CD4 and leucocyte counts of young apparently healthy females during the three phases of menstral cyclein Ekpoma, Nigeria

The menstrual cycle is also a window into the general health and well-being of women. This study was aimed at determining the CD4 and leucocyte counts of young apparently healthy females during a single cycle in Ekpoma,Edo State, Nigeria. The study comprised of thirty one (31) subjects aged 17-27 years with a regular 28-day menstrual cycle. The subjects were sampled during a single cycle- that is on the 2nd day, 11th day and 21st day representing menstrual phase (MP), proliferative phase (PP) and secretory phase (SP) respectively. Leucocyte counts were determined using a haematology autoanalyzer while the CD4 counts were done with Partec cyflow machine. The mean of WBC counts were 4.77, 5.10 and 5.10 in the MP, PP and SP respectively. There was no significant difference in both the WBC total and differential counts of the three phases. The mean of CD4 counts were 850.45 cells/μl (MP), 939.77 cells/μl (PP) and 954.03 cells/μl respectively. The CD4 counts in the three phases were also not statistically significant. In this study, we found that the three different phases of menstrual cycle did not have any significant effect on the leucocytes and CD4 counts of the subjects studied.Key words: Ekpoma, CD4 counts, Leucocye counts, Menstrual cycl

The family physicians in a tertiary setting in COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria: The isth experience

Aim/Background: The Covid-19 pandemic continues to pose a major health challenge globally. Nigeria have been battling with the pandemic since recording its first case on 28th February, 2020. Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) is one of the centres for the diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: To ensure safety of health care workers as well as non Covid-19 patients presenting to the hospital, measures were put in place by the hospital management and the department of family medicine. Results:Patients were triaged prior to entering the hospital and the clinics such that patients with risk ofCovid-19 were seen separately. Home visits,telemedicine, social distancing, appropriate safety attires including compulsory face masks for all were instituted. Conclusion: With these measures, the hospital did not have to shut down its clinics, neither did it record any significant increase in Covid-19 cases compared to other centres. Thus non Covid-19 patients could get the highest standard of care without increasing their chances of contracting  Covid-19 from the hospital nor the health workers being put at increased risk. Recommendations: Clinics across the country and other climes should institute adequate safety measures to protect staff and patients while offering standard care to patients irrespective of ailment. Key Words: Covid-19; Nigeria; Pandemic; Family Medicine; IST

Genome-wide association study identifies human genetic variants associated with fatal outcome from Lassa fever.

Infection with Lassa virus (LASV) can cause Lassa fever, a haemorrhagic illness with an estimated fatality rate of 29.7%, but causes no or mild symptoms in many individuals. Here, to investigate whether human genetic variation underlies the heterogeneity of LASV infection, we carried out genome-wide association studies (GWAS) as well as seroprevalence surveys, human leukocyte antigen typing and high-throughput variant functional characterization assays. We analysed Lassa fever susceptibility and fatal outcomes in 533 cases of Lassa fever and 1,986 population controls recruited over a 7 year period in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. We detected genome-wide significant variant associations with Lassa fever fatal outcomes near GRM7 and LIF in the Nigerian cohort. We also show that a haplotype bearing signatures of positive selection and overlapping LARGE1, a required LASV entry factor, is associated with decreased risk of Lassa fever in the Nigerian cohort but not in the Sierra Leone cohort. Overall, we identified variants and genes that may impact the risk of severe Lassa fever, demonstrating how GWAS can provide insight into viral pathogenesis