Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Niger State: Pilot Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is causing ongoing human and socioeconomic losses. Objective: To know how far the virus has spread in Niger State, Nigeria, a pilot study was carried out to determine the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, patterns, dynamics, and risk factors in the state. Methods: A cross-sectional study design and clustered, stratified random sampling strategy were used to select 185 test participants across the state. SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM rapid test kits (colloidal gold immunochromatography lateral flow system) were used to determine the presence or absence of antibodies to the virus in the blood of sampled participants across Niger State from June 26 to 30, 2020. The test kits were validated using the blood samples of some of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control-confirmed positive and negative COVID-19 cases in the state. SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM test results were entered into the Epi Info questionnaire administered simultaneously with each test. Epi Info was then used to calculate the arithmetic mean and percentage, odds ratio, χ2 statistic, and regression at a 95% CI of the data generated. Results: The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Niger State was found to be 25.4% (47/185) and 2.2% (4/185) for the positive IgG and IgM results, respectively. Seroprevalence among age groups, genders, and occupations varied widely. The COVID-19 asymptomatic rate in the state was found to be 46.8% (22/47). The risk analyses showed that the chances of infection are almost the same for both urban and rural dwellers in the state. However, health care workers, those who experienced flulike symptoms, and those who had contact with a person who traveled out of Nigeria in the last 6 months (February to June 2020) were at double the risk of being infected with the virus. More than half (101/185, 54.6%) of the participants in this study did not practice social distancing at any time since the pandemic started. Participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 are also discussed. Conclusions: The observed Niger State SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection patterns meansuggest that the virus has widely spread, far more SARS-CoV-2 infections have occurred than the reported cases, and there is a high asymptomatic COVID-19 rate across the state.

Some Nigerian anti-tuberculosis ethnomedicines: a preliminary efficacy assessment.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Nigerian herbalists possess indigenous ethnomedicinal recipes for the management of tuberculosis and related ailments. A collaborative preliminary modern scientific evaluation of the efficacy of some Nigerian ethnomedicines used by traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) in the management of tuberculosis and related ailments has been carried out. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethnomedicinal recipes (ETMs) were collected from TMPs from locations in various ecological zones of Nigeria under a collaborative understanding. The aqueous methanolic extracts of the ETMs were screened against Mycobacterium bovis, BCG and Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv using the broth microdilution method. RESULTS: Extracts of ETMs screened against BCG showed 69% activity against the organism. The activities varied from weak, ≤2500 µg/mL to highly active, 33 µg/mL 64% of the extracts were active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis The activities of the extracts against Mycobacterium tuberculosis varied from weak, ≤2500 µg/mL to highly active, 128 µg/mL. There was 77% agreement in results obtained using BCG or Mycobacterium tuberculosis as test organisms. CONCLUSION: The results show clear evidence for the efficacy of the majority of indigenous Nigerian herbal recipes in the ethnomedicinal management of tuberculosis and related ailments. BCG may be effectively used, to a great extent, as the organism for screening for potential anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis agents. A set of prioritization criteria for the selection of plants for initial further studies for the purpose of antituberculosis drug discovery research is proposed.

The role of protein conformational switches in pharmacology: its implications in metabolic reprogramming and protein evolution.

Besides pharmacogenomics and drug dynamics, pharmacological properties of a drug could also arise from protein conformational switches. These switches would arise from the following mechanisms: (a) slight shifts away from a protein's native conformation induced by mutation, (b) changes in the protein's environment allowing for structural rearrangements to form hitherto unknown conformations, (c) parsing the protein into foldable polypeptide fragment(s) by either proteolysis of the native structure or (d) perturbation of the native conformation to generate polypeptide fragment(s). These switches are modulated by changes in the protein's matrix properties such as pH, temperature, ligands-their nature, concentration and complexes; micronutrients, oxidant/antioxidant status and metabolic products within the functional environment of the protein. The pharmacological implications of these are discussed in light of polypharmacology arising from protein isomerism, cross-pharmacology, possible decreases in both the expressible and expressed protein population and metabolic reprogramming-and ultimately, how these factors relate to diseases. Further implications include variational drug toxicity and drug response idiosyncrasies. Another important consequence is that the "whole life" history of the individual would play an active role in that individual's response to disease severity and drug response up to that very moment and is prone to variations with changes in pre-disposing factors.

Bacterial contaminants of salad vegetables in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Nigeria

Salad vegetables are essential part of people’s diet all around the world. They are usually consumed raw and often without heat treatment or thorough washing; hence have been known to serve as vehicles for the transmission of pathogenic microorganism associated with human diseases. Fresh samples of lettuce, carrot and cucumber collected from different markets and vendors in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria were evaluated for bacterial loads using spread plate agar dilution method. Bacterial loads ranged from 1.6 x 106 to 2.9 x 108 cfu/g. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Enterobacter were amongst the coliforms (lactose fermenters), while Proteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella and Shigella were non-lactose fermenters associated with the samples. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from majority of the samples.

Multidrug resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The magnitude of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (MDR-TB) in Nigeria, the most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa, is largely unknown. This information would assist policymakers to develop intervention strategies against tuberculosis (TB) in the country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a one-year laboratory-based study. Specimens from suspected new TB patients sent to the TB laboratory of the Department of Medical Microbiology, University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria from May 1, 2005 to April 27, 2006 were processed and analyzed. The specimens were stained with Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N) reagents and cultured on Lowenstein-Jensen medium, incubated at 37 degrees C for 6-8 weeks. Isolates were confirmed as MDR-TB by Z-N reactions and biochemical methods. Drug susceptibility to streptomycin, ethambutol, rifampicin and isoniazid was done using Bactec 460 TB radiometric method. RESULTS: Of the 1,120 specimens processed, 80 (7.1%) were smear positive, while 56 (5.0%) were culture positive, even though the association was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Culture contamination rate was 8.8%. Thirty (53.6%) of the culture positive isolates were resistant to both isoniazid and rifampicin, while 26 (46.4%) were susceptible. About half--53.3%--of the resistant isolates were from the antiretroviral clinic, while 10 (33.4%) were from peripheral centers. CONCLUSION: This study shows that MDR-TB is emerging in Nigeria. Further studies on MDR-TB are urgently needed in the country to ascertain the magnitude of the problem and to proffer solutions to it.

Comparison of immunoblot analysis of emergent multidrug-resistant Salmonella typhimurium definitive phage type 104 with a non-multidrug-resistant definitive phage type 104 strain.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The emergent multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella typhimurium definitive phage type 104 (DT104) is a public and veterinary health problem not only due to its wide host range and potential for enhanced virulence, but also the difficulty associated with its control. There is thus a need to investigate possible antigens of MDR DT104. METHODS: Using standard protocols, whole cell lysates, outer membrane extracts and cell-free ultracentrifuge supernatants of selected isolates of MDR DT104 were prepared, electrophoretically separated and tested for their antigen-antibody reactivity in comparison with a non-MDR DT104 strain. RESULTS: Protein antigens of both strain types were recognized by antibodies in chick serum in a similar manner for all methods of antigen preparation used. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not find differences between the antibody recognition of MDR DT104 and that of the non-MDR DT104 strain tested. This observation should strengthen the quest for the possible use of vaccines to control this emergent strain in poultry.

Evaluation of phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of leaf extract of Tapinanthus sessilifolius (P. Beauv) van Tiegh.

Leaf extracts of T. sessilifolius growing on five different host plants (Psidium guajava, Citrus lemon, Vernonia amygdalina, Persea americana and Jatropa curcas) were evaluated for antimicrobial activity of the plant. Powdered leaves of T. sessilifolius collected from each host plant was divided into two portions. One portion was used for aqueous infusion and the other portion was successively extracted with hexane, ethylacetate and methanol. Infusion of aqueous extract of powdered leaves did not show antimicrobial effect even at the concentration of 1000 and 2000 microg/ml on test microorganisms (Staph. aureus, E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). However in broth culture, methanolic and hexane extract had MIC range of 62.5-500 microg/ml and ethylacetate extract had 250-500 microg/ml. Phytochemical screening of leaf samples of T. sessilifolius collected from different host plants showed positive test for hydrolysable tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenes, cardiac glycoside, reducing sugars and proteins. LD50 concentration was found to be > 1.500 mg/kg for samples from P. guajava; 489.89 mg/kg for J. curcas and C. lemon; and 692 mg/kg for V. amydalina in mice.