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Aim: Adaptive capacity is the ability of the farmer to adjust his farm plans and programmes in the face of emerging risks, constraints and currently available information. In this study, the various constraints faced by International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme’s farmers (IFAD-VCDP) in North Central Nigeria in adapting to climate change challenges were investigated. Study Design: A multi-stage sampling technique was employed in the selection of respondents. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Benue and Niger States of Nigeria in 2018. Methodology: Data were collected from a total of 483 respondents using interview schedule and questionnaire. The data were analysed using exploratory (principal component analysis) and confirmatory (structural equation modelling) factor analysis. Results: The results of the analysis revealed the significant constraints the farmers faced in order to improve their adaptive capacity to climate change which were institutional and technical (49.45%) and climate information (26.62%) constraints, although the factors differ slightly within the two states under study. In Benue State, institutional (31.26%), personal (14.63%), land and farm inputs (12.54%) and population (11.73%) while in Niger State, public and institutional (22.34%), land and farm inputs (14.78%), and personal (10.75) were the constraints to adaptive capacity. Conclusion: These constraints make it harder to plan and implement adaptation actions by restricting the variety and effectiveness of options available to the farmers to improve their productivity and cope with the vagaries of climate change. It was therefore recommended that government and NGOs should intensify efforts on public, institutional, educational and climate policies, assist in increasing the adaptive capacity of the farmers in order to employ more adaptation measures, land governance systems should be strengthened in Nigeria to provide tenure security for all, financial institutions should help facilitate access to credit by farmers and assist in making reliable climate information accessible to all farmers.
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Aims: To differentiate and CharacterizeMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex causing pulmonary tuberculosis across North Central NigeriaStudy Design:This was a simple descriptive health-based study that involved clinically suspected tuberculosis patients who were referred to two selected General Hospitals for diagnosis in each of the states across North Central Nigeria.Place and Duration of Study:This study was carried out in the North Central zone of Nigeria and it included all the seven States across North Central Nigeria using two General Hospitals Methodology:A total of 371 GeneXpert positive sputa for TB were decontaminated using N Acetyl Cysteine and Sodium Hydroxide under a level 3 Bio-safety cabinet and the resulting sediment was cultured on Lowestein-Jensen (LJ) media containing glycerol and pyruvate at 37ºC in a slanted position, SD-Bioline (TB Ag MPT 64) for the differentiation of MTBC from NTM was carried out using the isolatesfrom LJ culture. Evaluation of speciation was done using Line Probe Assay to determine the predominant species of MTBC. All the protocols used in this study followed the manufacturer’s manual strictly.Results:A total of 371 decontaminated positive GeneXpert sputa derived from 2800 suspected PTB participants were cultured on Lowestein-Jensen (LJ) medium and 302(81.40%) was found positive while 69(18.60%) were found negative. Out of the culture positive isolates, 288 (95.36%) isolates were detected on SD-BIOLINE TB Ag MPT 64 ® assay for MTBC and 14 (4.64%) as NTM. Of the 288 MTBC, three different species were identified; 272 (94.64%) were M. tuberculosis/M.Canetti,7 (2.43%) were M. africanumand 9(3.13) showed a no MTBC reaction band on all the samples that were analysed.Conclusion: Differentiations of MTBC from NTM has help to re-confirm that not all symptoms of pulmonary infection are caused by MTBC but NTM are implicated due to their distribution in the environment, however, molecular characterisation method has narrow our findingsdown to M.tuberculosis/M.canettiias the predominant specie of MTBC circulating in the region, although, M.africaumwas also detected and these two species of MTBC are the leading cause of pulmonary tuberculosis across all the North Central state of Nigeria.per state. The study included 371 positive sputum samples drawn from 2800 suspected pulmonary TB patients between 2017 and 2018.Original ResearchArticle
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Aim: This study was designed to determine the prevalence of Nocardia species in the sputum of HIV/AIDS patients attending Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) clinic at a tertiary health institution in the North central part of Nigeria. Study Design: This study was an analytical cross-sectional laboratory based research. Place and Duration of Study: University of Ilorin teaching hospital (UITH), Ilorin. Nigeria between August 2012 and February 2013. Method: Two hundred and forty eight (248) patients were recruited for this study and had their sputum collected in duplicates for investigation. The samples were cultured on Buffered Charcoal Yeast Extract (BCYE) medium. Gram and Auramine Rhodamine staining were carried out on the isolates respectively for microscopy. Result: Only one (1) patient tested positive to Nocardia species giving a prevalence rate of 0.4%. Conclusion: This study gives an indication that Pulmonary Nocardiosis may be found within UITH among HIV patients.
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Aim: This study was aimed at determining the number of children infected in relation to study population. Study Design: Cross sectional Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted among school children in Gadabuke and Garagwa LGEA Primary schools in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria between October-December, 2012. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 samples were collected comprising 192 urine and 58 faecal samples. Samples were investigated using standard World Health Organisation guidelines for identification of parasites. Samples were analysed macroscopically and microscopically. Results: Out of the 192 children screened. Gadabuke LGED primary school had a prevalence of 58.1% while Garagwa LGED primary school had a prevalence of 22.7% and the overall prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in the two schools is 44.3%. There was no significant difference in prevalence rate of urinary schistosomiasis between Gadabuke and Garagwa primary schools (P>0.05). On the other hand, Gadabuke had a prevalence of 5.3% for S.mansoni and 0% prevalence for Garagwa LGED. On the whole, the prevalence of S. mansoni was 3.4% in the study area. Children of age group (8 – 14) were more infected with urinary schistosomiasis. Male had higher prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis 50 (50%) than the female 35 (35%). Statistically there was significance difference in prevalence infection of Schistosoma haematobium among males and females investigated. Children whose parents are farmers and fishermen had the highest prevalence infections, followed by Artisan, civil servant and the businessmen. Conclusion: Urinary schistosomiasis in some selected primary schools in Gadabuke district of Toto LGA in Nasarawa State have been documented.