Bioinformatics Designing and Molecular Modelling of a Universal mRNA Vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

At this present stage of COVID-19 re-emergence, designing an effective candidate vaccine for different variants of SARS-CoV-2 is a study worthy of consideration. This research used bioinformatics tools to design an mRNA vaccine that captures all the circulating variants and lineages of the virus in its construct. Sequences of these viruses were retrieved across the six continents and analyzed using different tools to screen for the preferable CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTL), CD4+ T lymphocytes (HTL), and B-cell epitopes. These epitopes were used to design the vaccine. In addition, several other co-translational residues were added to the construct of an mRNA vaccine whose molecular weight is 285.29686 kDa with an estimated pI of 9.2 and has no cross affinity with the human genome with an estimated over 68% to cover the world population. It is relatively stable, with minimal deformability in its interaction with the human innate immune receptor, which includes TLR 3 and TLR 9. The overall result has proven that the designed candidate vaccine is capable of modulating cell-mediated immune responses by activating the actions of CD4+ T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages, and displayed an increased memory T cell and B cell activities, which may further be validated via in vivo and in vitro techniques.

SARS CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Selected States of High and Low Disease Burden in Nigeria.

Importance: The global impact of COVID-19 has led to an increased need to continuously assess disease surveillance tools. The utility of SARS-CoV-2 serologic tools in determining immunity levels across different age groups and locations in helping to quickly assess the burden of COVID-19 with significant health policy implications is unknown. Objective: To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with respect to the age group and sex of participants. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional survey of 4904 individuals across 12 states with high and low COVID-19 disease burden in Nigeria was carried out between June 29 and August 21, 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for the detection of specific SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibodies, such as the nucleocapsid protein-NCP and spike protein S1. Interviewer-administered questionnaires provided information on participants' history of disease and associated risk factors. Results: A total of 4904 individuals participated in the study (3033 were female [61.8%]; mean [SD] age, 26.7 [6.51] years). A high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 (78.9%) was obtained. Seropositivity was consistent across the states surveyed, ranging from 69.8% in Lagos to 87.7% in Borno. There was no association between sex and seropositivity (female, 2414 [79.6%]; male, 1456 [77.8%]; P = .61); however, an association was noted between age and seropositivity, with the peak prevalence observed in participants aged 15 to 19 years (616 [83.6%]; P = .001). Similarly, loss of appetite (751 [82.3%]; P = .04) and smell (309 [84.4%]; P = .01) were associated with seropositivity. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, a high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was obtained among the study population during the low level of vaccination at the time of the survey. Thus, there is a need for both an efficacy and antibody neutralization test study to ascertain the efficacy of the antibody detected and the potential for herd immunity in Nigeria.

Seroprevalence and molecular characterization of human respiratory syncytial virus and human adenovirus among children in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

In children, the respiratory syncytial virus and adenovirus majorly cause acute respiratory infections. The study evaluated the seroprevalence and conducted the molecular characterization of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and human adenovirus (HAdV) among children. Venous blood, nasopharyngeal, and oropharyngeal swabs were collected from children presenting with acute respiratory infections in a tertiary health facility in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. A serological investigation was carried out on the sera samples for the detection of anti-HRSV immunoglobulin M (IgM), anti-HRSV IgG, anti-HAdV IgM, and anti-HAdV IgG using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kits. The amplification and sequencing of HRSV and HAdV were carried out using specific primer pairs that targeted the glycoprotein (G) gene of HRSV and the hexon gene of HAdV, respectively. The seroprevalence of HRSV IgG and IgM was 73% and 7.5%, respectively, while the seroprevalence of HAdV IgG and IgM was 98.5% and 8.5%, respectively. The age of enrolled children, presence of fever, and cough were associated (p < 0.05) with the infection. HRSV subtype B (HRSV-B) (13.3%), and species of HAdV (Mastadenovirus B and C) (11.7%) were detected among the studied population. There was no viral coinfection with both HRSV and HAdV. In infancy and early childhood, HRSV-B, HAdV species B and C are common etiologic agents of respiratory infections as reported in this study. Further studies on molecular characterization of respiratory tract viruses including circulating respiratory syncytial virus and adenovirus are hereby advocated.

Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef at a commercial slaughterhouse in Moro, Kwara State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Gastroenteritis due to foodborne disease is a leading cause of death in developing countries. In Nigeria, there is an increasing demand for beef. Yet, there is no surveillance for Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination of raw beef and little is known about the carriage of this pathogen in Nigeria's livestock. METHODS: A total of 415 samples, including 180 cow carcass swabs, 180 caecal content samples, 16 water samples, 25 hand swabs and 14 knife swabs were collected at a large abattoir in the Moro region of Kwara State, Nigeria. The samples were enriched in modified tryptone broth containing novobiocine, and plated onto Sorbitol-MacConkey agar (Oxoid SR0172E) supplemented with 0.05 mg l-1 cefixime and 2.5 mg l-1 potassium tellurite (Oxoid) (CT-SMAC). Indole-producing isolates were confirmed serologically by serotyping with antisera specific for the O157 and H7 antigens. The E. coli O157:H7 isolates were further tested for their susceptibility to antibiotic agents using the disc diffusion method. Commercially available Gram-negative multi-discs (Oxoid) comprising nitrofurantoin (30 µg), ampicillin (5 µg), ceftazidime (30 µg), gentamicin (10 µg), ciprofloxacin (5 µg), augmentin (30 µg), ofloxacin (5 µg) and cefuroxime (30 µg) were tested. RESULTS: Overall, 16 (3.9 %) samples were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, of which 10 (5.6 %) were isolated from carcass swabs, 4 (2.2 %) from caecal content samples and 2 (12.5 %) from water. All isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR), with resistance to ampicillin, ceftazidime and cefuroxime being the most common. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence to suggest that E. coli O157:H7 exists in the beef production chain. The pathogen reveals a high frequency of multidrug resistance, suggesting that consumers and handlers of such meat are at risk of contracting antibiotic-resistant E. coli O157:H7-associated foodborne disease. Routine monitoring of antibiotic resistance is critical to uncovering novel therapeutic strategies that will help inform clinical practice guidelines.

High risk human papilloma virus (HPV) common among a cohort of women with female genital mutilation.

BACKGROUND: Nigeria accounts for 25% of cases of Female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide, with increased incidence of cervical cancer. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at evaluating the relationship between FGM and HPV in a locality with high prevalence of FGM. METHODS: Papanicolaou test, DNA hybridization using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and flow-through hybridization was done to determine the genotypic variants of the HPV. Physical examination and questionnaires were also used to ascertain presence of FGM. RESULTS: FGM was found among 98(49%) subjects, while 23(11.5%) had one or more genotype of HPV. Majority of the cases of HPV (78.3%) occurred in FGM subjects. Seventeen Genotypes of HPV were found among subjects with FGM consisting of 11 high risk (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 52, 56, 73, 81, 82) and 6 low risk (43, 44, 6, 26, 84, 70). A correlation (p value = 0.0052 at 95% CI) was found between FGM and HPV prevalence with a positive result for post hoc analysis. Results show the first reported case of quintuple HPV infection in a single subject in Nigeria. CONCLUSION: FGM needs to be halted as it has no known health benefit yet may increase the risk for cervical cancer.

Towards an effective poliovirus laboratory containment strategy in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The Global Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis will declare the world free of wild poliovirus transmission when no wild virus has been found in at least 3 consecutive years, and all laboratories possessing wild poliovirus materials have adopted appropriate measures of containment. Nigeria has made progress towards poliomyelitis eradication with the latest reported WPV type 1 on 21 Aug 2016 after 2 years without any case. This milestone achievement was followed by an inventory of biomedical laboratories completed in November 2015 with the destruction of all identified infectious materials. This paper seeks to describe the poliovirus laboratory containment process in Nigeria on which an effective containment system has been built to minimize the risk of virus re-introduction into the population from the laboratories. METHODS: A national survey of all biomedical facilities, as well as an inventory of laboratories from various sectors, was conducted from June-November 2015. National Task Force (NTF) members and staff working on polio administered an on-site questionnaire in each facility. Laboratory personnel were sensitized with all un-needed materials destroyed by autoclaving and incineration. All stakeholders were also sensitized to continue the destruction of such materials as a requirement for phase one activities. RESULTS: A total of 20,638 biomedical facilities were surveyed with 9575 having laboratories. Thirty laboratories were found to contain poliovirus or potentially infectious materials. The 30 laboratories belonged to the ministries of health, education, defence and private organizations. CONCLUSIONS: This article is amongst the first in Africa that relates poliovirus laboratory containment in the context of the tOPV-bOPV switch in alignment with the Global Action Plan III. All identified infectious materials were destroyed and personnel trained to continue to destroy subsequent materials, a process that needs meticulous monitoring to mitigate the risk of poliovirus re-introduction to the population.

Distribution pattern of poliovirus potentially infectious materials in the phase 1b medical laboratories containment in conformity with the global action plan III.

BACKGROUND: The containment of poliovirus infectious/potentially infectious materials in all biomedical facilities in Nigeria remain crucial to maintaining gains recorded towards polio eradication. Activities involved in the Nigerian Poliovirus type 2-laboratory containment survey in line with the 3rd Global Action Plan III (GAP III) for poliovirus containment are documented in this study. Through these activities, the overall preparedness for poliovirus eradication in Nigeria is assessed. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 19th September-31st October 2016 using structured Laboratory survey and inventory (LSI) questionnaires uploaded onto the SPSS software package in 560 biomedical facilities classified either as high risk or medium risk facilities across the 6 zones in Nigeria. RESULTS: In total, 560 biomedical facilities were surveyed in Nigeria in conformity with the GAP III. In total, 86% of the facilities surveyed were with laboratories while 14% were without laboratories. Twelve laboratories with poliovirus potentially infectious materials were identified in this exercise. In total, 50% of the 12 laboratories were under the ministry of education for research purposes. While 33% were among those laboratories surveyed in the phase 1a exercise without any recorded inventory, but have acquired some since the phase 1a survey. A total of 13,484 poliovirus infectious materials were found in the 12 laboratories. Only 8% of the materials were immediately destroyed while the remaining materials (62%) were found in Oyo and Borno states scheduled for destruction within 3-4 months according to WHO protocol for destruction of poliovirus infectious materials. CONCLUSION: This study has revealed the successful containment of all poliovirus infectious materials in the laboratories surveyed. It has also revealed some surveillance gaps. We recommend that the surveillance system be improved to maintain the gains from the containment exercise and avoid reintroduction of infectious materials into biomedical facilities. This reduces the chances of viral reintroduction to the population in general.

The Neglect and Fast Spread of Some Arboviruses: A Note for Healthcare Providers in Nigeria.

Arboviruses are distributed worldwide and constitute significant health burden globally. Outbreaks of arboviruses have been reported in Africa and beyond. In Nigeria, like in many other countries, arbovirus infections are more often than not neglected. As the early clinical features of arbovirus infections are generally nonspecific, most healthcare providers mistake them for other diseases. Outbreaks have been reported in Africa and beyond. The consequence of missed diagnosis of diseases cannot be overstated. In this review, some epidemiological data, classical syndromes, and risk factors for five human arboviruses (yellow fever YF, dengue DENV, chikungunya CHIKV, Rift Valley fever RVF, and West Nile virus WNV) found in Nigeria are presented. Health practitioners should ensure in-depth analysis rather than a superficial diagnosis of diseases before declaring a course of treatment.

Emergence and Associated Risk Factors of Vector Borne West Nile Virus Infection in Ilorin, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne viral pathogen that is the causative agent of West Nile fever and encephalitis. Diagnostic tools for WNV infection in Nigeria are not well established hence the current prevalence rate of WNV infection in Nigeria is unknown. We aimed to establish the serological prevalence of WNV infection in febrile patients in Ilorin, Nigeria in 2016, and to assess the risk factors associated with the acquisition of the virus. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving the screening of subjects presenting with febrile illnesses. While specific IgM ELISA was used to determine the seroprevalence, a closed-ended questionnaire was used to ascertain the risk factors associated with this viral infection. RESULTS: Fifteen (7.5%) of the respondents were positive for WNV infection. Subjects living in areas in close proximity to trees and bushes (P= 0.011) and stagnant water (P= 0.001) were at a higher risk of having WNV infection. Other risk factors associated with WNV among the respondents include the none use of insecticide (P= 0.001), sitting out at night (P= 0.044), HIV positivity (P= 0.003) and having an organ transplant (P= 0.002). CONCLUSION: This study clearly shows a considerable WNV infection in Ilorin, with the presence of factors that can promulgate an outbreak, hence a need for further surveillance in the study area.

Etiology of respiratory tract infections in the community and clinic in Ilorin, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: Recognizing increasing interest in community disease surveillance globally, the goal of this study was to investigate whether respiratory viruses circulating in the community may be represented through clinical (hospital) surveillance in Nigeria. RESULTS: Children were selected via convenience sampling from communities and a tertiary care center (n = 91) during spring 2017 in Ilorin, Nigeria. Nasal swabs were collected and tested using polymerase chain reaction. The majority (79.1%) of subjects were under 6 years old, of whom 46 were infected (63.9%). A total of 33 of the 91 subjects had one or more respiratory tract virus; there were 10 cases of triple infection and 5 of quadruple. Parainfluenza virus 4, respiratory syncytial virus B and enterovirus were the most common viruses in the clinical sample; present in 93.8% (15/16) of clinical subjects, and 6.7% (5/75) of community subjects (significant difference, p < 0.001). Coronavirus OC43 was the most common virus detected in community members (13.3%, 10/75). A different strain, Coronavirus OC 229 E/NL63 was detected among subjects from the clinic (2/16) and not detected in the community. This pilot study provides evidence that data from the community can potentially represent different information than that sourced clinically, suggesting the need for community surveillance to enhance public health efforts and scientific understanding of respiratory infections.

Dengue virus and malaria concurrent infection among febrile subjects within Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease of public health importance. It is caused by four serotypes of Dengue virus (i.e, DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4). As a result of practices that are conducive for mosquito breading, its vector is widespread in Nigeria and this could result to possible DENV outbreaks in Nigeria and beyond. This study aimed to assess the recency of DENV infection as well as occurrence of DENV and Malaria co-infections within Ilorin, Nigeria. Blood samples were obtained from 176 febrile subjects and analyzed using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the presence of DENV antibodies. Malaria infection was detected using a rapid diagnostic test kit for malaria parasites. Malaria and DENV (IgM positive) co-infected samples were further subjected to RT-qPCR analysis. A seroprevalence of 46.0% was recorded for anti-DENV IgM antibodies and 2.84% for concurrent Dengue and malaria infections. Out of 95 IgM negative samples, 48 were found to be positive for DENV IgG antibodies. Eleven (6.25%) samples were confirmed DENV positive following RT-qPCR. The CT values of the amplicons were between 19.0 and 20.0. DENV serotype 2 dominated the study, while serotype 3 and 4 were equally distributed. Based on the high seroprevalence of DENV obtained in this study, there is a high possibility of experiencing Dengue virus outbreak in Ilorin, Nigeria, not neglecting the fast geographical spread of the vector. Therefore, surveillance and intensive vector control program should be instituted.

Population genomics diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in malaria patients attending Okelele Health Centre, Okelele, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous malaria parasite species to humans remains an important public health concern in Okelele, a rural community in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. There is however little information about the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: To determine the population genomic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in malaria patients attending Okelele Community Healthcare Centre, Okelele, Ilorin, Kwara State. METHODS: In this study, 50 Plasmodium falciparum strains Merozoite Surface Protein 1, Merozoite Surface Protein 2 and Glutamate Rich Protein were analysed from Okelele Health Centre, Okelele, Ilorin, Nigeria. Genetic diversity of P. falciparum isolates were analysed from nested polymerase chain reactions (PCR) of the MSP-1 (K1, MAD 20 and RO33), MSP-2 (FC27 and 3D7) and Glutamate Rich Protein allelic families respectively. RESULTS: Polyclonal infections were more in majority of the patients for MSP-1 allelic families while monoclonal infections were more for MSP-2 allelic families. Multiplicity of infection for MSP-1, MSP-2 and GLURP were 1.7, 1.8 and 2.05 respectively. CONCLUSION: There is high genetic diversity in MSP - 2 and GLURP allelic families of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Okelele Health Centre, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Seroprevalence and Co-Infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Among Pregnant Women in Lokoja, North-Central Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is normally associated with orofacial (orolabial) infections and encephalitis, whereas HSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. The evidence suggesting that HSV is facilitating the spread of the global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the risk posed by these synergies to neonates in developing countries informed this study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the seroprevalence and co-infection of HIV and HSV, as well as their associated risk factors, in Lokoja, Nigeria. METHODS: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional, prospective study, which was carried out among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at the federal medical centre in Lokoja, Nigeria. sociodemographic characteristics and HIV-HSV status were determined by the use of a structured questionnaire and immunoassay kits, respectively. All data were analyzed using Stata statistical software (version 12), and the level of significance was determined to be P < 0.05 using the chi-square test. RESULTS: Of the 250 pregnant women screened for HIV and HSV, 154 (61.6%) were in the 2nd trimester of gestation, and all of the co-infected respondents were in their 2nd trimester. Only six (2.4%) of the respondents tested positive for HIV, with all six (100%) showing positivity for HSV so the co-infection rate was six (2.4%). Co-infection was found to occur between the ages of 15 and 35 years, while higher age groups did not show any co-infection. Parity, level of education, and history of painful genital ulcers had no significant association with co-infection. CONCLUSIONS: Advocacy and publicity to raise awareness of the potential public health impact of HSV and HIV co-infection in Nigeria, where anti-HSV testing is not generally performed in all populations, is therefore recommended.

Phylogeny of haemosporidian blood parasites revealed by a multi-gene approach.

The apicomplexan order Haemosporida is a clade of unicellular blood parasites that infect a variety of reptilian, avian and mammalian hosts. Among them are the agents of human malaria, parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which pose a major threat to human health. Illuminating the evolutionary history of Haemosporida may help us in understanding their enormous biological diversity, as well as tracing the multiple host switches and associated acquisitions of novel life-history traits. However, the deep-level phylogenetic relationships among major haemosporidian clades have remained enigmatic because the datasets employed in phylogenetic analyses were severely limited in either gene coverage or taxon sampling. Using a PCR-based approach that employs a novel set of primers, we sequenced fragments of 21 nuclear genes from seven haemosporidian parasites of the genera Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Parahaemoproteus, Polychromophilus and Plasmodium. After addition of genomic data from 25 apicomplexan species, the unreduced alignment comprised 20,580 bp from 32 species. Phylogenetic analyses were performed based on nucleotide, codon and amino acid data employing Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony. All analyses resulted in highly congruent topologies. We found consistent support for a basal position of Leucocytozoon within Haemosporida. In contrast to all previous studies, we recovered a sister group relationship between the genera Polychromophilus and Plasmodium. Within Plasmodium, the sauropsid and mammal-infecting lineages were recovered as sister clades. Support for these relationships was high in nearly all trees, revealing a novel phylogeny of Haemosporida, which is robust to the choice of the outgroup and the method of tree inference.

Utilization of Human Papillomavirus DNA Detection for Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Presenting With Abnormal Cytology in Lokoja, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is regarded as the second highest cause of cancer deaths in Nigeria, with an overall prevalence similar to most developing countries. Screening for cervical cancer is primarily performed using papanicolaou (PAP) staining procedure, in Nigeria. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to use human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA typing, as a means of ascertaining the presence of high risk HPV in cytology samples, which are positive for the presence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), using the PAP screening procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Amplification of DNA was done using polymerase chain reaction. Gene sequencing was carried out to determine the presence of high risk HPV from cervical smears that were positive for abnormal cytology, from a cross-sectional study involving women between the ages of 16 - 65 years, screened for CIN and cervical cancer, in Lokoja, Nigeria. RESULTS: Result showed a 100% presence of high risk HPV in all the samples with abnormal cytology. The HPV genotype 35 accounted for the highest percentage of the HPVs cases, with a 40% incidence. The HPV genotype 31 accounted for 30% of samples, while HPV genotype 16 and 18 accounted for 20% and 10% of samples, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of HPV in abnormal cytology underlines to the fact that the presence of HPV is a critical factor in the development of cervical cancer. The use of HPV DNA techniques could actually become an effective and fast means of ascertaining the presence of HPV in abnormal cytology.

Prevalence of adenovirus respiratory tract and hiv co-infections in patients attending the University of Ilorin, teaching hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Adenovirus co-infections in HIV patients cause wide-spread morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa, but little research has documented the burden and distribution of these pathogens. This study was conducted between December, 2010 and March, 2011 to investigate the prevalence of Adenovirus Respiratory Tract and HIV co-infections in Patients attending the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Ilorin, Nigeria. METHOD: One Hundred and Eighty Four (184) patients were recruited with confirmed HIV positive status. Investigation was done by serology using the Human Adenovirus IgG ELISA Kit to test for the presence of the Immunoglobulin G (antibody) against the virus. This was conducted and juxtaposed simultaneously with responses received from the questionnaires provided to each participant to correlate the relationship of the co-infections to their socio-demographic factors (Age, Gender, Occupation and location of residence), risk factors (Average hours of exposure per day (time spent outdoor daily), proximity of their apartments to livestock settlements), recent occurrence of respiratory tract infections/conjunctivitis and their ART status. RESULTS: This study recorded a prevalent rate of 38% (70 patients) to the co-infections. Nevertheless, 62% (114 patients) tested negative to the co-infections. CONCLUSION: There was statistical significance between the ages of HIV patients and Adenovirus co-infection (p<0.05). However, there was no significance with respect to gender of the subjects (p>0.05). The findings also showed that there were statistical significance for all the risk factors; Occupation, Location and Proximity to Livestock settlement, recent respiratory tract infection/conjunctivitis, and ART status in relation to Adenovirus and HIV co-infections (p<0.05).

In vivo antimalarial activity and toxicological effects of methanolic extract of Cocos nucifera (Dwarf red variety) husk fibre.

OBJECTIVE: Phytochemical constituents as well as antimalarial and toxicity potentials of the methanolic extract of the husk fibre of Dwarf Red variety of Cocos nucifera were evaluated in this study. METHODS: The dried powdered husk fibre was exhaustively extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol successively and the methanolic extract was screened for flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, alkaloids, steroids, triterpenes, phlobatannins, anthraquinones and glycosides. A 4-day suppressive antimalarial test was carried out using Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected mice, to which the extract was administered at doses of 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight (BW). Toxicity of the extract was evaluated in rats using selected hematological parameters and organ function indices after orally administering doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg BW for 14 d. RESULTS: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, phenolics, saponins, glycosides, steroids and anthraquinones in the extract. Moreover, the extract reduced parasitemia by 39.2% and 45.8% at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg BW respectively on day 8 post-inoculation. Various hematological parameters evaluated were not significantly altered (P>0.05) at all doses of the extract, except red blood cell count which was significantly elevated (P<0.05) at 100 mg/kg BW. The extract significantly increased (P<0.05) urea, creatinine, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and bilirubin concentrations in the serum as well as atherogenic index, while it reduced albumin concentration significantly (P<0.05) at higher doses compared to the controls. Alanine aminotransferase activity was reduced in the liver and heart significantly (P<0.05) but was increased in the serum significantly (P<0.05) at higher doses of the extract compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that methanolic extract of the Dwarf red variety has partial antimalarial activity at higher doses, but is capable of impairing normal kidney and liver function as well as predisposing subjects to cardiovascular diseases.

Seroprevalence of rubella IgG antibody in pregnant women in osogbo, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Infection of mothers with Rubella virus during pregnancy can be serious; if the mother is infected within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy she is likely to have miscarriage, stillbirth, or baby with congenital rubella syndrome. This study was carried out to define Rubella virus seroprevalence in pregnancy in Osogbo, Nigeria. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional sero-survey of rubella IgG antibody among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria. Socio-demographic information on participants was collected by interviewer-administered questionnaire while venous samples were collected, stored at -20°C and serum samples were screened for detection of rubella IgG antibodies using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Of the 200 sample evaluated for rubella Immunoglobulin G antibody, 175 (87.5%) were positive and 25 (12.5%) were negative. The result indicated prevalence of 85.7% in 15-19 year age group, 86.8% in 20-24 year age group, 89.6% in 25-29 year group, and 100% in greater than 40 year age group. Rubella IgG seroprevalence was not associated with age, gestational age, gravidity, vaccination, occupation and education. CONCLUSIONS: As the immunity gap in the studied population was high, rubella vaccination should be provided for all women of child-bearing age and children.