Afolabi Oluwadun

Specific Viruses Detected in Nigerian Children in Association with Acute Respiratory Disease

Occurrence of different viruses in acute respiratory tract infections of Nigerian children was examined. Respiratory swabs were collected from 246 children referred to hospital clinics because of acute respiratory symptoms from February through May 2009. Validated real-time RT-PCR techniques revealed nucleic acids of at least one virus group in 189 specimens (77%). Human rhinoviruses and parainfluenza viruses were present each in one third of the children. Adenoviruses, enteroviruses, human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, and influenza C virus were also relatively common. Possibly due to their seasonal occurrence, influenza A and B virus, and respiratory syncytial virus were detected rarely. We conclude that all major groups of respiratory tract viruses are causing illness in Nigerian children.

Reduction in febrile episodes and dynamics of pyrogenic threshold in Nigerian children with Plasmodium falciparum malaria

This study determined the trends of fever in relation to parasitaemia and established Pyrogenic threshold (PYT) for malaria in Nigerian children. Two cross-sectional surveys of malaria and fever were carried out during the dry and rainy seasons of 2007 and 2008 in children aged 6 mo −11 yr attending two Primary Health Care Centres (PHC) in Lagos, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were used to capture data. A total of 505 children attending PHC during the rainy (n = 385) and dry (n = 116) seasons were studied. Unlike in the dry season, the parasite rate increased with age until 59 mo during the rainy season, while both fever rate (19.7–25.4% vs. 14.1–17.7%) and parasite and fever rate combined (13.4–16.7% vs. 9.2–11.2%) showed a decrease with increasing age. More febrile cases with parasitaemia occurred in children aged 23 mo and below compared to those within the 24–59 mo age bracket during the rainy season only (P

Toll-like receptor (TLR4) Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms in relation to clinical falciparum malaria among Nigerian children: a multisite cross-sectional immunogenetic study in Lagos

IntroductionThis study determined the association of TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile with uncomplicated and severe malaria among Nigerian children of similar ethnic background in Lagos. The association of these SNPs with high parasite density, malnutrition, hyperpyrexia and anaemia was also investigated.MethodsGenomic DNA of the study participants was screened for the genotypes of TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile by PCR-RFLP. Anthropometric measurement was performed on the Pf infected children stratified into asymptomatic malaria (control), uncomplicated and severe malaria (case). Parasites were detected by light microscopy and Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) of SNP genotypes was also determined.ResultsA total of 279 children comprising 182 children (62.1 % male; mean ± SEM age, 57.3 ± 1.7 months) with clinical falciparum malaria and 97 children (55.7 % male; mean ± SEM age, 55.6 ± 2.5 years) with asymptomatic falciparum malaria were enrolled. All the genotypes of both TLR4 SNPs were found in the study population with their minor alleles: 299Gly and 399Ile, found to be 17.6 % and 14.7 % in severe malaria children. Unlike in asymptomatic population, the genotype distribution of TLR4 Asp299Gly SNP was not in HWE in the clinical malaria group but did not condition susceptibility. However, Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms were found to increase the risk of severe malaria 3-fold and 8-fold respectively (P < 0.05). They also increased the risk of severe anaemia, high parasite density and severe malnutrition 3.8 -5.3-fold, 3.3 – 4.4-fold and 4-fold respectively.ConclusionsBased on the above findings, we conclude that TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms may modulate susceptibility to severe malaria among Nigerian children of Yoruba ethnic background.

Characterization of Vibrio cholerae Strains Isolated from the Nigerian Cholera Outbreak in 2010

ABSTRACT We examined clinical samples from Nigerian patients with acute watery diarrhea for Vibrio cholerae during the 2010 cholera outbreak. A total of 109 suspected isolates were characterized, but only 57 V. cholerae strains could be confirmed using multiplex real-time PCR as well as rpoB sequencing and typed as V. cholerae O:1 Ogawa biotype El Tor. This finding highlighted the need for accurate diagnosis of cholera in epidemic countries to implement life-saving interventions.

Honey: a therapeutic agent for disorders of the skin

Problems with conventional treatments for a range of dermatological disorders have led scientists to search for new compounds of therapeutic value. Efforts have included the evaluation of natural products such as honey. Manuka honey, for example, has been scientifically recognised for its anti-microbial and wound healing properties and is now used clinically as a topical treatment for wound infections. In this review, scientific evidence for the effectiveness of honey in the treatment of wounds and other skin conditions is evaluated. A plethora of in vitro studies have revealed that honeys from all over the world have potent antimicrobial activity against skin relevant microbes. Moreover, a number of in vitro studies suggest that honey is able to modulate the skin immune system. Clinical research has shown honey to be efficacious in promoting the healing of partial thickness burn wounds while its effectiveness in the treatment of non-burn acute wounds and chronic wounds is conflicted. Published research investigating the efficacy of honey in the treatment of other types of skin disorders is limited. Nevertheless, positive effects have been reported, for example, kanuka honey from New Zealand was shown to have therapeutic value in the treatment of rosacea. Anti-carcinogenic effects of honey have also been observed in vitro and in a murine model of melanoma. It can be concluded that honey is a biologically active and clinically interesting substance but more research is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of its medicinal value in dermatology.