Parasitological, serological, and molecular survey of trypanosomosis (Surra) in camels slaughtered in northwestern Nigeria.

Surra is a parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi and transmitted non-cyclically by biting flies. The disease significantly affects the health, productivity, and market value of camels thereby constituting a major constraint to food safety, security, and economy. This is the first study on the prevalence of surra in northwestern Nigeria, using a range of diagnostic tests along the parasitological-serological-molecular continuum hence, emphasizing it as a major enzootic risk for camels in Nigeria. In this cross-sectional study, 600 blood samples were collected from camels at major abattoirs in northwestern Nigeria and evaluated for the prevalence of T. evansi using parasitological (Giemsa staining), serological (CATT/T. evansi), and molecular (VSG-PCR and sequencing) methods. The overall prevalence of surra recorded in this study was 5.3%, 11.5%, and 22.5% using Giemsa-stained blood smears, CATT/T. evansi, and VSG-PCR respectively. However, higher prevalence rates at 6.0%, 13.7%, and 26.7% by Giemsa-stained blood smears, CATT/T. evansi, and VSG-PCR were recorded in Katsina State compared with results from Kano State. A significantly (p < 0.05) higher prevalence by VSG-PCR was observed when compared with both parasitological and serological methods used. Although age and body condition scores were associated (p < 0.05) with surra prevalence in sampled camels, no seasonal association (p > 0.05) was recorded. Sequencing of the VSG region of Trypanosoma spp. Further confirmed the presence of T. evansi as the aetiological agent of surra from the sampled camels. Findings from this study call for the implementation of adequate control measures aimed at reducing the impact of T. evansi infections on camel production in Nigeria.

Optimization of the adsorption of total organic carbon from produced water using functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

This study investigated the removal of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) from produced water by batch adsorption process using adsorbents developed from Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs). The MWCNTs, synthesized by catalytic chemical vapour deposition method using kaolin-supported tri-metallic (iron-cobalt-nickel) catalyst were purified by H2SO4/HNO3 and then functionalized with 1-pyrenebutanoic acid N-hydroxyl succinimidyl ester (PSE). The raw, purified and functionalized MWCNTs were characterized by High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). In the results, HRSEM/HRTEM revealed the structure, purity and also confirmed the attachment of the PSE molecule onto the nano-adsorbent(s). The BET surface areas of MWCNTs, PMWCNTs and FMWCNTs were 970.17, 869.25 and 831.80 m2/g, respectively while the FTIR established the existence of surface functional groups. The functionalized MWCNTs (FMWCNTs) nano-adsorbent showed superior performance efficiency (93.6%) than the purified MWCNTs (PMWCNTs) (79.2%) as examined under the same batch adsorption condition: 0.02 g adsorbent dosage, 10-90 min contact time and 30 °C solution temperature probably, due the improved wettability resulted from incorporation of PSE. Subsequently, Central Composite Design (CCD) was applied to optimize the process parameters for the sorption of TOC onto FMWCNTs. The CCD in the response surface methodology predicted 260 mg/g adsorption capacity of FMWCNTs in the removal of TOC at the optimum condition of 49.70 min contact time, 34.81 °C solution temperature, and 0.02 g adsorbent dosage. The kinetics data were best described by pseudo-second-order model and thermodynamic parameters suggested that the process was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic. It can be inferred from the various analysis conducted that the developed FMWCNTs nano-adsorbent is effective for removal of TOC from oil-produced water and may be explored for removal of organic contaminants from other industrial wastewater.

Green corrosion inhibition and adsorption characteristics of Luffa cylindrica leaf extract on mild steel in hydrochloric acid environment.

The corrosion inhibition of Luffa cylindrica Leaf Extract (LCLE) was investigated using gravimetric, depth of attack and surface analysis techniques. Effect of inhibitor concentrations (0.50-1.00 g/l), temperatures (30-60 °C) and immersion time (4-12 h) was studied on the Inhibition Efficiency (IE) of the extract on Mild Steel (MS) immersed in a 0.5 M HCl solution. The constituents of the proposed inhibitor were identified by using a GC-MS. The media solutions and adsorbed film on MS were characterized using FTIR Spectrophotometer. SEM microgram and surface tester were applied for studying surface morphology and depth of attack profile. The optimum IE of 87.89% was obtained. The LCLE adsorption on MS followed Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics. Activation energy (28.71 kJ/mol), entropy (- 0.15 kJ/mol. K), average enthalpy (-28.00 kJ/mol) and Gibbs free energy (-11.43 kJ/mol) obtained at optimum condition indicate exothermic process and physical adsorption mechanism. The result obtained in this study compared well with many reported green inhibitors for MS corrosion.

Cohort event monitoring of patients treated for uncomplicated malaria with artemisinin-based combination therapies in selected hospitals and community pharmacies in Nigeria.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The study was designed with the broad objective of determining the safety profile of artemisinin-based combination therapies amongst Nigerian population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a cohort event monitoring (CEM) programme involving monitoring adverse events (AEs) in malaria patients treated with either artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or artesunate-amodiaquine (AA) in healthcare facilities in Nigeria. The study involved continuous enrolment of patients with malaria and treated with either AL or AA at the various sites until a total cohort of 600 patients were enrolled at each site. Patients were monitored from the onset of therapy, and on days 3 and 7 from the first day of treatment to identify AEs that may occur. RESULTS: A total of 6102 AEs were recorded in 10,259 patients monitored during the programme. Of 4896 patients who received AA, 4233 (86.5%) patients reported at least one AE while 1869 (34.8%) AEs out of 5363 patients who received AL were reported (P = 0.010). The predominant incidence of each specific AE reported in each group among the patients who received AA and AL includes body weakness 30.8%/7.5%, dizziness 10.3%/3.9%, restlessness 5.02/1.12%, vomiting 3.5/1.03% and drowsiness 3.1/1.5% for AA and AL, respectively. There were more AEs among patients with co-morbid conditions and patients in the younger age groups (9-<15 years), P = 0.000. CONCLUSIONS: Various types of AEs were seen and documented during the CEM programme. The findings suggested that the AA/AL monitored during this programme was generally safe and remarkably well tolerated among the Nigerian populations.

Use of complementary medicines among HIV-infected children in Lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Complementary medicine (CM) use is common among children with chronic illnesses such as epilepsy and asthma. Lack of data on the profile of CM use among children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection necessitated this study. METHODS: Parents or caregivers of HIV-infected children attending the paediatric HIV-clinic in a teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, were randomly selected and interviewed with a semi-structured (open- and close-ended) questionnaire. Clinical details of the patients were extracted from their case files. RESULTS: A total of 187 parents/caregivers were interviewed. Most of the parents/caregivers (181; 96.8%) have used CMs for their children. Mind-body interventions (181; 36.6%) and biological products (179; 36.2%) were frequently used. Relatives, friends and neighbours influenced CM use in 37.1% of the children. CMs were used mostly to treat weight loss (79; 43.7%), cold (40; 22.1%), and fever (39; 21.6%). CONCLUSION: CM use is common among HIV-infected children in Lagos.

Body mass index and asthma severity in a population of Nigerian asthmatics.

BACKGROUND: Asthma and obesity have considerable impact on public health. There is increase prevalence of both conditions worldwide. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of obesity among asthma patients as well as determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on asthma severity and pulmonary functions. METHODS: The study was conducted at the asthma clinic of the medical outpatient of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. Ethical clearance was obtained from the hospital's research and ethics committee. Non probability sampling method was used with consecutive asthma patients diagnosed by the respiratory physicians according to NHLBI guideline recruited into the study. The weight, height and pulmonary function tests were carried out using standard methods. Acarefully designed interviewer administered questionnaire were used to collect information on the socio demographic characteristics of the patient, asthma symptoms, control use of rescue medications and emergency visits. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty eight (158) asthma patients participated in the study. There were 63 (39.9%) males and 95 (60.1%) females. The prevalence of obesity was 53.8%. The mean age of respondents was 46.48 +/- 17.16 years. Age, educational level and employment status were related to the body mass index while gender and duration of asthma were not. There was no difference in the severity of asthma and utilization of emergency services across the BMI categories. The obese asthmatics generally recorded lower lung function volumes compared with the non-obese asthmatic groups. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of obesity is high among the asthmatics studied. There is no difference in asthma severity across the BMI categories. Pulmonary functions are lower in obese asthmatics.

Biosorption equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic modelling of naphthalene removal from aqueous solution onto modified spent tea leaves.

The object of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using modified spent tea leaves to remove naphthalene from its aqueous solution under batch mode. The effects on the removal process of physical factors, such as initial naphthalene concentration, contact time, biosorbent dosage, pH and temperature, have been evaluated. The equilibrium biosorption data were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherm models. These models provided a good fit to the experimental data, but the Langmuir isotherm model provided the best correlation (R2 = 0.993) to the experimental data. The biosorption kinetic data of naphthalene were analyzed by pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion and surface mass transfer kinetic models. These four kinetic models fitted the biosorption kinetic data well, but the pseudo-first-order kinetic model gave the best fit. The activation energy (E(a)) was found to be 15.89 kJ per mole and the thermodynamic properties of the biosorption process, such as the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and the entropic change of biosorption, were also evaluated. It was established that the biosorption process was spontaneous, feasible and endothermic in nature.

Medication administration errors among paediatric nurses in Lagos public hospitals: an opinion survey.

OBJECTIVE: There is paucity of data on paediatric medicine administration error (MAE) in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the experience of MAEs among paediatric nurses working in public hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria. DESIGN: A confidential, self-reporting questionnaire was the instrument for the study. SETTING: Public hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria with established paediatric services and departments. PARTICIPANTS: Paediatric nurses. METHODS: The questionnaire was administered to 75 nurses working in public hospitals in Lagos to obtain information on the experience of medication errors during their entire career, as well as to know their views on the nature of MAEs and the contributing factors. RESULTS: Fifty nurses responded to give a response rate of 66.7%. All the participants were females with a mean ± s.d age of 35.3 ± 10.7 years. Thirty two (64%) had committed at least one medication error over the course of their career. Wrong dose error (24; 48%) and wrong timing of medicine administration (20; 40%) were the MAEs frequently committed by the participants. The consequences of the errors included shock (23; 46%), restlessness (21; 42%), disorientation (11; 22%), and respiratory depression (10; 20%). Increased workload (26; 52%) and not double checking medicine doses (12; 24%) were the major factors the nurses perceived to be contributing to MAEs. Only 15(30%) nurses had reported MAEs to their superiors. Fear of intimidation, retribution or being punished (11; 22%) and lack of policies in place to report errors (13; 26%) were the two major barriers to reporting MAEs. Half (50%) of the nurses indicated that policies were available in their work places to prevent medication errors. CONCLUSIONS: Medication administration errors were frequently committed by the participants and resulted in some inconsequential effects, morbidity and deaths. Appropriate measures should be implemented to prevent future occurrences of MAEs.

Colonoscopy practice in lagos, Nigeria: a report of an audit.

Background. Colonoscopy effectiveness depends on the quality of the examination. Community-based report of quality of colonoscopy practice in a developing country will help in determining standard and also serve as a stimulus for improvement in service. Aim. To review the quality of colonoscopy practice and document pattern of colonic disease including polyp detection rate in Lagos, Nigeria. Method. A protocol that captured the patients' demographics, indication, and some quality indices of colonoscopy was developed and sent to all the identified colonoscopy units in Lagos to complete for all procedures performed between January 2011 and June 2012. All data were collated and analyzed. The quality indices studied were compared with guideline standard. Results. Twelve colonoscopy centers were identified but only nine centers responded. The gastroenterologist/endoscopists were physicians (3) and surgeons (5). Six hundred and seven colonoscopy procedures were performed during this period (M : F = 333 : 179) while the sex was not disclosed in 95 subjects. The examination indications were lower GI bleeding (24.2%), altered bowel habits (9.2%), lower abdominal pain (9.1%), screening for CRC (4.3%) and unspecified (46.8%). Conscious sedation was generally used while bowel preparation (good in 81.4%) was done with low residue diet and stimulant laxatives. Caecal intubation rate was 81.2%. Common endoscopic findings were haemorrhoids (43.2%), polyps/masses (13.4%), diverticulosis (11.1%), and no abnormality (23.4%). Polyp was detected in 6.8% of cases. Conclusion. Colonoscopy utilization is low, and the quality of practice is suboptimal; although limited resources could partly explain this, however it is not clear if the low rate of polyp detection is due to missed lesions or low population incidence.

Clustering of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia in a Nigerian population: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The clustering of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases has grievous implications on overall morbidity and mortality. There is however relative paucity of this information among the Nigerian population. This study was aimed at defining the prevalence of the clustering of hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM) and dyslipidemia (DYSL) in a Nigerian teaching hospital outpatient clinics population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study of patients managed at the hypertension and diabetes clinics of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria between January and December 2008. The baseline demographic characteristics, blood pressures, blood sugars and fasting lipid profiles were obtained retrospectively from hospital records. Using the standard criteria for the diagnosis of HT, DM and DYSL, the prevalence of these conditions and their respective clusters were determined. RESULTS: A total of 506 patients were seen over this period, male; 234 (46.2%), female; 272(53.8%) with mean age of 57.35 (1.28) years. The prevalence of HT, DM and DYSL were 85%, 39.5% and 58.9% respectively. Concurrent HT and DYSL was the most prevalent cluster found in 146 patients (28.9%), followed by the clustering of the three co-morbidities of HT, DM and DYSL in 124 patients (24.5%).Other clusters were DM+HT; 49 (9.7%), DM+DYSL;13 (2.6%). 41.2% of the population had the clustering of at least two co-morbidities and about a quarter had the three conditions coexisting. CONCLUSION: There is a significant burden of the cardiovascular risk factors occurring in clusters in the Nigerian population studied. This calls for purposeful measures to control these risk factors.