014.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.09.014.
- A Chikweto, P McNeil M I Bhaiyat, D Stone, R N Sharma. 2011. Neoplastic and Nonneoplastic Cutaneous Tumors of Dogs in Grenada, West Indies. https://doi.org/10.5402/2011/416435.
- Chikweto A, M.I. Bhaiyat, C.N.L. Macpherson , C. DeAllie, R.D. Pinckney, C. Richards, R.N. Sharma 2009. Existence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Grenada, West Indies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.02.020.
Selected Projects
- Detection and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in cats.
- Isolation and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in food animals.
SVM Research Faculty
View the SVM faculty involved in research and SVM Adjunct and Cooperating faculty who collaborate with SVM researchers. SVM faculty also collaborate with many other researchers at institutions in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. These collaborations are reflected within the individual SVM faculty research profile.
