Child adoption amongst women attending infertility clinic in a tertiary hospital in south –south Nigeria.

Worldwide, child adoption is one of the main options for infertile couples that help in alleviating the psychological and social consequences of childlessness. The study set out to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice to adoption in a rural community in Esan central Local government area of Edo state, Nigeria. The cross sectional study was carried out in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Two hundred and sixty six women attending the Infertility clinic in October, 2013, were recruited consecutively, and interviewed using structured pre-tested questionnaires. Data was analysed using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16, and presented as charts, tables and associations tested with Chi-square. Slightly above half of respondents had good knowledge. Attitude towards adoption was poor and less than 10% practiced adoption. Knowledge was significantly associated with practice. Health education should target identified groups, and aim to clear gaps in knowledge of adoption.Key words: Adoption, Infertility, Attitude, Health educatio

Lassa fever – full recovery without ribavarin treatment: a case report

Background: Lassa fever is a rodent-borne zoonosis that clinically manifests as an acute hemorrhagic fever. It is treated using ribavarin. Surviving Lassa fever without receiving the antiviral drug ribavarin is rare. Only few cases have been documented to date.Case Presentation: We report a case of a 59-year old female with fever who was initially thought to have acute pyelonephritis and sepsis syndrome with background malaria. Further changes in her clinical state and laboratory tests led to a suspicion of Lassa fever. However at the time her laboratory confirmatory test for Lassa fever returned, her clinical state had improved and she made full recovery without receiving ribavarin. Her close contacts showed no evidence of Lassa virus infection.Conclusion: This report adds to the literature on the natural history of Lassa fever; and that individuals may survive Lassa fever with conservative management of symptoms of the disease and its complications.Keywords: Lassa fever; viral hemorrhagic fever, survival, ribavari

Clinical Presentation and Outcome of Ribavirin Treated RT-PCR Confirmed Lassa Fever Patients in ISTH Irrua: A Pilot Study

Background: Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever that is endo-epidemic in Edo state, with case fatality of 90-100% if not treated. It has been claimed that early treatment with Ribavirin reduces mortality to less than 20%. This study was carried out to assert/confirm or refute/reject this claim.Aim: To review the clinical features, laboratory findings of Lassa fever and the outcome of confirmed cases treated with Ribavirin.Methodology: The study was a case series study of the first 41 cases that were treated with Ribavirin in the Lassa fever isolation ward from 28th November 2010 to 26th May 2011.Results: Up to 63.4% of cases presented late (onset of illness greater than 6 days at presentation). Fever remains the predominant presenting feature of the disease (97.5%). Of the cases that were admitted, 41 were treated, 31 recovered and 9 died, giving a case-fatality rate of 22%. One discharged against medical advice. Conclusion: Lassa fever victims still present late at the hospital and fever remains the predominant presenting feature. Early Ribavirin treatment improves treatment outcome of Lassa fever in confirmed cases.Recommendations: The Federal, States and Local government area council members must make efforts to create public awareness on early presentation, diagnosis and prompt treatment with Ribavirin

Road safety, alcohol consumption and visual function of motor bike riders in Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria

Causes of road traffic accidents (RTA) in developing nations have been attributed in part, to poor vision due to excessive alcohol consumption. This cross-sectional study assessed the visual acuity of 230 male motor-bike riders in Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria, and their potentials for alcohol abuse, using the cluster sampling technique.A semi-structured interviewer/self administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, road traffic accidents and alcohol use, while visual acuity was assessed with a Snellens chart. Results showed good right and left eye vision among 68.3% and 71.3% of the riders respectively, but visual impairment was observed among 25.2% (right) and 26.5% (left) of the riders, and the impairment was severe among 6.5% (right) and 2.2% (left) of them. Up to 69.57% had potential for alcohol abuse, while 5.22% and 25.22% had borderline or no potential for alcohol abuse respectively. About half of the respondents (118; 51.3%) have had a road traffic accident in the last one year and there was a statistically significant association between visual acuity and road traffic accidents (P = 0.000). Although majority of respondents had good visual acuity and a high potential for alcohol abuse, there involvement in road traffic accidents was low.Keywords: Poor vision, Visual acuity, Road traffic accident, Alcohol abus

Knowledge and application of infectious diseases control measures among Primary Care workers in Nigeria: The Lassa fever example

The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practice of Lassa fever control among primary care health workers. The study was a cross-sectional survey of health workers in 34 primary care centres in Esan West and Esan Central Local Government Areas. The LGAs were selected from Lassa fever-endemic areas in the state and studied with 231 self-administered semi-structured questionnaires. The knowledge of respondents was assessed using a ten-question scoring system. Data was analyzed and presented in tables and figures. All respondents were aware of Lassa fever and 77.9% of them had good knowledge of the control of the disease while 9.1% had poor knowledge. There was no significant association between level of knowledge and designation of the health worker (χ2=8.99, df =4, p>0.05). Only 13.0% and 16.9% of them regularly practiced barrier-nursing and hand washing, respectively, as means of containing the spread of the infection. The level of general knowledge about Lassa fever was high. However, there was poor compliance with standard preventive practices. Therefore, sustained education and re-training of Health workers at the primary care level is required to curtail nosocomial transmission of the disease.Key words: Lassa fever, health worker, infection, disease control

Human Monkeypox : Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics, Diagnosis, and Prevention

Recently, concern has been raised about the emergence of human monkeypox virus and the occasionally severe clinical presentation bearing resemblance to that of smallpox. In 2018, 3 patients in the UK were diagnosed with monkeypox, and the frequency and geographic distribution of cases across West and Central Africa have increased in recent years. In Nigeria, most monkeypox patients are agedPeer reviewe

Ebola virus disease preparedness in countries bordering Democratic Republic of Congo: Lessons from west African outbreak

Background: Ebola virus disease ravaged three West African countries in the wake of 2014 which was seen as the deadliest Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in history. Several lessons were taken out of the West African outbreak one of which is the lack of preparedness by countries in the region.Materials and Methods: This paper looked at the mistakes of the West African outbreak and reports how such mistakes were corrected in the current outbreak going on in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Preparedness efforts are currently taking place in countries bordering DRC which included quick detection and response to an eventual EVD event.Results: This paid off on several occasions when cases from DRC to Uganda were quickly detected and response was as quick as possible. Preparedness carried out in Countries bordering DRC included setting up of Rapid Response Team (RRT) and training of these teams both at country and regional level. All members of the RRT were trained in all areas of readiness which included community engagement, laboratory, logistics, surveillance, case management, sample collection, packaging and shipment as well as Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).Conclusion: These trainings have led to readiness to an eventual EVD event. Countries now have the ability to respond quickly with better Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) for EVD. Keywords: Ebola, EVD, Preparedness, Response, Infection Prevention and Control