Olusegun George Ademowo

Background: Accurate and timely differential diagnoses are a challenge for health care, particularly in infrastructure-poor settings. Methods: To investigate fevers of unknown origin in Africa, a mobile suitcase laboratory was deployed to DRC and Southwest Nigeria to support the control of the 2018–2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in North-Kivu and Ituri provinces (DRC) and to provide a point-of-need solution for malaria confirmation during the dry season, respectively. Results: In DRC, the samples were tested for Ebola virus and the differentials Plasmodium falciparum, Salmonella enterica, yellow fever virus, Dengue virus, and chikungunya virus. In Southwest Nigeria, the samples were not tested for Ebola virus but were tested for the same differentials and additionally for Rickettsia spp., Leptospira, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Plasmodium falciparum was detected in 23% (n = 192) and 47% (n = 88) of cases, respectively, and Salmonella enterica was detected in only 1 case in each cohort. Conclusions: The etiological agents circulating in febrile patients in Sub-Saharan Africa and the true incidence of neglected tropical diseases are still underestimated.

Background: Despite the huge burden of deaths associated with or attributable to antimicrobial resistance, studies on sequencing based antimicrobial resistance (AMR) monitoring in Africa are scarce, specifically in the animal sector. Objective and Methods: With a view to deploy rapid AMR monitoring through leveraging advanced technologies, in the current study, nanopore sequencing was performed with 10 E. coli strains isolated from rectal swabs of pigs and poultry layers in Nigeria. Two sequence analysis methods including command line, where bacterial genomes were assembled, and subsequently antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) were detected through online databases, and EPI2ME, an integrated cloud-based data analysis platform with MinION, was used to detect ARGs. Results: A total of 95 ARGs were identified and most of the genes are known to be expressed in the chromosome. Interestingly, few genes including qnrS1, qnrS15, qnrS10, kdpE, cmlA1, MIR-14, sul3 and dfrA12 were identified which were previously reported as transferred through Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs). The antibiotic susceptibility assay determined that the E. coli isolates were resistant to Penicillin (100%), Ciprofloxacin (70%), tetracycline (50%) and Ampicillin (40%). The accuracies of the command line and EPI2ME methods have been found to be 57.14% and 32.14%, respectively, in predicting AMR. Moreover, the analysis methods showed 62.5% agreement in predicting AMR for the E. coli isolates. Conclusions: Considering the multiple advantages of nanopore sequencing, the application of this rapid and field-feasible sequencing technique holds promise for rapid AMR monitoring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Nigeria. However, the development of a robust sequence analysis pipeline and the optimization of the existing analysis tools are crucial to streamline the deployment of nanopore sequencing in LMICs for AMR monitoring both in animal and human sectors.

Malaria, helminthiasis and HIV are widespread in developing countries taking a heavy toll on pregnant women. Due to similar environmental and human factors of transmission, they co-exist. The epidemiology and pathology of these diseases have been extensively studied but data on serum cytokine profile changes which is crucial in pregnancy is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the co-infections and their impact on peripheral blood cytokines. Blood and stool samples were collected from recruited 18-45-year-old pregnant women in different trimesters who were apparently healthy with no obvious complications in pregnancy. Pretested questionnaires were administered for personal and socio-demographic details. Malaria parasitemia in Giemsa-stained thick blood films was examined microscopically. Stool samples were screened for helminths using Kato-Katz method. Cytokine levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13 and IL-17 in 121 serum samples were determined using ELISA. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Mann–Whitney U test at α_0.05. Relative to the single infections, there were significant reductions in IFN-γ and IL-13 in second and third trimesters respectively in those with Plasmodium and helminth co-infection. IFN-γ and IL-17 were elevated while IL-1α and IL-12p70 were reduced in co-infection of helminths and HIV. Co-infection of Plasmodium and HIV in second and third trimesters showed significant elevations in IL-1α, IL-10 and IL-17 while TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-12p70 were significantly reduced. HIV in pregnancy and its co-infection with Plasmodium resulted in significant distortions in the cytokine profile. However, helminth and its co-infection with Plasmodium or HIV produced less changes in the cytokine profile.

The in vivo antimalarial and antidiabetic activity of extract of Camellia sinensis (ECS) in alloxan-induced diabetic and Plasmodium berghei-infected mice were investigated. Eighty-four BALB/c mice divided into sets 1 & 2 infected with P. berghei and 2 & 3 injected with alloxan received either distilled water, ECS (300mg/kg), Chloroquine (CQ-10mg/kg) or Metformin (250mg/kg). Results showed significant increases (p<0.05) in percentage parasitaemia of P. berghei-infected mice treated with ECS and P. berghei-diabetic mice. Furthermore, ECS significantly decreased (p<0.05) blood glucose and PCV in diabetic and P. berghei-diabetic mice. ECS regenerated pancreatic islet cells in P. berghei-infected-diabetes but lacked appreciable antimalarial activity

Background or Objectives: Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa with similarity in geographical distribution of major pathogens of public health interest. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of malaria and helminths on CD4 count, hematocrit values and viral load among HIV-infected pregnant women. Methods: One hundred and ninety-seven HIV-infected pregnant women aged 18-45 years were recruited from a registered HIV clinic and questionnaires were administered for socio-demographic details. Screening for malaria parasites in blood was through microscopy while helminths were identified in stool using Kato-Katz method. Hematocrit levels were determined through centrifugation of blood collected in capillary tubes. At the time of recruitment, most recent CD4 count and viral load was obtained from the patients’ case notes. Results: About three-quarters (73.6%) of the women had above primary school level of education while more than half (60.2%) were petty traders. The prevalence of malaria parasites in the blood samples was 24.9%, while 3% were infected with helminths. There was only a single case of malaria, helminths and HIV co-infection in the study group. Prevalence of anemia was 75.6% with eight cases (4.1%) of severe anemia. About 86.6% of the women with anemia had low CD4 count (Χ2= 8.801, p=0.032). The mean CD4 count was significantly lower among those with co-infection of malaria and HIV. Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Malaria or helminth infection among HIV-infected women lowers the CD4 count and increases the viral load with little changes in hematocrit values. Routine screening of HIV-infected women for probable multiple infections will aid in improving their overall health and well-being. Copyright © 2021 Rabiu et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

Background: Iron deficiency is a dominant source of anaemia in many settings. To evaluate the key cause of anaemia in the study area, the prevalence of anaemia due to major public health diseases was compared with anaemia due to iron deficiency. Methods: Pregnant women were recruited from ante-natal (n=490) and HIV clinics (n=217) with their personal data docu- mented using a questionnaire. Microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick smears was used for detection of malaria parasites while helminths in stools were detected using direct smear method. Haematocrit values were determined by capillary method. Se- rum ferritin levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: The mean age of the recruited women was 28.6±5.4 years old. There were 68.1% cases of anaemia of which 35.5% was due to infections only predominantly HIV and malaria, 14.9% from unknown sources while anaemia due to iron deficiency only was 7.1%. Conclusion: It can safely be inferred that malaria and HIV predispose to anaemia than iron deficiency in the study area. Although pregnant women are dewormed and given IPTp for helminths and malaria treatment respectively, there should be complementary routine malaria screening at ANC visits for those with HCT values Keywords: Iron deficiency anaemia; antenatal care; Plasmodium; helminth; pregnant women; HIV.

The antiplasmodial effect of methanol extract of Paullinia pinnata leaves was investigated in mice to observe the outcome on oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver. Wistar mice of both sexes were used for the curative, prophylaxis, and suppressive tests by adopting standard procedures. In the curative test, the liver was processed for liver function, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory assays and histology. Changes in percentage parasitemia was observed while the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory parameters were not affected. There was low suppressive activity, mildly moderate prophylactic potential, and curative property which were also reflected in the antioxidant and liver function test at higher dose while at a lower dose it showed weak curative activity with prophylactic and suppressive capacities.