Cryptosporidium Infection in Undernourished Children with HIV/AIDS in Jos, Nigeria

Background: AIDS and Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) severely impair the immune system Cryptosporidium has over the last two decades emerged as a life threatening disease. The study attempts to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in malnourished children with HIV/AIDS. Method: Blood and stool samples of 52 HIV-seropositive children and another 52 HIV-sero-negative children aged 0-5 years were collected and screened for HIV and Cryptosporidium oocysts respectively. The sera were screened by double ELISA and the stool by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen method. Results: Out of the 52 HIV-seropositive undernourished, under-five children, none (0%) excreted Cryptosporidium oocyst in their stools while 2 (3.8%) of the control group excreted the oocyst. Conclusion: Cryptosporidium infection seems to be uncommon among undernourished under five children with HIV/AIDS in Jos

Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies Among Blood Donors in Jos, Nigeria

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the hepatitis agents known to be transmitted through blood and blood products. Hepatitis C virus has been implicated as a major cause of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. This study was, therefore, undertaken with the objective of determining the sero-prevalence of HCV antibodies among blood donors in the central city of Jos, Nigeria. Method: A total of two hundred blood donors were recruited from three hospitals within Jos metropolis. Sera from all subjects were tested for Hepatitis C virus antibodies using a second generation enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Ninety five percent (95%)of the blood donors were males and most of them were aged between 21 and 50years. Twelve (6.0%)of the blood donors were anti-HCV seropositive and all of them males. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to introduce routine screening of blood donors for Hepatitis C virus markers in centers where this is not currently been practiced. This will reduce the risk of transfusion-associated hepatitis C infection and its complications in Nigeria

Posttransfusion Haematocrit Equilibration: Timing Posttransfusion Haematocrit Check in Neonates at the National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria

Anaemia is a common morbidity in the NICU and often requires transfusion of packed red blood cells. Haematocrit equilibration following red cell transfusion occurs over time ultimately resulting in a stable packed cell volume (PCV). Knowledge of this equilibration process is pertinent in the accurate timing of posttransfusion (PT) PCV. We conducted a prospective study to determine an appropriate timing for PT PCV estimation on 47 stable anaemic babies at the Neonatal Unit of National Hospital, Abuja. Values of PCV were determined before transfusion and at 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours posttransfusion. Forty of the recruited neonates and young infants were analyzed. Their gestational age range was 26 to 40 weeks. 1-hour PT PCV (48.5% ± 5.5%) was similar to the 6-hour PT PCV (47.8% ± 5.6%) P=0.516, but both were significantly different from the 12-hour (46.8% ± 5.9%), 24-hour (45.9 ± 5.8%), and 48-hour (45.4% ± 6.2%) PT PCVs. The 12-hour PT PCV was similar to the 24-hour and 48-hour PT PCVs (P=0.237 and 0.063, resp.). We concluded that, in stable nonhaemorrhaging and nonhaemolysing young infants, the estimated timing of haematocrit equilibration and, consequently, posttransfusion PCV is 12 hours after red blood cell transfusion

Conference summary report of the 10th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Nigerian Society of Neonatal medicine (NISONM) held in Ibadan, Nigeria on 4th -7th July, 2017

The 10th Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the Nigerian Society of Neonatal Medicine (NISONM) took place in Ibadan, South -West Nigeria. The theme of the conference was: Imperatives in neonatal survival initiatives in Nigeria: The current state. The conference addressed a variety of topics relevant to newborn health from eminent speakers from across the globe. The four-day conference included preconference workshops and community mobilization/ health outreach in Lagelu local government area

Multidisciplinary approach to genomics research in Africa: the AfriCRAN model

This article is an outcome of the African Craniofacial Anomalies Research Network (AfriCRAN) Human Hereditary and Health (H3A) grant planning meeting in 2012 in Lagos, Nigeria. It describes the strengths of a multidisciplinary team approach to solving complex genetic traits in the craniofacial region. It also highlights the different components and argues for the composition of similar teams to fast track the discovery of disease genes, diagnostic tools, improved clinical treatment and ultimately prevention of diseases

Preliminary Study on the Potassium content of Nigerian Bananas and the Methanolic Extraction, Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Studies of Oils from Banana Peels

Banana is eaten all over the world by all sections of the population. It is known to contain potassium and it has been suggested that it could serve as a source of potassium. Recently, a valuable chemical component, a lectin, called BanLec, was isolated from banana fruit and found to possess anti-HIV-1 activity. However, the peels of banana are thrown away as rubbish and farmers are known to use them as feed for their animals. It is therefore necessary to determine the potassium content of some Nigerian bananas and to also extract the oils from their peels. The components of the extracted oils are to be determined and tested for their biological activity. The potassium content of five (5) varieties of Nigerian bananas (Dwarf Cavendish AAA GP; Lady Finger AA GP; Dwarf Chinese Double; Double Dwarf Senorata AA GP; Giant Cavendish (Williams) AAA GP and Dwarf Red AAA GP) was determined using flame photometer. The potassium content varied from 0.15 mg/g (Dwarf Red) to 1.80 mg/g (Lady Finger). Compared to the value of 358 mg per 100 g reported in the literature, these values are very low and considerable lower than the RDA of 4700 mg. The conclusion is that Nigerian bananas will not be a viable source of potassium for candidates with potassium deficiency. A report on the methanolic extract of oil from their peels is given. Two (2) of the five (5) varieties were chosen and methanolic extraction of oils from their peels was undertaken. The crude extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis, which revealed the presence of the following of steroids, saponin and terpenoids, anthraquinones and tannins. A report is also given on antimicrobial studies of the methanolic extracts, which revealed that the oils were effective against some bacteria

Determinants of low family planning use and high unmet need in Butajira District, South Central Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The rapid population growth does not match with available resource in Ethiopia. Though household level family planning delivery has been put in place, the impact of such programs in densely populated rural areas was not studied. The study aims at measuring contraception and unmet need and identifying its determinants among married women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 5746 married women are interviewed from October to December 2009 in the Butajira Demographic Surveillance Area. Contraceptive prevalence rate and unmet need with their 95% confidence interval is measured among married women in the Butajira district. The association of background characteristics and family planning use is ascertained using crude and adjusted Odds ratio in logistic regression model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Current contraceptive prevalence rate among married women is 25.4% (95% CI: 24.2, 26.5). Unmet need of contraception is 52.4% of which 74.8% was attributed to spacing and the rest for limiting. Reasons for the high unmet need include commodities' insecurity, religion, and complaints related to providers, methods, diet and work load. Contraception is 2.3 (95% CI: 1.7, 3.2) times higher in urbanites compared to rural highlanders. Married women who attained primary and secondary plus level of education have about 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.6) and 2 (95% CI: 1.4, 2.9) times more risk to contraception; those with no child death are 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.5) times more likely to use contraceptives compared to counterparts. Besides, the odds of contraception is 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.6) and 1.5 (1.1, 2.0) times more likely among women whose partners completed primary and secondary plus level of education. Women discussing about contraception with partners were 2.2 (95% CI: 1.8, 2.7) times more likely to use family planning. Nevertheless, contraception was about 2.6 (95% CI: 2.1, 3.2) more likely among married women whose partners supported the use of family planning.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The local government should focus on increasing educational level. It must also ensure family planning methods security, increase competence of providers, and create awareness on various methods and their side effects to empower women to make an appropriate choice. Emphasis should be given to rural communities.</p

SARS-COV-2 antibody responses to AZD1222 vaccination in West Africa

Real-world data on vaccine-elicited neutralising antibody responses for two-dose AZD1222 in African populations are limited. We assessed baseline SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and levels of protective neutralizing antibodies prior to vaccination rollout using binding antibodies analysis coupled with pseudotyped virus neutralisation assays in two cohorts from West Africa: Nigerian healthcare workers (n = 140) and a Ghanaian community cohort (n = 527) pre and post vaccination. We found 44 and 28% of pre-vaccination participants showed IgG anti-N positivity, increasing to 59 and 39% respectively with anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG-specific antibodies. Previous IgG anti-N positivity significantly increased post two-dose neutralizing antibody titres in both populations. Serological evidence of breakthrough infection was observed in 8/49 (16%). Neutralising antibodies were observed to wane in both populations, especially in anti-N negative participants with an observed waning rate of 20% highlighting the need for a combination of additional markers to characterise previous infection. We conclude that AZD1222 is immunogenic in two independent West African cohorts with high background seroprevalence and incidence of breakthrough infection in 2021. Waning titres post second dose indicates the need for booster dosing after AZD1222 in the African setting despite hybrid immunity from previous infection

Characterisation of colistin resistance in Gram-negative microbiota of pregnant women and neonates in Nigeria

A mobile colistin resistance gene mcr was first reported in 2016 in China and has since been found with increasing prevalence across South-East Asia. Here we survey the presence of mcr genes in 4907 rectal swabs from mothers and neonates from three hospital sites across Nigeria; a country with limited availability or history of colistin use clinically. Forty mother and seven neonatal swabs carried mcr genes in a range of bacterial species: 46 Enterobacter spp. and single isolates of; Shigella, E. coli and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae. Ninety percent of the genes were mcr-10 (n = 45) we also found mcr-1 (n = 3) and mcr-9 (n = 1). While the prevalence during this collection (2015-2016) was low, the widespread diversity of mcr-gene type and range of bacterial species in this sentinel population sampling is concerning. It suggests that agricultural colistin use was likely encouraging sustainment of mcr-positive isolates in the community and implementation of medical colistin use will rapidly select and expand resistant isolates