Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Seen at a Testing Centre in Lagos Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 infection continues to ravage the global community since it was declared a pandemic. The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics defining the disease are mainly from Europe and Asia. The disease symptomatology is similar to the prevalent diseases in our environment, this could result in the delay in prompt identification and appropriate management of suspected cases toward combating community transmission. This study evaluates the prevalence, socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of positive cases of COVID -19. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. Data on the socio-demographic, clinical characteristics and the results of the SARS-CoV-2 test of participants at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research [NIMR] Modified Drive-through Centre for COVID-19 test sample collection over two months [24th February 2020- 27th April 2020] were retrieved from the electronic medical records (EMR). Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: A total number of 481 clients were evaluated in this review. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population was 14.6%. The mean age of the positive cases was 42.2 [±15.9] years. The common symptoms reported by the positive cases were fever (40.0%), cough (32.9%), sore throat (17.1%) and running nose (15.7%). Fever depicted statistical significance with positive cases with the majority being of mild to moderate clinical severity. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among this cohort was 14.6% with a male preponderance. Fever and sore throat were the variables that predicted SARS CoV-2 infection among our cohort.

Serological and virological markers of nigerian patients with hepatitis B infection.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the spectrum of diseases attributable to chronic hepatitis B are diverse. It is estimated that 15%-25% of chronic carriers will die from complications of progressive disease such as liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatic decompensation. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the serological and virological profile of patients with hepatitis B infection to enhance the evaluation of the natural history of viral hepatitis in an endemic population. METHODS: Characteristics of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) patients (2010-2016) were extracted from the database of a reference laboratory in Lagos. These included serological tests for hepatitis B antigens (HBeAg, HBsAg), antibodies (anti-HBcIgM, anti-HBeAb) (DIA.PRO), and HBV DNA (Roche Diagnostics). SPSS version 20.0 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 1,983 patients, 1,252 were male and 731 female. HBeAg was detected in 8.0% (128/1,605) of the subjects, anti-HBe was positive in 90.0% (1,257/1,396), while HBcore subclass IgM antibody was detected in 12.6% (116/930). Detectable HBV DNA was identified in 1,781 (89%), with viral load exceeding 2,001 IU/mL in 712 (35.9%) subjects. HBV viral loads >200,000 IU/mL were more frequently detected in HBeAg-positive compared with HBeAg-negative subjects (65.7% vs 4.9%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated the predominance of low replicative phase HBV infection and highlighted the importance of HBeAg-negative infections that may require antiviral therapy. HBeAg-positive infections occurred significantly in younger adults with new or acute infections. Our findings have implications for patient evaluation and planning of hepatitis treatment programs.

Immunological and virological response to haart in HIV-1 patients co-infected with hepatitis B and C viruses.

BACKGROUND: Among the countries highly endemic for viral hepatitis, Nigeria is found. Information on how triple infected persons (HIV, HBV, and HCV) fare on HAART in the country is lacking. Laboratory based investigation was carried out to assess the virological and immunological parameters of HIV-1 infected patients co-infected with Hepatitis B and C, accessing care at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. It was a case controlled study. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to compare the laboratory data of HIV-HBV-HCV patients seen between 2006 and 2009 with HIV-1 monoinfected patients in the same period, on HAART according to the national guideline and followed up for 12 months. METHODS: Detection of Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis C Virus Antibody (HCVAb) were assayed using ELISA techniques (Bio Rad and DIA PRO respectively). The CD4 and HIV viral load were determined using the Cyflow Counter/Kits (Partec) and the Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor Test V1.5 (Roche) techniques respectively. RESULTS: Forty-one (0.4%) of the 10,214 HIV-1 patients seen during the period were co-infected with both HBV and HCV. Over the 12 month-period, median HIV-1 viral load and CD4 count reduced and increased respectively (12,205-200 RNA copies/mL; 210-430 cells/mL from baseline - 12th month), and for the HIV-1 monoinfected patients (36,794-200 RNA copies/mL [p=0.5485] and 206-347 cells/mL [p=0.7703] from baseline - 12th month). CONCLUSION: There seems to be no significant influence of hepatitis B and C in HIV infection on HAART judging by the CD4 and viral load profiles which were similar in the two groups.