Emmanuel A. Omonigbehin

Prevalence Of Compylobacter Species Amongst Hiv/Aids Patients In Nigeria

Method One hundred and sixty stool and rectal swab samples were collected from confirmed HIV patients seen at HIV clinic of Lagos University Teaching hospital and Central public health laboratory Yaba, Lagos. All the patients were heterosexual with age range between 15 and 55 years. The stool samples were collected from both diarrhoea and non diarrhoea patients. Stool samples were cultured on Butzlers virion medium at 43oc with oxygen tension of about 5– 10% for 48 hours. The isolates were subjected to ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin and gentamycin. Plasmid profile analysis was carried out on Campylobacter jejuni.

An assessment of the emergency response among health workers involved in the 2010 cholera outbreak in northern Nigeria

Summary Background The 2010 cholera outbreak in northern Nigeria affected over 40,000 people, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of ≥3.75%. We assessed the emergency response of health care workers (HCWs) involved in case management. Method This was a cross-sectional study with data collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Data entry and analysis were performed using Epi info software. Results A total of 56 HCWs were interviewed. The mean age was 31 years (SD±8.16 years). The majority of the HCWs (80%; n =45) were aged 18–39 years. Most were community health extension workers (60%), and 3.6% (n =2) were medical doctors. Many of the HCWs had less than 2 years of work experience (42%). Additionally, 82% of the respondents had <1 week of cholera emergency response training, and 50% of the HCWs managed >20 suspected cases of cholera per day. Although 78% of HCWs reported the practice of universal safety precautions, 32% (n =18) knew HCWs who developed symptoms of cholera during the epidemic, most of which was believed to be hospital acquired (78%). We also found that 77% (n =43) of HCWs had no access to the required emergency response supplies. Conclusion Inadequate training, a lack of qualified HCWs and a limited supply of emergency response kits were reported. Therefore, the government and stakeholders should address the gaps noted to adequately control and prevent future epidemics.