Analysis of Water Quality for Domestic use in Lafia Town, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Lafia is a town in the middle belt of Nigeria located within Latitude 8 25W and 8 35W and Longitudes 8 28 E and 8 34 E Lafia covers an area of about 258km2 and has a population of about 330 712 inhabitants This population caused environmental pollution as a result pressures exerts on the available water sources It is against this background that this study is carried out to analyze the water quality for domestic use in Lafia town with the aim of examining the water quality status of the area compared to the World Health Organization permissible guidelines for portable water The method adopted involves the use of reconnaissance survey Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources and subjected to descriptive and laboratory analysis The result shows that stream water source is the most polluted in Lafia with colour concentration of 10 5pt co turbidity of 8 5NTU and temperature of 26 4 c The chemical properties for all the water sources sampled were slightly above the World Health Organization permissible guidelines The result also shows that none of the water sources met the permissible guidelines in terms of chemical and microbiological properties It was recommended amongst others that Nasarawa state water board should be provided with modern facilities for efficient address of domestic water use in Lafia Clear water for everyone in Lafia for sustainable developmen

COMMUNITY ACQUIRED PNEUMOCOCCAL PNEUMONIA IN NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA: EPIDEMIOLOGY, ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AND OUTCOME

Background: Pneumococcus is the leading cause of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) worldwide, and the leading cause of mortality. Pneumococcal pneumonia is poorly studied in Nigeria. We describe the epidemiology including associated co-morbidities and outcome of pneumococcal pneumonia in North-western Nigeria. Material and methods: We conducted a prospective, hospital based study on patients with community acquired pneumococcal pneumonia. Detailed clinical evaluation and relevant laboratory investigations were carried out. Susceptibility test to commonly used antibiotics was carried out on all confirmed pneumococcal isolates. In hospital mortality was recorded. Analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics with differences and relationships were determined using Chi square and Fisher’s exact tests as appropriate, with p < 0.05 regarded as significant. Results: Of the one hundred and twenty-five (125) patients with pneumococcal pneumonia were studied. The mean age of the patients was 41.3years (± 16.84), and 69/125(55.2%) were males. Co-morbidities were observed in 63/125 (53.8%) of the patients. Resistance to commonly used antibiotics was observed. Overall in-hospital mortality was 9/117(7.8%). HIV (OR=2.081; 95%CI 1.651-3.237), age ≥65years (OR=5.947; 95%CI3.581-17.643), and CURB-65 score of ≥ 3 (OR=2.317; 95%CI1.734-4.719) were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: Pneumococcal pneumonia is the commonest cause of CAP in North-western Nigeria with relatively high mortality. There is need to strengthened the vaccination policy targeting at risk adult population in Nigeria

Ebola virus disease and pregnancy outcome: A review of the literature

Introduction: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a disease of humans and other primates caused by Ebola viruses. The most widespread epidemic of EVD in history occurred recently in several West African countries. The burden and outcome of EVD in pregnant women remains uncertain. There are few reports to date on maternal and fetal outcomes among pregnant women with EVD, hence the justification for this comprehensive review of these published studies.Materials and Methods: Published literature in Englishthat reported on maternal and or fetal outcome among pregnant women with EVD up to May 2016 were searched in electronic databases (Google Scholar, Medline, Embase, PubMed, AJOL, and Scopus). Studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. We extracted the following variables from each study: Geographical location, year of the study, settings of the study, participants, maternal and fetal outcome.Results: A total of 12 studies reported on 108 pregnant women and 110 fetal outcomes. Six of the studies were case reports, three retrospective studies, two cross‑sectional studies, and one was a technical report. There were 91 (84.3%) deaths out of the 108 pregnant women, while only one (0.9%) fetal survival was reported out of 110. The survival rate among the 15 patients that had spontaneous abortion/stillbirth or induced delivery was 100%.Conclusion: There was a poor maternal and fetal outcome among pregnant women with EVD, and fetal evacuation significantly improves maternal survival.Key words: Africa; Ebola; fetal; maternal; outcome

Assessment of Natural Groundwater Recharge in Terengganu, Malaysia

Estimation of groundwater recharge is essential for efficient groundwater resources management, for domestic uses and irrigation purposes in the study area. The present research entails the assessment of natural groundwater recharge in Terengganu Malaysia. Estimation of recharge by whatever method is usually subjected to a large uncertaintyand errors. However, this research attempt to derive an empirical relationship to determine the groundwater recharge from rainfall based on seasonal groundwater balance studies using the data obtained from 2000-2001 to 2011-2012. This empirical relationship similar to Chaturvedi formula was derived by fitting the estimated values of rainfall recharge, and the corresponding values of rainfall in the monsoon season through the non-linear regression techniques. The result shows that the proportion of variance explained was found to be 89.52 %, the recharge of groundwater commences at P = 15.28 inches and the relative errors was found to range from 3.680 to 46.020%

Effects of Rainfall Variability on Cassava Yield in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

Agriculture in Nigeria is the main source of food and major employer of labour with about 60% of the Nigerian population engaged in Agriculture. It is predominantly ran-fed and hence vulnerable to climate change. This study assessed the effects of rainfall and temperature variation on cassava in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Data for the study were collected from the Imo State Agricultural Development Programme for the period of 22years (1995-2017). The data were analyzed statistically and the results revealed that there was minimal variation in rainfall and temperature characteristics, which translates into proportional variability in cassava yield in Owerri North Local Government Area, during the period of study. The study also revealed poor yield with non-significant positive effect of rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature in cassava yield. With reference to the study outcome, it was recommended that weather information should be disseminated to crop farmers to equip them with proper timing, adaptation and mitigation strategies for agricultural practice in the region. This would reduce the adverse effects of climate variability on crop production. Also, it was recommended that since rainfall and temperature do not account for one hundred percent of the determinants of crop yield, other factors such as soil fertility and farm management practices should be explored in order to ensure maximum yield of crops in Owerri, Imo State of Nigeria. Keywords: Effect, Rainfall, Variability, Cassava yield DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-3-12 Publication date:March 31st 201

Superbugs-related prolonged admissions in three tertiary hospitals, Kano State, Nigeria

Introduction:&nbsp;superbugs are pathogenic micro-organism and especially a bacterium that has developed resistance to the medications normally used against it. As the superbug family increases, the need for appropriate diagnostic, treatment, prevention and control strategies cannot be over emphasized. Therefore, this work determined the distribution of superbug bacteria among patients on prolonged hospital admissions in three tertiary hospitals of Kano state, Nigeria. Methods:&nbsp;a descriptive cross sectional study was undertaken among 401 patients from medical, surgery, orthopedic and burn Centre wards in a three tertiary hospitals in Kano state. A sample collected comprises wound/pus, urine, urine catheter and nasal intubation and were analysed using standard microbiological methods for&nbsp;Acinetobacter spp&nbsp;and other related nosocomial bacterial pathogens. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results:&nbsp;one hundred and thirty eight (138) isolates were recovered, from the studied participants. More than 80% of the nosocomial infections (Nis) were caused by Gram-negative bacteria, predominantly Escherichia coli,&nbsp;Klebseilla spp,&nbsp;Proteus spp,&nbsp;Pseudomona spp&nbsp;and&nbsp;Acinetobacter&nbsp;spp. In-vitro antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that&nbsp;acinetobacter&nbsp;were 100% resistant to amoxicillin, co-trimoxazole, perfloxacin and imipenem. Conclusion:&nbsp;the results of this study reported higher antibiotic resistant among&nbsp;Acinetobacter spp&nbsp;isolated from three studied hospitals. The healthcare managers of these hospitals and ministry health need to take measures against this resistant bacteria (Acinetobacter spp) especially on prescribing antibiotics that showed 100% resistant from these studied hospitals

Laboratory-confirmed hospital-acquired infections:An analysis of a hospital's surveillance data in Nigeria

Objective: Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are a global problem and a major public health concern in hospitals throughout the world. Quantification of HAI is needed in developing countries; hence we describe the results of a 2-year surveillance data in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Methodology: This study is a 2-year review using secondary data collected at a tertiary referral center in northwestern Nigeria. The data was collected using surveillance forms modeled based on the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) protocol. Descriptive statistics were used to present results as frequencies and percentages. Result: 518 patients developed HAI out of 8216 patients giving an overall prevalence of 6.3%. The mean age of the patients was 35.98 years (±15.92). Males constituted 281 (54.2%). UTI 223 (43.1%) was the most prevalent HAI. Overall, E. coli 207 (40.0%) was the most frequent isolates followed by P. aerugenosa 80 (15.4%). There was a high prevalence of cloxacillin resistant S. aureus (67.9%) and gram-negative rods resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance across the board was more than 90%. Conclusion: There is a high burden of HAI especially UTI in our hospital with resistance to commonly used antibiotics documented. Keywords: Public health, Infectious diseas

Occurrence of hypocortisolism in HIV patients: Is the picture changing?

Background: The occurrence of endocrine diseases in people who are infected with HIV is traditionally thought to occur in the setting of AIDS with opportunistic infections and malignancies. However, recent studies find the correlation between hypocortisolism and stage of HIV (CD4 count and WHO clinical stage) inconsistent.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included three hundred and fifty (350) consecutive patients with HIV infection. They were interviewed, and subsequently underwent laboratory evaluation for the detection of hypocortisolism. Blood samples for serum cortisol estimation were taken at baseline and at 30 minutes following the administration of 1μg of tetracosactrin (Synacthen). In addition, the patients had blood samples taken at 0 minutes (baseline) for CD4+ lymphocyte cell counts.Results: At baseline, 108 (30.9%) participants had serum cortisol levels below 100 μg/L with a median value of 55.48 μg/L (11.36-99.96 μg/L), but only 57 (16.3%) study participants had stimulated serum cortisol levels below 180 μg/L with median of 118 μg/L (19.43-179.62). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of clinical features between participants with low and normal serum cortisol, nor WHO clinical stage, CD4 count and ART regimen. The occurrence of hypocortisolism was higher among participants who had been on ART for a longer period of time.Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of hypocortisolism among HIV patients by biochemical testing, especially those who have been on ARVs for a longer duration. Hypocortisolism cannot be predicted based on the participants’ WHO clinical stage of disease, CD4 cell count, or the treatment regimen.  Funding: Personal FundsKeywords: HIV, Adrenocortical insufficiency, CD4 cell count, Tetracosactri

Poliovirus seroprevalence before and after interruption of poliovirus transmission in Kano State, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: In September 2015, Nigeria was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries after more than 12months had passed since the detection of last wild poliovirus case in the country on 24 July 2014. We are presenting here a report of two polio seroprevalence surveys conducted in September 2013 and October 2014, respectively, in the Kano state of northern Nigeria. METHODS: Health facility based seroprevalence surveys were undertaken at Murtala Mohammad Specialist Hospital, Kano. Parents or guardians of children aged 6-9months, 36-47months, 5-9years and 10-14years in 2013 and 6-9months and 19-22months (corresponding to 6-9months range at the time of 2013 survey) in 2014 presenting to the outpatient department, were approached for participation, screened for eligibility and asked to provide informed consent. A questionnaire was administered and a blood sample collected for polio neutralization assay. RESULTS: Among subjects aged 6-9months in the 2013 survey, seroprevalence was 58% (95% confidence interval [CI] 51-66%) to poliovirus type 1, 42% (95% CI 34-50%) to poliovirus type 2, and 52% (95% CI 44-60%) to poliovirus type 3. Among children 36-47months and older, seroprevalence was 85% or higher for all three serotypes. In 2014, seroprevalence in 6-9month infants was 72% (95% CI 65-79%) for type 1, 59% (95% CI 52-66%) for type 2, and 65% (95% CI 57-72%) for type 3 and in 19-22months, 80% (95% CI 74-85%), 57% (49-63%) and 78% (71-83%) respectively. Seroprevalence was positively associated with history of increasing oral poliovirus vaccine doses. CONCLUSIONS: There was significant improvement in seroprevalence in 2014 over the 2013 levels indicating a positive impact of recent programmatic interventions. However the continued low seroprevalence in 6-9month age is a concern and calls for improved immunization efforts to sustain the polio-free Nigeria

Diagnostic characteristics of the 20-minute whole blood clotting test in detecting venom-induced consumptive coagulopathy following carpet viper envenoming

Introduction Envenoming by Echis spp. (carpet or saw-scaled vipers) causes haemorrhage and coagulopathy and represents a significant proportion of snakebites in the savannah regions of West Africa. Early diagnosis of envenoming is crucial in the management of these patients and there is limited evidence on the utility of the 20-minute whole blood clotting test (20WBCT) in diagnosing venom-induced consumptive coagulopathy (VICC) following envenoming by Echis ocellatus. Methods A prospective observational cohort study was conducted at the Kaltungo General Hospital in North-eastern Nigeria from September 2019 to September 2021. Standardised 20WBCTs were conducted by trained hospital staff and citrated plasma samples were collected at numerous timepoints. Prothrombin time (PT) and international normalised ratio (INR) were determined using a semi-automated analyser and INR values were calculated using international sensitivity indices (ISI). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV), and likelihood ratios of the 20WBCT compared to an INR ≥ 1.4 were calculated, alongside 95% confidence intervals. Results We enrolled 121 patients into our study, with a median age of 26 (18.0–35.0) years and a male predominance (75.2%). The 20WBCT was positive (abnormal) in 101 out of 121 patients at timepoint 0h, of which 95 had an INR ≥ 1.4, giving a sensitivity of 87.2% (95%CI 79.4–92.8). Among patients with a negative 20WBCT (normal), six had an INR < 1.4 giving a specificity of 50% (95%CI 21.1–78.9%). The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 1.7 (95%CI 1.6–1.9) and 0.3 (95%CI 0.1–0.4) respectively. Conclusion The 20WBCT is a simple, cheap, and easily accessible bedside test with a high sensitivity for the detection of patients with venom induced consumptive coagulopathy (VICC) following envenoming by E. ocellatus, although false positives do occur. Repeated 20WBCTs can identify patients with new, persistent, and rebound coagulopathy