The efficacy of a single oral dose of albendazole against soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Ogun State, Nigeria

Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs) are Neglected Tropical Diseases of global public health importance. This study evaluated the efficacy of albendazole (ALB) amongst primary school children aged 6 – 16 years in STH-endemic communities in Ogun State, Nigeria. Demographic characteristics were obtained and stool samples were collected and analysed by Kato-Katz at baseline and 15 and 21 days post-treatment. All study participants were treated with a single ALB 400 mg tablet. A total of 282 participants were screened at baseline, of which 151 were found to be excreting STH (51.4%) of which A. lumbricoides was the most prevalent STH (n = 137, 48.6%), followed by hookworm (n = 60 children, 21.3%) and T. trichiura (n = 3; 1.1%). The prevalence across the four schools varied from 31.3% to 73.9% for A. lumbricoides, from 6.8% to 56.3% for hookworm, and from 0.0% and 2.2% for T. trichiura  infections. Of the 151 children excreting any STH infection at baseline, 131 (86.8%) provided a stool sample 15 and 21 days after treatment. The mean fecal egg counts across these complete cases at baseline was 5,096 (± 13,735) eggs per gram (EPG) for A. lumbricoides, 2,202 (±7,849) for hookworms and 288 (±375) for T. trichiura. Fifteen days after drug administration the therapeutic efficacy, measured as the reduction in mean fecal egg count (FEC) following drug administration (ERR), was 99.7% (95CI: 99.4-99.9) for A. lumbricoides and 69.2% (95CI: 28.7-92.8) for hookworms. The hookworm ERR at day 14 was reduced due to the continued high egg output of one highly infected individual. One week later, 21 days following drug administration, ERR for hookworm also reached satisfactory levels (99.4% (95CI: 98.7-99.8)). This study highlights that ALB still shows satisfactory efficacy to Ascaris and hookworm infections in Ogun State, Nigeria

Sero-prevalence of Human Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis in Low-Endemic communities of Ogun State, Nigeria

This study reports the status of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) in communities with low endemicity in Ogun-State, Nigeria. The Ov16/Wb123 biplex Rapid Diagnostic Test was used to screen 1,836 participants aged 5 years and above from 8 Local Government Areas (LGAs) from October to December, 2016. Skin snips and night blood were also used for microscopic detection of microfilariae (MF). A cumulative seroprevalence of 9.4% and 0.42% was recorded for onchocerciasis and LF respectively with a co-infection rate of 0.4%. Among the LGAs screened, Ijebu North-East recorded the highest seroprevalence of onchocerciasis (26.4%) and LF (0.9%) while Remo North, Sagamu and Obafemi-Owode LGAs recorded low prevalences ranging from 0.7 - 2.7% for both diseases. No positive result of MF was observed in all the communities screened, even in Ijebu North-East where seroprevalence was high, suggesting historic exposure to onchocerciasis and LF infection which may have occurred over time due to human  migration during farming and fishing seasons. Extension of ongoing mass treatment in endemic LGAs is recommended for Ijebu North-East to ensure inclusion in the drive towards the elimination of the diseases in Ogun State

Studies on asymptomatic malaria, prevention and treatment seeking behaviours in Abeokuta, south-west Nigeria

Recurrent cycles of fevers and chills are obvious symptoms for malaria disease usually necessitating treatment. However, some Plasmodium infections could be without symptoms, leading to late diagnosis and delayed treatment- seeking behaviours. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infections, and document associated prevention and treatment-seeking behaviours among literates in Abeokuta. A cross-sectional study design involving 309 attendees at the 2016 World Malaria Day Celebration event held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta was conducted. Finger-prick blood samples were collected for Plasmodium parasite detection by malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) and anthropometric indices such as weight, height and age were also collected to estimate Body-Mass-Index. An already pre-tested questionnaire was also used to collect information on malaria prevention and treatment-seeking behaviours. Data were analysed in SPSS 20.0 software. Results revealed that the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria was 7.4% (23/309), with no significant association between sex, febrile illness and Body Mass Index (p>0.05). Participants aged 15-25 years were more infected with malaria than other age groups. Only 58.3% of the participants have heard of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and about 78% do not have mosquito bed-net. Self-diagnosis for the disease was more common (60.8%) among the participants, compared to other measures; seeking laboratory test (26.5%) and clinical diagnosis (9.1%). A good proportion of the participants (73.1%) rely on Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) drugs for treating malaria, although few others still rely on non-ACT drugs (17.8%), chloroquine (1.9%) and herbs (1.6%). Findings show existence of asymptomatic malaria. Also, access to and utilization of malaria prevention and control commodities is poor among the literates. There is thus a need to intensify efforts in addressing these concerns as we move towards eliminating the disease.Keywords: Asymptomatic malaria; World Malaria Day; prevalence; Abeokuta; Nigeri

Low First Wave COVID-19 cases and health seeking behaviors across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria

This study was carried out across the six geopolitical zones to assess knowledge and health seeking behaviors of Nigerians during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in order to understand the seemingly low cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Structured and pretested short questionnaires were employed to obtain information electronically and physically across the six geopolitical zones on socio-demographic characteristics of participants; the knowledge of participants on COVID-19 disease; availability and accessibility to testing and isolation centers in the communities, attitudes and health seeking behaviors. Atotal of 1023 respondents; 705 (68.9%) males and 318 (31.1%) females across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria participated in this study with 477(46.6%) within the 26-45 years age category, and 6(0.6%) above 66 years. Atotal of 985(96.3%) had heard about COVID-19 at the time of survey while a total of  859(84.0%) of the respondents were aware of the presence of COVID-19 laboratory testing centers. Across the geopolitical zones, majority of the respondents 487(47.6%) claimed there are no routine testing for COVID-19 at their community level, while 303 (29.6%) affirmed otherwise and 216(21.1%) did not know if there were routine testing going on or not. On health seeking behaviors across the  country, majority of the respondents 558(54.5%) affirmed they would visit the hospital as the first point of contact if the opportunitypresented itself, 244(23.9%) claimed they would call the NCDC toll line, 2(0.2%) said they would use prayers, while 1(0.1%) respectively claimed they would use home management strategies through visiting chemist stores and checking the internet for solutions. Findings from this study confirm that there is very high awareness of the COVID-19 disease across the country, and limited number of testing centers at the community level. The implications include the possibility of unreported COVID19 cases in the cities as well as in the  communities. Keywords: COVID-19, knowledge, health seeking behaviors, community level&nbsp

Intensity profile of lymphatic filariasis among community members of Yewa South Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria

An epidemiological study was conducted in four communities of Yewa-South Local Government Area of Ogun State to determine the prevalence of lymphatic filariasis. Also investigated was the intensity among the study participants. Three hundred and sixty-two participants of both sexes and age ranging from 5 to 85 years were examined. Blood samples for parasitological examination were obtained from consenting participants between 21.00 and 02.00 a.m. The samples were prepared using thick blood smear technique. The data obtained were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square. The result showed that, from the 362 blood samples examined, 186 were positive with an overall of 51.4%. Microfilaraemic prevalence was not significantly related (p>0.05) by sex category with male having 78 (21.5%) and female 108 (29.3%). However, there was significant (p<0.05) relationship in the prevalence by age groups as Community members within the age group =50 had the highest prevalence of 52(14.4%) while the 20-29 years recorded the least prevalence of 18(5.0%). In terms of microfilaraemic load, all females and males who tested positive for lymphatic filariasis with 50.8% having light intensity of < 50mf/ml. There was no significant relationship between prevalence of lymphatic filariasis and communities studied (P>0.05). The high prevalence observed in these communities could be due to bushy vegetation. There is the important need for increased and consistent treatment with Albendazole and health education in all affected communitiesto reduce prevalence and possible elimination of the parasite. Keywords: Intensity, Lymphatic filariasis, prevalence, Ogun State, Nigeri

Assessment of efficacy and safety of praziquantel in the treatment of Schistosoma haematobium in school-aged children, Ogun State, Nigeria

Praziquantel (PZQ) remains the drug of choice for treatment of schistosomiasis in infected persons. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of PZQ in school-aged children in four communities’ endemic for schistosomiasis. Urine samples (10 ml) were collected from 300 primary school children aged 5-16 years in Ibaro Oyan, Imala Odo, Apojola and Abule Titun communities located in parts of Ogun State, Nigeria. The urine was examined for the presence of haematuria and ova of S. haematobium. All pupils were also treated with a single dose of PZQ at 40 mg/kg. Urine samples were collected from positive pupils 21 days later to determine the Cure Rate (CR) and Egg Reduction Rate (ERR). Survey forms were also used to collect information on safety of the drug, documenting observed adverse reaction. Results showed that prevalence by haematuria was 147 (69%). Assessing haematuria with ova of S. haematobium revealed that 132 (44%) were positive for haematuria using dip-stick and eggs of S. haematobium simultaneously. Two hundred and nine pupils (69.7%) were infected with S. haematobium with mean egg count of 16.23 eggs/10 ml of urine. Males (73%) were more infected than females (66.7%). The highest prevalence (72.8%) was observed among the age-group 9-12 years and the least prevalence among age-group 5-8 years. The presence of S. haematobium was neither age nor sex dependent (p>0.05). On location and intensity, school children located in Imala Odo Community had the highest prevalence of 89.2%, but pupils in Ibaro had the highest Geometric Mean (GM) of 18.31 eggs/10 ml. At 21 days post-treatment the cure-rate (CR) was 96.1%. The anthelminthic drug Praziquantel efficacy was satisfactory with an Egg Reduction Rate (ERR) of 98.5%. Most of the adverse effects occurred within 4-24 hours after PZQ administration but abdominal pains were the most common adverse visible micro effects complained by the school-children.Keywords: Efficacy, praziquantel; Schistosoma haematobium; school-aged children; Ogun State; Nigeri

Knowledge and perception as critical components in recognition of Covid-19 symptoms

The knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) people hold towards a new disease could play a major role in the way they accept measures put in place to curb its spread as Symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of other endemic diseases, especially malaria. A cross-sectional KAP/symptomatology online survey was conducted from August –September 2020 across the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria. Data were entered into Google sheets and analyses performed using SPSS version 20. From the 900 respondents, majority 66% were from the North west while 1.2% were from the North east. By sex and age distribution, 69% were males while females were 31%. Age group 15-25 years were more (32.22%) and the least (11%) among respondents were above 65years. Majority of respondents (57.89%), had not experienced symptoms associated with COVID-19 in the past 3 months before this study, however 96.0% of respondents have heard about COVID19 prior the time of survey. Hyperthemia (high fever) 636(70.67%) was accurately recognized by respondents as the most common symptoms. Other highly mentioned symptoms were dry or chesty cough, shortness of breath, catarrh and cough, difficulty in breathing at night, painful breathing, and weakness or tiredness, with significant differences in the responses recorded for the recognition of COVID-19 symptoms across the geopolitical zones (p=0.00). In terms of preventive measures, 771(85.67%) respondents perceive regular hand washing with soap as the major preventive measure for COVID19 infection. This was followed by the usage of face mask 659(73.22%). Also, 794(88.22%) respondents accurately recognized hyperthemia as the most  common overlapping symptom between malaria and COVID-19. Other highly mentioned overlapping symptoms were weakness or tiredness 591(65.67%), loss of appetite 504 (56.00%), loss of taste and smell 388(43.11%), and catarrh and cough 313(34.78%). We conclude that awareness of COVID-19 symptoms is fairly high in the country. Awareness strategies should target those with limited access to information on the disease. Keywords: COVID-19, Knowledge, Symptoms, Preventive measure