Towards 2030 target for hepatitis B and C viruses elimination: assessing the validity of predonation rapid diagnostic tests versus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in state hospitals in Kaduna, Nigeria

ntroduction: Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 25% of the estimated global 325 million people with chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections. Weak blood transfusion systems facilitate the spread of both hepatitis B and C virus infections. This is worsened by the absence of sustainable quality assurance programs and perennial shortage of sensitive screening kits. We aim to compare the validity of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) with the World Health Organization-recommended quality-assured enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening method for these viruses. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on consecutive blood donor samples. Two hundred and sixty-four blood donor samples screened for hepatitis B and C viruses using RDTs were retested at a National blood transfusion service, Kaduna, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using OpenEpi version 3.01 to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of RDTs versus ELISA. Results: The sensitivities of the RDTs at 95% confidence interval (CI) were low ­ 40% (19.8­64.3) and 50.0% (18.8­81.2) ­ for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, respectively. The specificities and 95% CI were high ­ 99.9% (97.8­99.9) and 100.0% (98.5­100) for HBsAg and HCV antibody, respectively. Conclusion: Predonation RDTs screening of blood donor samples for hepatitis B virus and HCV in hospital donation units performed poorly compared to quality-assured ELISA screening in Kaduna. The risk of transmitting viral hepatitis through blood transfusion still exists. We recommend quality-assured ELISA screening of all donated units for HBsAg and HCV antibody to reduce the risk of these transfusion-transmitted infections

Prevalence and pattern of parasitic infestations among nomadic Fulani children in a grazing reserve in Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Nomadic pastoralists lack access to basic sanitary and health-care facilities mainly because their mode of life makes them a hard to reach group. In the Nigerian context, there is dearth of knowledge about the interplay between their lifestyle and health indices.Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the association between the prevalence of parasitic infestation among nomadic Fulani children in Ladduga grazing reserve, Kaduna, Northwestern Nigeria. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and pattern of parasitic infestation among nomadic Fulani children in Ladduga grazing reserve, Kaduna, Northwestern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using questionnaires, physical examination, automated hemocytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based serum ferritin assay, and formol-ether concentration-based stool tests on 337 children (5­15 years) at Ladduga grazing reserve, Northwestern Nigeria. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: The prevalence of parasitic infestation was 14.4% (49/337). The predominant parasites found were hookworm species, i.e., Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale (46.9%) and Schistosoma mansoni (26.6%) while Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana, and Enterobius vermicularis accounted for 26.6%. Anemia was found in 40.4% (137/340) of the children with a statistically significant difference between younger (5­9 years) and older children (10­15 years; P < 0.05). Of those with parasites in the stools, 53% of children had anemia. Iron deficiency anemia was found in only 8.1% (4/49) of children. Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia was high in the studied population, but iron deficiency was not a major cause despite hookworm infestation, thus necessitating the need for further studies to identify other causes of anemia among this group