Snakebite: A Clinical Profile, Epidemiology, Prevelence, Blind Beliefs, Medical Treatment, Prophylaxis and Mortality in Saurashtra

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आधुनिक हिन्दी उपन्यासों में स्वतंत्रता संग्राम का चित्रण

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Clinical Volunteering through the Pandemic: An Experience from Final Year Medical Students in Nigeria

First reported in Wuhan, China, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread globally causing it to be declared a pandemic. Its widespread nature necessitated lockdown measures in world nations including Nigeria. Instituted lockdown measures led to the closure of tertiary institutions in the country. Medical schools were designated as high-risk institutions due to possible exposure to COVID-19. With no measures for virtual learning, academic activities were put on hold, thus posing a challenge for medical students. The author in this article discovered an opportunity to learn in the midst of the lockdown by volunteering at a healthcare institution. In the course of volunteering, the author had symptoms highly suggestive of COVID-19. However, it was not confirmed by a Polymerase Chain Reaction test due to obstacles surrounding COVID-19 testing in the country. Following recovery, the author participated in risk communication to members of his community to curtail the spread and dispel the myths concerning COVID-19. While the volunteering experience provided an opportunity to continue medical education, it is vital that there be a shift in the Nigerian educational system to one where academic activities are not disrupted by pandemics or other situations that might not permit on-site learning

Serological detection of close and distant relationships of an isolated Tobamovirus

A virus causing mosaic and leaf yellowing symptoms on Mucuna pruriens was isolated and purified through its susceptible host Vigna unguiculata var. TVu 76. Yield of the purified virus obtained was 7.2 mg/kg. It had an ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectrum at 260 nm as 1.53±0.00 and at 280 nm as 1.45±0.00, which translated into nucleic acid content of 72.9 %. Determination of the molecular weight of the virus coat protein from a plotted graph gave 27 kiloDaltons. When the purified virus was electrophoresed in agarose gel, no secondary band was observed. Absorbance curve at 260 nm was obtained when the purified virus was measured spectrophotometrically. A volume of 16 000μL antiserum was obtained against the virus with concentration of 0.3 mg/ml. The titre value determined for the antiserum raised against the virus was 1:2000 as there was a wider difference between the readings obtained for the healthy and diseased controls. At this dilution, the titre value was two and a half times greater than that of the healthy control. The heterologous: homologous percentage (%) obtained for the isolated virus and TMV (Muguga strain) was 50.0 % when Protein-A sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (PAS ELISA) was used to determine its serological relationship with the virus and other Tobamovirus strains.Keywords: PAS ELISA, Tobamovirus, coat protein, molecular weigh

MICROBIAL QUALITY OF SOME LOCALLY CONSUMED HERBAL CONCOCTIONS IN ABEOKUTA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Some herbal samples usually consumed in Abeokuta metropolis, Ogun State were collected for microbiological analysis. The total bacteria count in the samples tested ranged from 0.84 x 104 CFU/ml in herbal sample for fistula purchased at Sapon in Abeokuta South Local Government Authority (LGA) to 8.5 x 104CFU/ml in the product for skin rash (naarun) treatment purchased from Adatan in Odeda LGA. Some of the bacteria isolates include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Proteus vulgaris. The fungi isolated and identified also include Penicillium notatum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger and A. flavus. Antibiotics sensitivity tests performed on some of the bacteria isolates revealed the sensitivities of some of the isolates to such as Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycin etc. Health implications of these microorganisms in consumers were discussed

DETERMINATION OF PROPERTIES OF A STRAIN OF TOBAMOVIRUS FROM MUCUNA PRURIENS

A virus-infected leaf of Mucuna pruriens was collected and tested for an incidence of a virus through biological properties using various plant host range inoculation tests, longevity-in-vitro, dilution-end-point, thermal-inactivation point and electron microscopy. Results of host range inoculation tests showed the following plant species to be susceptible to the virus; Nicotiana tabacum, N. rustica, N. benthamiana, N. glutinosa, N. occidentalis, N. Sylvesris (Speg and Comes) and others. No plant in the family Convolvulacaee, Cucurbitaceae was found to be infected with the virus.  However Chenopodium quinoa and C. murale in the family Chenopodiaceae were infected with symptoms of mottling and necrotic lesions.  In the family Fabaceae, hybrid cowpea line TVu 76, IT84S – 2114 were infected with mosaic, leaf crinkling and severe leaf curl respectively. The virus had a dilution-end-point of 10-6-10-7, thermal-inactivation-point of 95°C in crude sap of TVu 76. The virus is of agricultural importance because of its incidence on seed coats of legumes which are freely exchanged between agricultural stakeholders.     &nbsp

Incidence and diversity of viruses in cowpeas and weeds in the unmanaged farming systems of savanna zones in Nigeria

Published online: 10 Nov 2016Fields surveys were conducted to assess the incidence of commonly known legume viruses on cowpeas and weed hosts within and around the cowpeas farms in nine locations across the three agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Of 315 cowpea leaf samples collected and tested for eight viruses, 69.5% were found to be infected. Bean common mosaic virus-blackeye mosaic (BCMV-BlCM), genus Potyvirus had the highest incidence (70%) and was also the most prevalent (78%). Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV, genus Potyvirus) had 64% as incidence, incidence of Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV, genus Sobemovirus) was 21%. Bean pod mosaic virus (BPMV, genus Comovirus) was detected in 1% of the samples tested. Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV, genus Comovirus) was undetected. Other viruses tested included Cowpea mottle virus (CPMoV, genus Carmovirus), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, genus Cucumovirus), and Cowpea mild mottle virus (CPMMV, genus Carlavirus). Multiple virus infections were detected in 68.0% of the infected cowpea leaf samples. The combination of BCMV-BlCM and CABMV was the most common, occurring in 76.4% of all samples. Virus incidence in weeds around the cowpea plots was 2.5% (9 out of 356) whereas 1.5% (5 out of 332) of the weeds collected within the cowpea plots were infected. Some of the weeds infected were Chromoleana odorata, Centrosema sp., Thithonia diversifolia and Talinum triangulare

Screening of endophytic plant growth-promoting bacteria isolated from two Nigerian rice varieties.

Probiotic bacteria, inhabiting the endosphere of plants, presents a major opportunity to develop cheap and eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals. Using standard microbiological procedures, culturable bacteria were isolated from the endosphere (root, stem and leaf) of two Nigerian rice varieties (Ofada and ITA 150). Assays including indole acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, seed germination assay, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and ammonia production, and antifungal assay were conducted to identify the phytobeneficial bacterial strains. A total of 193 bacteria were isolated from all samples. The roots had the highest bacterial count of 45 and 61 x 108 cfu/g in Ofada and ITA 150 respectively when compared with the stem and leaf samples. The bacterial genera isolated were Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, Citrobacter and Escherichia. Eight isolates produced IAA as well as ammonia. Phosphate solubilization was observed in five isolates while four isolates produced HCN. The germination rate of rice seeds coated with bacterial isolates ranged from 81.48% to 100%. Eight bacterial isolates inhibited the growth of Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani, but Citrobacter freundii and Enterobacter cloacae showed the highest antagonism. Thus, eight bacteria isolates showed multiple beneficial abilities and may be considered as promising microbial inoculants for rice plant growth and productivity.Keywords: Bacteria, endosphere, plant growth, ric

Prevalence of Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV) on Rice Plants Grown in Selected Farms in Ogun State: Preliminary Results

Incidence of Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) on rice plants (ofada) grown in two local government areas (LGAs) of Ogun State had been evaluated during a two year field survey. Six month old rice plants were observed for symptom expression and leaf samples collected for serological indexing. Of the 60 leaf samples collected for both years, 96.7 % were presented with symptoms and severity ranged from 1 to 5 in 2012. Symptoms of brown blotches, chlorosis, leaf yellowing and necrosis were observed on rice plants from which samples were collected at Ewekoro LGA. Similar symptoms were also seen on rice plants at Obafemi Owode. Disease incidence due to RYMV was 7.7 % at Ewekoro in 2012 while it was 13.3 % for plants surveyed at Obafemi owode in the same year. In 2013, incidence varied from 30.0 to 90.0 % and the higher incidence was observed on samples at Obafemi owode. Serodiagnosis of Grasshopper (Zonocerus variegatus) and Locust (Locusta migratoides) trapped at the rice fields during the survey revealed that they were not implicated in virus transmission as their absorbance values at spectrophotometric wavelength of 405 nm were not up to one and half times the values of the healthy controls.Keywords: rice, ELISA, incidence, virus symptom, surve

Multiple virus infections of lablab [ Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet] in Nigeria

Leaf samples of Lablab purpureus collected from two agroecological zones of Nigeria—the northern guinea savanna zone (NGSZ) and the derived savanna zone (DSZ)—were infected with viruses when serologically indexed against available antisera. Approximately 31.1 and 81.1% of the leaf samples collected from the NGSZ and DSZ, respectively, were infected. Seven viruses were found: Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Cowpea mottle virus (CPMoV), Cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV), Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were detected from samples collected from NGSZ, while CMV, CPMoV, Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) and CPSMV were detected from samples from DSZ