CANDIDIA AND HIV CO-INFECTIONS AMONG WOMEN ATTENDING HIV CLINIC AT GENERAL HOSPITAL EZZANGBO, NIGERIA

Candidiasis has been identified as a ubiquitous fungal infection commonly affecting people living with HIV/AIDS. This research ascertained the prevalence and risk factors forral and vaginal candidiasis among 180 HIV out-patients at Ebonyi State General Hospital, Ezzangbo. Oral and vaginal swabs were aseptically collected from the participants in duplicate. One of the swabs was streaked on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar (SDA) and isolates were identified using macroscopic characteristics while the second swab was used for microscopic examination. Structured questionnaires were administered to participants to obtain risk factors associated with the infections. The antifungal susceptibility testing of the Candida isolates was performed using disc diffusion method. Data obtained was statistically analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS). Results obtained from the study indicated 120(66.7%) were positive for Candidiasis; 31.7% was positive for only vaginal Candidiasis, 22.2% were positive for only oral Candidiasis while 12.8% had both. Candida albicans (CA) was dominant with 71% while none albicans Candida (NAC) was 29%. Isolates were most sensitive to Itraconazole and Griseofluvin and less sensitive to Ketoconazole, Nystatin and Fluconazole. The results of this study underlined essentials of good hygiene practices and importance of regularly assessing HIV patients for candidiasis

Reporting on the Seminar - Risk interpretation and action (RIA): Decision making under conditions of uncertainty

The paper reports on the World Social Science (WSS) Fellows seminar on Risk Interpretation and Action (RIA), undertaken in New Zealand in December, 2013. This seminar was coordinated by the WSS Fellows program of the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the RIA working group of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) program, the IRDR International Center of Excellence Taipei, the International START Secretariat and the Royal Society of New Zealand. Twenty-five early career researchers from around the world were selected to review the RIA framework under the theme of \u27decision-making under conditions of uncertainty\u27, and develop novel theoretical approaches to respond to and improve this framework. Six working groups emerged during the seminar: 1. the assessment of water-related risks in megacities; 2. rethinking risk communication; 3. the embodiment of uncertainty; 4. communication in resettlement and reconstruction phases; 5. the integration of indigenous knowledge in disaster risk reduction; and 6. multi-scale policy implementation for natural hazard risk reduction. This article documents the seminar and initial outcomes from the six groups organized; and concludes with the collective views of the participants on the RIA framework

Impact of dietary patterns, individual and workplace characteristics on blood pressure status among civil servants in Bida and Wushishi communities of Niger State, Nigeria

The global burden estimate of hypertension is alarming and results in several million deaths annually. A high incidence of sudden deaths from cardiovascular diseases in the civil workforce in Nigeria is often reported. However, the associations between Dietary Patterns (DPs), individual, and workplace characteristics of hypertension among this workforce have not been fully explored. This study aimed to identify DP in the Bida and Wushishi Communities of Niger State and establish its relationship with hypertension along with other individual and workplace characteristics. Factor analysis was used to establish DP, Chi-square test to identify their relationships with hypertension, and logistic regression to determine the predictor risk factors. The prevalence of hypertension was 43.7%; mean weight, height, and body fat were: 72.8±15 kg, 166±8.9 mm and 30.4%, respectively. Three DPs: “Efficient Diet,” “Local diet,” and “Energy Boost Diet” were identified. The factor loading scores for these factors were divided into quintiles Q1–Q5; none of them had a significant effect on hypertension status. Conversely, increase in age, the Ministry, Department, and Agency (MDA) of employment, frequency of eating in restaurants, and obesity were identified as significant risk factors. After adjusting for confounders (age, body mass index, MDA, and eating habits), a high score (Q5) in “efficient diet pattern” was significantly related to a lower likelihood of hypertension than a low score (Q1). The prevalence of hypertension among the participants was relatively very high. An increase in age and working in educational sector were risk factors associated with hypertension. Therefore, it is recommended that civil servants engage in frequent exercise and undergo regular medical checkups, especially as they get older. These findings highlight the need for large-scale assessment of the impact of variables considered in this study on hypertension, among the civil workforce across Niger state and Nigeria

Ethno-Veterinary Practices Amongst Small-Holder Farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This paper aimed at identifying factors influencing the use of ethno-veterinary practices amongst goat and poultry farmers in Ekiti state, Nigeria. It specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers; identified some diseases of goats and poultry with their corresponding indigenous cures; presented the procedures used in developing some of the ethno-veterinary medicine amongst farmers; identified the reasons for using ethnoveterinary practices; analysed the ecological factors influencing ethno-veterinary practices; identified the roles played by institutions in the utilisation of ethno-veterinary practices; and examined the benefits and problems associated with ethno-veterinary practices in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 100 respondents from ten communities, namely: Otun-Ekiti, Igogo-Ekiti, Osin-Ekiti, Omuo-Ekiti, Ilasa-Ekiti, Araromi-Ekiti, Efon-Alaaye, Oba-Ayetoro, Ise-Ekiti, and Orun-Ekiti. Pre-tested structured and unstructured interview schedules were used to collect quantitative data, while Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to elicit qualitative data from the respondents. Frequency distribution, percentages, means and standard deviation were used to describe the data. Inferential statistics such as correlation and Chi-Square analyses were used to make deductions. The correlation result showed that at p ≤ 0.05 level of significance, age (r = 0.368), family size (r = 0.114) and association membership (r = 0.231) were positively and significantly correlated with the utilisation of ethno-veterinary practices while education level (r - 0.342), farming scope (r = −0.261,) and cosmopoliteness (−0.135) had negative but significant correlation with the utilisation of ethno-veterinary practices. Some of the problems (associated with the use of indigenous knowledge) identified by the farmers were lack of institutional support and the seasonal nature of some medicinal plants. It is, thus, suggested that all identified constraints need be removed by government to enhance the use of low-external inputs for sustainable agricultural development

Design of pilot plant for the production of essential oil from <i style="">Eucalyptus</i> leaves

912-915Study presents design, construction and test run of a pilot plant for the production of essential oils (0.864 l/h) from Eucalyptus leaves. Analysis shows that the rate at which steam passes through the leaf bed may deviate from linear relationship to curve depending on the loading capacity. An oil/leave production rate of 3.0x10-2ml/g was obtained. In designing pilot plant, tank still has a dimension of 0.45 m diam and length of 1.65 m. Packed bed height was 0.565 m with an expected pressure head loss of 0.013 m. Overall heat transfer coefficient was calculated as 176.12W/m2 °C. The condenser has a heat load of 4970 kJ/s requiring a cooling water flow rate of 0.047 kg/sec

Molecular epidemiology, genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from chicken and pig carcasses, and carcass handlers.

The epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in food animals, associated products, and their zoonotic potential in Nigeria are poorly understood. This study aimed to provide data on the prevalence, genetic characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus isolated from chicken and pig carcasses, and persons in contact with the carcasses at slaughterhouses in Nigeria. Surface swabs were collected randomly from 600 chicken and 600 pig carcasses. Nasal swabs were collected from 45 workers in chicken slaughterhouses and 45 pig slaughterhouse workers. S. aureus isolates were analyzed by spa typing. They were also examined for presence of the Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) and mecA genes, as well as for antimicrobial resistance phenotype. Overall, 53 S. aureus isolates were recovered (28 from chicken carcasses, 17 from pig carcasses, 5 from chicken carcass handlers and 3 from pig carcass handlers). Among the isolates, 19 (35.8%) were PVL-positive and 12 (22.6%) carried the mecA gene. The 53 isolates belonged to 19 spa types. The Based Upon Repeat Pattern (BURP) algorithm separated the isolates into 2 spa-clonal complexes (spa-CC) and 9 singletons including 2 novel spa types (t18345 and t18346). The clonal complexes (CC) detected were CC1, CC5, CC8, CC15, CC88 and CC152. CC15-related isolates represented by spa type t084 (32.1%) and CC5 represented by spa type t311 (35.3%) predominated among isolates from chicken carcasses/ handlers, and pig carcasses/ handlers, respectively. Multidrug resistance exhibited by all the CC except CC8, was observed among isolates from chicken carcasses (64.3%), pig carcasses (41.2%), handlers of chicken meat (40.0%) and handlers of pork (33.3%). All the CC showed varying degrees of resistance to tetracycline while CC15 and CC5 exhibited the highest resistance to sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim and erythromycin, respectively. The predominant antimicrobial resistance pattern observed was penicillin-tetracycline-sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (PEN-TET-SXT). In conclusion, food animals processed in Enugu State in Southeast Nigeria are potential vehicles for transmission of PVL-positive multiple-drug resistant S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus from farm to slaughterhouse and potentially to the human population. Public health intervention programs at pre- and post-slaughter stages should be considered in Nigerian slaughterhouses

Nationwide survey of the availability and affordability of asthma and COPD medicines in Nigeria

Objective(s): To determine the availability and affordability of asthma and COPD medicines across Nigeria