Persistence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky from poultry and poultry sources in Nigeria

Introduction: This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance and clonality of Salmonella enterica serotype Kentucky in poultry and poultry sources in Nigeria, and compared the isolates with the clone of S. Kentucky STI98-X1 CIPR using (PFGE) and (MIC). Methodology: Fecal samples from chickens and poultry sources (litter, water, rodent and lizard fecal samples) were collected from  fourteen (14) poultry farms in 2007, 2010 and 2011 and were analyzed for S. Kentucky. Results and conclusions: Six percent of the samples were positive for S. Kentucky – all resistant to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. The isolates are grouped within the PFGE cluster X1 of S. Kentucky STI98 CIPR, indicating the association to the emerging and widely spread CIPR S. Kentucky clone with poultry and poultry sources.</jats:p

Biosafety level-2 laboratory diagnosis of Zaire Ebola virus disease imported from Liberia to Nigeria

Introduction: Global travel is an efficient route of transmission for highly infectious pathogens and increases the chances of such pathogens moving from high disease-endemic areas to new regions. We describe the rapid and safe identification of the first imported case of Ebola virus disease in a traveler to Lagos, Nigeria, using conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a biosafety level (BSL)-2 facility. Case presentation: On 20 July 2014, a traveler arrived from Liberia at Lagos International Airport and was admitted to a private hospital in Lagos, with clinical suspicion of Ebola virus disease. Methodology and Outcome: Blood and urine specimens were collected, transported to the Virology Unit Laboratory at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and processed under stringent biosafety conditions for viral RNA extraction. RT-PCR was set-up to query the Ebola, Lassa and Dengue fever viruses. Amplicons for pan-filoviruses were detected as 300 bp bands on a 1.5% agarose gel image; there were no detectable bands for Lassa and Dengue viral RNA. Nucleotide BLAST and phylogenetic analysis of sequence data of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L) gene confirmed the sequence to be Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV/Hsap/ NGA/2014/LIB-NIG 01072014; Genbank: KM251803.1). Conclusion: Our BSL-2 facility in Lagos, Nigeria, was able to safely detect Ebola virus disease using molecular techniques, supporting the reliability of molecular detection of highly infectious viral pathogens under stringent safety guidelines in BSL-2 laboratories. This is a significant lesson for the many under-facilitated laboratories in resource-limited settings, as is predominantly found in sub-Saharan Africa

From input to outcome: Case-based learning raises medical and dental students expectations of better performance in their future practice

Background: The ultimate goal of learning is to modify the behavior of which enhanced performance is a critical aspect. Studies have shown that the pedagogical method employed to instruct students is a core factor that influences students' ability to translate classroom input (that is, learning) to practice (that is, learning outcome) later in life. Medical and dental students in Nigeria are often instructed through a didactic lecture which studies have shown are mostly boring and consequently lower students' expectations about their performance later in life.Objective:The current study was therefore designed to evaluate students' expectations on how they would perform in their professional pursuit later in life if they were instructed through case-based learning (CBL).Methods: To accomplish our objective, 56th consenting 5 year medical and dental students were recruited to participate in the study. The students were taught two topics by cases developed by the teachers. At the end of the second class, the participants were requested to fill a structured questionnaire anonymously. On the questionnaire, the students used Likert-type of scale to respond to how they see CBLpedagogy in relation to their future practice. The responses were analyzed statistically by the simple percentage and Mann-Whitney U test.Results: Over 80% of the students regardless of gender and program of study agreed that CBL integrates theory with practice and about 90%consider CBL as relevant to their future practice. Although responses vary along the lines of gender and program of study, none of the variations were significant for any of these factors. Conclusion: The ability of CBL to give very high expectations to students about their future career practice is a strong call to policymakers and teachers to make the paradigm shift to CBLin Nigeria medical education