Elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein among apparently healthy adults with concomitant prediabetes and latent tuberculosis infection in Nigeria

Background: The increasing prevalence and convergence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and active tuberculosis (TB) comorbidity, especially in adults in the lower-and middle-income countries, demand new approaches to control the ‘syndemic’. Consequently, we set out to investigate the possibility of early detection of prediabetes mellitus and/or latent tuberculosis infection using novel method.Methods: This was a case-control study of 105 adults classified into 4 groups: Healthy Community Controls (HCC, n=30); Prediabetes mellitus (PDM, n=25); Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI, n=23); Individuals with Prediabetes mellitus+Latent Tuberculosis Infection (PDM+LTBI, n=27). Sera collected were assayed for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) using the ultra-sensitive Human high sensitivity C-reactive protein ELISA Kit (Melsin Medical Co., Ltd, China). Other ancillary tests and measurements done include Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, serum Glycated-hemoglobin (HbA1c), Interferon-gamma (INF-ϒ) and Waist circumference.Results: A total of 88 (83.8%) of the enrolled participants had full complement of results and were included in the analysis of four study groups: HCC (n=25), PDM (n=21), LTBI (n=19) and PDM+ LTBI (n=23). With respect to the serum biomarkers, isolated PDM and LTBI cases recorded significantly higher HbA1c (%) and INF-ϒ positivity respectively. Predictors of PDM+LTBI show statistically significant higher tertile (T3), representing elevated hs-CRP levels, (OR=6.50, 95% CI=4.83-22.39, p=0.0037).Conclusions: This study revealed that persons harboring the two associated asymptomatic conditions, PDM + LTBI have higher inflammatory state detectable by assaying the biomarker, hs-CRP, which could be used for ‘one-time bi-directional targeted screening’ for PDM in LTBI and vice versa

Prevalence of Lassa virus among rodents trapped in three South-South States of Nigeria

Background & objectives: Lassa fever has been endemic in Nigeria since 1969. The rodent Mastomys natalensis has been widely claimed to be the reservoir host of the Lassa virus. This study was designed to investigate the dis- tribution of species of rodents in three states (Edo, Delta and Bayelsa) of Nigeria and to determine the prevalence of Lassa virus amongst trapped rodents in the selected states. Methods: Rodents were trapped during November 2015 to October 2016 from the three states in South-South re- gion of Nigeria. Total RNA was extracted from the blood collected from the trapped rodents. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to confirm the presence of Lassa virus in the rodents. Results: The results revealed that six species of rodents were predominantly present in these geographical locations. Mus musculus (39.4%) had the highest prevalence, closely followed by Rattus rattus (36.1%), R. fuscipus (20.3%), M. natalensis (2%), Myosoricinae soricidae (1.2%) and R. norvegicus (1%). The overall positivity (carrier rate) of Lassa virus was 1.6% amongst the 1500 rodents caught in the three states. In Edo and Delta States, the RT-PCR results showed presence of Lassa virus in R. rattus, M. musculus and M. natalensis. On the other hand, only M. na- talensis was detected with the virus, amongst the species of rodents caught in Bayelsa State. M. natalensis recorded the highest Lassa virus among rodents trapped in Edo (87%), Delta (50%) and Bayelsa (11%) States respectively. Interpretation & conclusion: The rather low Lassa virus positive among rodents in Bayelsa State of Nigeria may explain the absence of reports of outbreak of Lassa fever over the past 48 yr in the state. The results also confirmed that apart from Mastomys natalensis, other rodents such as Rattus rattus and Mus musculus may also serve as res- ervoirs for Lassa virus. From the findings of this cross-sectional study, it was concluded that a more comprehensive study on rodents as reservoir host, need to be undertaken across the entire states of Nigeria, for better understanding of the epidemiology and endemicity of Lassa fever