Lymphatic Filariasis in Southwestern Nigerian Rural Communities: A Cross-sectional Survey of the Knowledge, Awareness, and Predisposing Factors

BackgroundNigeria is the second most endemic country in the world for lymphatic filariasis, with control efforts often hampered by poor community awareness and involvement in intervention strategies.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, perception, and psychosocial aspects of some residents in Nigerian rural communities about lymphatic filariasis in order to develop disease control and intervention strategies with active community involvement.MethodsA standardized questionnaire was adapted and a scale of measurement was developed. The methodology was quantitative and the study design was cross-sectional. A sample of 203 respondents was selected using a precision of 0.06.FindingsA majority (51.2%) had heard of elephantiasis but very few (9.3%) had accurate knowledge of the causes of the disease. Most people (53.2%) had no sources of information about elephantiasis, and of the few individuals that claimed availability of sources of information, information about the mode of transmission of the disease (10.0%) was the most common. Very few individuals (7.9%) believed mosquitoes were associated with elephantiasis, with 16.7% having a history of elephantiasis. The proportion of respondents who did not use mosquito netting (61.1%) was significantly higher than those who did use it (33.0%) ('P' ConclusionsThe study areas are at high risk of lymphatic filariasis. There is a need to create a knowledge-based awareness among the residents for effective management of the disease

Maternal urogenital schistosomiasis; monitoring disease morbidity by simple reagent strips.

Urine analysis is one of the recommended antenatal guidelines for early diagnosis of pregnancy-associated complications. While in practice, urine analysis by dipstick had been used to provide useful information on other urinary tract infections, its applications for early detection of urogenital schistosomiasis in pregnant women is often times not given due attention in most endemic areas. Our study therefore assessed the performance of some common urinalysis parameters in the diagnosis of maternal urogenital schistosomiasis in endemic rural communities of Nigeria.The cross-sectional epidemiologic survey of urogenital schistosomiasis was conducted among pregnant women in Yewa North Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria. The women were microscopically examined for infection with Schistosoma haematobium, visually observed for macrohematuria, and screened for microhematuria and proteinuria using standard urine chemical reagent strips. Of 261 volunteered participants, 19.9% tested positive for S. haematobium infection. The proportion of microhematuria (23.8%) was significantly higher than that of macrohematuria (3.8%) and proteinuria (16.8%) (P<0.05). Microhematuria with sensitivity (82.7%) and specificity (89.0%) was the best diagnostic indicator of urogenital schistosomiasis. Macrohematuria with the least sensitivity (11.8%) was however the most specific (98.1%) for diagnosing urogenital schistosomiasis in pregnant women. Maximum microhematuria sensitivity (100.0%) was observed in women between 15-19 years but sensitivity was consistently low in older age groups. Maximum sensitivity, specificity and predictive values (100.0%) were recorded for microhematuria in first trimester women. Diagnostic efficiency of proteinuria and macrohematuria was also better in the first trimester women except the 25.0% specificity recorded for proteinuria. The overall diagnostic performance of microhematuria and proteinuria was better in secundigravidae.Microhematuria can be used for early detection of urogenital schistosomiasis in endemic areas especially in younger women. However because microhematuria is a condition that occurs during pregnancy and in several other diseases, it is necessary to compliment the diagnosis with other diagnostic tools such as microscopy and serology. Treatment with praziquantel is recommended for the women in their late trimesters after follow up test in order to avert associated adverse pregnancy outcomes

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) endemicity and performance of preventive chemotherapy intervention programme in Nigeria (in year 2021)

Abstract Preventive chemotherapy (PC) is an important tool to address transmission and reduce morbidities associated with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). The aim of the study is to assess the PC implementation programme coverage and relate the same to the endemicity of STH in Nigeria. The secondary data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) through the expanded special project for elimination of neglected tropical diseases (ESPEN) and made available at the ESPEN portal was used for the study. The PC implementation coverage and frequency of treatment were evaluated and related to STH endemicity levels in Nigeria. STH was actively transmitted in all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The southern part of Nigeria was more endemic compared with northern Nigeria. There was no PC intervention in preschoolers and effective PC coverage (19.3%) fell below the WHO ≥ 75% PC coverage index benchmark in school children. The percentages of children that harbour low, moderate, and high STH infections were 41.5, 41.6, and 13.4%, respectively. Multiple treatments did not necessarily reduce the endemicity of STH on certain occasions. STH continues to be a public health threat in Nigeria. The current treatment strategies should be reviewed to accommodate preschoolers in PC implementation programmes. Treatment should be integrated with the WASH programme in order to achieve a lasting impact

Malaria and HIV Infection among Febrile Patients in a Large Area of Southwestern Nigeria

Background: Malaria and HIV/AIDS are two major diseases that represent serious public health threats in Nigeria. They have been ascribed diseases of poverty, and therefore their distribution is expected to be overlapping

Vernonia amygdalina: A folkloric herb with anthelminthic properties

Vernonia amygdalina, a widely grown shrub plant in Africa is consumed as vegetable and has high medicinal value. It has gained wide application in the treatment and management of various diseases. The leaves are useful components for herbal medicine constitution. The plant’s activities is a result of diverse bioactive compounds isolated from the different parts of the plant. These metabolites have specifically been efficacious against parasites especially worms. The mechanisms of activities include paralysis of worm, interference with energy generation and impairment with nutrient absorption, motility, and reproduction. The lack of considerable toxicity associated with the plant makes it a choice for further drug discovery. Effort should be made towards standardizing the extract(s) of V. amygdalina for use in alternative medicine for treatment of helminth-related diseases

Immunomodulatory activity of curcumin-entrapped poly d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles in mice

Background: Studies have shown that curcumin from Curcuma longa has a wide range of medicinal and immunomodulatory properties. These activities have, however, been hindered by its low bioavailability. Meanwhile, incorporation of nanoparticles has been shown to increase bioavailability of certain drugs. This study was, therefore, conducted to comparatively evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of free and nanoparticulate curcumin in mice. Methods: Healthy albino mice were sensitized with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) and thereafter free and nanoparticulate curcumin were administered orally at doses of 5 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day for 10 days to the mice. The assessment of the immunomodulatory activity was carried out by determining the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses using hemagglutination and delayed-type hypersensitivity assays, respectively. Hematological components and some lymphoid organs of treated mice were further evaluated. Results: The study showed that nanoparticulate curcumin stimulated higher early cell-mediated immune response at 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg when compared to control. While nanoparticulate curcumin significantly stimulated primary humoral immune response with 9.00 ± 1.00 antibody titre (p < 0.05), the free curcumin suppressed the immunity with 3.33 ± 0.67 antibody titre when compared to control. Similar result was observed with secondary humoral antibody titres. Production of white blood cells and weight of the lymphoid organs were also enhanced in the groups that received 10 mg/kg nanocurcumin. Conclusion: This work showed that poly d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid entrapped curcumin nanoparticle could increase bioavailability of curcumin for improved immunity. Keywords: Bioavailability, Curcumin, Delivery system, Immune modulatio

Association between urogenital schistosomiasis and indicators of infection stratified by age, trimester and gravidity.

<p>Association between urogenital schistosomiasis and indicators of infection stratified by age, trimester and gravidity.</p

Effect of parity on diagnostic potential of urinary indicators of urogenital schistosomiasis.

<p>Effect of parity on diagnostic potential of urinary indicators of urogenital schistosomiasis.</p

Effect of gestational age on diagnostic potential of urinary indicators of urogenital schistosomiasis.

<p>Effect of gestational age on diagnostic potential of urinary indicators of urogenital schistosomiasis.</p

Population characteristics and infection statuses by microscopy and urinary indicators of urogenital schistosomiasis.

<p>Population characteristics and infection statuses by microscopy and urinary indicators of urogenital schistosomiasis.</p