AN OVERVIEW OF RECOMBINANT VACCINE TECHNOLOGY, ADJUVANTS AND VACCINE DELIVERY METHODS

Development of an effective vaccine is of paramount important in disease prevention and control. As such, recombinant technology can serve as a gateway for the development of safe and effective vaccines that can be delivered effectively with an appropriate adjuvant. Therefore, this paper aimed to review the role of recombinant vaccine technology, new adjuvants and the challenge of vaccine delivery. Related peer-reviewed journal article searches were conducted using a subscribed database at the Universiti Putra Malaysia library, involving areas of Health Sciences and Medicine via Medline, SCOPUS and Google Scholar. New generation vaccines include highly purified synthetic or recombinant antigens that stimulate effective cell-mediated immune and mucosal immunity. In order to enhance their efficacy, a number of adjuvants are used. Efforts have also been made to explore the usage of non-invasive routes of administration, devices and equipment for optimized antigen and immune-potentiator delivery of the immune system. Recombinant vaccine technology is rapid, compared to the traditional method of vaccine development and does not require the handling of live viruses. It is, therefore, a promising technology for developing a future vaccine to curb emerging and re-emerging viral infections that may be life-threatening or teratogenic

Pregnancy Back Pain: Its Prevalence, Pattern, and The Practice of Ergonomic Behaviors Among Pregnant Women in Rural Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State Nigeria

Background: Studies on Back pain in pregnancy have reported rates ranging from 25% and 90%, with most studies estimating that 50% of pregnant women will suffer from back pain during the course of their pregnancy. Low back is the most common region affected followed by posterior pelvic region and upper back region being the region least affected. In Nigeria, relative to the minimum wage, back pain consumes a significantly high amount of money in accessing health care thereby incurring both direct and indirect cost. Therefore, this study explored pregnancy back pain and the practice of ergonomic behaviors among pregnant women. Methodology: Three hundreds and eighty one pregnant women were recruited using Multi-stage sampling technique from eight Primary Health Care Centers of Sule Tankarkar local government. A questionnaire was used to obtain the required information. The data was analyzed using frequency and percentage to summarize the data and inferential statistic of chi square test to check association between categorical variables. Results: Majority of the participants are within the age range of 15-19 (34.9%), multiparous (70.3%) and in their third trimester (54.6%). The prevalence of back pain was 57.2% and it is mostly in the low back region (36%). Majority of the participants (44.9%) do not practice any ergonomic behavior. Conclusion: Low back pain is highly prevalent among pregnant women attending ante natal clinic in rural Jigawa State of Nigeria. Exercise during pregnancy, proper lifting techniques and ergonomics by experts could help pregnant women

Prevalence and molecular characterisation of Schistosoma haematobium among primary school children in Kebbi State, Nigeria

Schistosomiasis is the major source of morbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. It is estimated that 207 million people are infected, of which 97% are in Africa. The aim of this study was the determining of prevalence as well as the phylogeny of S. haematobium among school children in Argungu Emirate, Kebbi State Nigeria. A total of 325 urine samples was collected from school children between 7 to 14 years. S. heamatobium eggs was examined under dissecting microscope and DNA was extracted from urine sample and COX1 gene was amplified by nested PCR. The PCR products were purified, sequenced and analysed. This study showed a prevalence of 32.09%, with male pupils having the highest prevalence. S. haematobium infections in children who fetch water in the river have 24 times higher risk of being infected while those who bath in the river have 158 times higher risk of being infected. Our sequences were phylogenetically related to S. haematobium isolate U82266 from Kenya and consistence with the predominant species in Africa. This was the first S. haematobium and S. mansoni co-infection reported in Nigeria. S. haematobium infection is prevalent among school age and significantly associated with water contact

Biofilm forming Enterococci and their Status as Emerging Multidrug Resistant Bacteria

Urine specimens were collected aseptically and inoculated directly onto CLED and MacConkey agar medium and incubated overnight. Single target colonies were sub cultured, and identification was based on culture, morphology, and biochemical characteristics. Enterococci isolates were subjected to biofilm assay (Tube method), and resistance pattern was determined for both biofilm-formers and non-biofilm-formers. Genomic DNA was extracted using the Bioneer kit, and the gene for virulence was detected by PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis. 148 Patients having one or more urinary symptoms were the study population. The aim of the study was to determine the multidrug resistant ability of biofilm-forming Enterococci. A number of growths were encountered; Enterococci accounted for only 9.46% (14), the highest prevalence was seen in the age group 21-30 (35.71%), and females (64.29%) were more prone to enterococcal infection than their males (35.71) counterpart. There is a relationship between biofilm production and antibiotic resistance because multidrug resistant Enterococci isolate produced bands against esp gene with an average of 510kbp. Biofilm forming strains showed the highest resistance to gentamicin and penicillin (83.3%), and vancomycin can be considered a good alternative therapy in enterococcal UTIs because of its lower resistance (75%)

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND ABO BLOOD GROUP GENOTYPES DISTRIBUTION AMONG SICKLE CELL ANEMIA PATIENTS IN BIRNIN KEBBI, NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Highlights • Sickle cell anemia affects both males and females in Birnin Kebbi and is predominant among children between 1 to 10 years of age. • It is also more prevalent but less severe among individuals with O- and A+ ABO blood groups in the city.   Abstract Background: Demographic information and ABO blood group genotypes have been shown by studies to be useful tools in the management of sickle cell anemia. Regrettably, there is a dearth of literature on this information in Birnin Kebbi, northwestern Nigeria. Objective: This study determined demographic characteristics, ABO blood group genotypes, and sickle cell genotypes of sickle cell anemia patients in Birnin Kebbi. Material and Method: A structured checklist was used to collect data from the medical records of 99 patients who attended the Federal Medical Center in the city between November 2022 to November 2023. Result: The results revealed that most of the patients fell within the 1 to 10 years age group, comprising 44 individuals (44.4%), and the 11 to 20 years age group, comprising 33 individuals (33.3%). Of the patients, 48 (48.5%) were males, while 51 (51.5%) were females. Patients with ABO blood genotype O- (33.3%) and A+ (18.0%) were the most prevalent and least severely affected, while blood groups O+ (3%) and AB- (6%) were the least prevalent and most severely affected. Two variants of sickle cells (HbSS and HbSC) were identified, with HbSS (92.9%) being the most prevalent. Conclusion: Based on these findings, efforts should be made to ensure an ample blood supply with groups O-, A, and AB+ in blood banks. Moreover, studies have shown ABO blood groups to influence responses to diets, so precision medicine tailored to individual patients' blood groups is recommended. Individuals with O+ and AB- -blood groups should be given special attention, as they exhibit the severe form of the disease

Factors associated with hypertension among adults in high burden kidney disease areas of Jigawa State, Nigeria: A cross-sectional survey

Background: Hypertension is the leading risk factor for preventable cardiovascular-related complications and mortalities worldwide. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the prevalence and factors associated with hypertension among 361 adults from four local government areas (LGAs) of Jigawa state identified to have high burden of kidney diseases. The Modified WHO STEPS questionnaire and multi-stage sampling technique were employed and data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 22.0 Results: The age of the respondents ranged from 18 to 102 years with a median of 45 (interquartile range = 30–80) years. More than a quarter (34.9%) of the respondents were unemployed. Few reported history of alcohol ingestion (0.8%) and cigarette smoking (1.1%). The prevalence of systolic hypertension was 116 (32.1%), while that of diastolic hypertension was 133 (36.8%). Jahun LGA had higher cases (36.7%) of systolic hypertension, whereas Dutse LGA had higher cases (47.8%) of diastolic hypertension. Systolic hypertension was significantly higher (P 35 years of age. The odds of developing systolic hypertension were significantly lower among those between the ages of 18 and 35 years, and those between the ages of 18 and 35 years were less likely to have systolic hypertension than those above the age of 35 years (adjusted odds ratio = 9.0; 95% confidence interval = 4.6–17.6). Similarly, those who reported family history of diabetes and hypertension (P < 0.001) had a significantly higher proportion of systolic hypertension. Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension was alarming in the high burden kidney disease areas. The government should develop a sustainable model for the mass community screening of risk factors and community-based health insurance for the effective management of all identified cases

Determination of hand grip strength and its correlates during pregnancy : a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Pregnancy results in many changes, including reduced hand grip strength (HGS). However, good HGS is required for physical functions such as carrying and breastfeeding the baby after birth. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that may predict HGS during pregnancy. Methods The study was a cross-sectional study approved by the Research Ethics Committees of Kano State Ministry of Health and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano, north-west, Nigeria. Pregnant women at the designated hospitals were included in the study if they had no serious comorbidities or any known neurological condition that affects the hands and the neck. Demographic characteristics and independent (predictor) variables (age, weight, height, BMI, maternity leave status, number of full-term deliveries, number of preterm deliveries, number of live births, number of abortuses, gravidity, trimester, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, inter arm systolic BP difference [IASBP], inter arm diastolic BP difference [IADBP], and heart rate) of each of the participants were recorded by experienced therapists. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient and standard multiple regression. Result One hundred and sixty-one pregnant women with mean age, 25.04 ± 4.83 years participated in the study. In the dominant hand, 120 participants (74.5%) had weak grip strength. In the non-dominant hand, 135 participants (83.9%) had weak grip strength. For the dominant hand, the total variance explained by the whole model was significant, 28.5%, F(11, 161) = 1.187, R2 = 0.081, p = 0.300 . In the final model, none of the variables significantly predicted HGS. However, systolic blood pressure contributed to the model more than any other variable (Beta = -0.155). For the non-dominant hand, the total variance explained by the whole model was not significant, 33.1%, F(11, 161) = 1.675, R2 = 0.111, p = 0.089 . In the final model, only systolic blood pressure (Beta = -0.254, p = 0.023) significantly predicted hand grip strength. Conclusion Cardiovascular events or changes during pregnancy (such as change in systolic blood pressure) may be related to HGS in pregnant women. It is therefore, important for clinicians to pay attention to this, in planning rehabilitation strategies for pregnant women