ARTICLES

The sexually Transmitted Diseases constitute major public health problems in Nigeria. There is early sexual maturity and considerable sexual activity between 9 and 15 years of age. Although there is a high awareness of the condom, people are unwilling to use them despite evidence of multiple sexual exposures.
The STDs, including HIV infections, are on the increase. Tuberculosis is also on the increase because of a HIV/AIDS epidemic. Both categorical and integrated approach to the management of STDs and AIDS are being recommended. There is a need to step up basic research into the biology of HIV and subsidize the treatment of AIDS. Efforts at vaccine development should be initiated to stem the worsening HIV epidemic.

(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 78-81)

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SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDs) AND ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) IN NIGERIA

Malaria fever is a very common and often severe disease in the tropical countries like Nigeria. Measurement of serum proteins is simple and widespread in developing countries. Thus this study aimed at evaluating the relationship (if any) between plasmodium infection and serum protein. A total of 80 subjects were used for this study, 40 people with confirmed plasmodium infection, and 40 clinically healthy adults as control subjects. Their height, weight, age and sex were recorded. Their serum total protein and albumin were assayed while the serum globulin was obtained from the difference. We obtained a mean BMI of 20.okg/m2 for the control subjects and 21.63kg/m2 for patients with plasmodium infection. The serum total protein was 71.25g/L and 60.43g/L for the control and malaria patients respectively. With (P
(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 82-84)

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SERUM PROTEIN FRACTIONS OF NIGERIANS WITH PLASMODIUM INFECTIONS ILORIN EXPERIENCE

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried on childbearing women in Okelele community of Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State, Nigeria. The aim was to assess the knowledge and attitude of childbearing women towards antimalaria chemoprophylactics and highlight socio-cultural factors influencing their knowledge and attitude. Three hundred and eighty childbearing women were interviewed but only 375 (98.7%) responded. A systematic sampling method was used to determine the houses where respondents were interviewed after obtaining informed consent; highly structured close-ended questionnaires were administered by trained interviewers. The respondents age range between 15 and 47years. More than half (52.8%) of the respondents were literates. Knowledge of antimalaria chemoprophylactics among the respondents was good 0f375 respondents, 353(94.1%) had knowledge and 317(84.5%) had ever used antimalaria chemoprophylactic drugs. The study revealed that respondents with higher educational level had significantly better knowledge of antimalaria chemoprophylactics and higher level of usage p

(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 85-90)

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MALARIA CHEMOPROPHYLAXIS AND CHILDBEARING WOMEN IN A PERI-URBAN NIGERIAN COMMUNITY: KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS FOR ACCEPTANCE

An outbreak of infectious bursal disease (IBD) occurred in a flock of 11-week old crossbreeds of Harco cocks and indigenous Nigerian hens (referred to as exotic and locals respectively in the text). Clinical signs observed include depression, anorexia, ruffled feathers and diarrhoea. Haemorrhages were present in the bursa of Fabricius, muscles and proventriculus-gizzard junction, while the bursae and kidneys were enlarged. Oedema, lymphocytic depletion and presence of remnants of dead lymphocytes were observed in histopathological sections of the bursae and spleen. IBD viral antigen was detected by the agar gel preciptin test (AGPT) in suspensions of the bursae of dead birds. Sera obtained from survivors were also positive for IBD virus precipitins in the AGPT. These observations appear to be the first description of IBD in crossbreed chickens in Nigeria and confirm that they are susceptible to clinical IBD.

(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 91-94)

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THE PATHOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE IN CROSSBREEDS OF HARCO COCKS AND INDIGENOUS NIGERIAN HENSTHE PATHOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE IN CROSSBREEDS OF HARCO COCKS (1)

Four groups of ten-day-old broilers each were vaccinated at 7 and 14 days post hatch (PH) against infectious bursal disease IBD, using the local IBD vaccine (VOM & Nigeria). The vaccine was administered using different routes; intramuscular, subcutaneous and oral. 10- day old broiler was randomly sampled from a group of 40 for the presence of IBD antibodies using qualitative and quantitative agar gel precipitation test (AGPT). The maternal antibodies in the chicks were variable, low and waned completely 12 days post hatch {PH). The group that received subcutaneous route of vaccination (sc/sc) gave consistently higher antibody titers than the oral and intramuscular route in post vaccination days. All the groups including the unvaccinated control were challenged 16 days post vaccination with a field strain. All the routes were appreciably protective (90%) against the field strain with the unvaccinated control group recording 30% mortality. However, subcutaneous route had a complete protection (100%). The gross and microscopic lesions seen in the study were consistent with IBDV. This study has shown that the maternal antibodies in the broiler chicks were low, variable and waned completely by 12 days post hatch. The subcutaneous route of vaccination achieved better response and protection when given at day 7 and day 14-post hatch.

(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 95-97)

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IMMUNE RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKS TO LOCAL IBD VACCINE USING DIFFERENT ROUTES OF ADMINISTRATION

A parasitological survey was conducted among 1080 dry season farmers and controls spread over nine farming locations in the Jos and Barkin-Ladi areas of Plateau State, Nigeria, to provide data or parasitic infections in the area due to waste utilization. Standard laboratory procedures were adopted in the collection, processing and parasite identification in the stool samples. The rates of parasites infections in the farmers were 91.6% for helminthes and 86.4% for protozoa. Helminth infection rates but not those of protozoa, varied significantly between farmers and controls. Average infection rates were. Ancylostoma duodenale 91.9%. Ascaris lumbricoides 84.7%, Trichuris trichiura 74.2%, Strongyloides stercoralis 50.3%, Giardia lamblia 13.3%, Entamoeba coli 28.4%, Chilomastix mesnili 15.4%, Endolimax nana 17.3%, Isospora belli 6.3% and Lodoamoeba butshkii 11.5%.

More males than females were infected. The rates of infection varied among farmers in the different locations, but younger farmers had higher prevalences. Significant correlations between infections and their symptoms were observed with diarrhoea and abdominal pains being most common.

(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 104-110)

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PARASITIC INFECTIONS OF DRY SEASON FARMERS IN SOME PARTS OF PLATEAU STATE(1)

 

Campylobacter coli were characterized using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The isolates were obtained from the faeces of diarrhoeic children with the age range of 0 t 36 months attending paediatric clinic at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The 16 isolates studied were characterized into seven protein profiles based on their outer membrane proteins (OMPs). The glagella antigens of C. coli had the molecular weights of 24kDa and 84 kDa.

The SDS-PAGE proves a reliable and rapid technique for typing strains from sporadic cases.

(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(1): 1-2)

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Sodium Dedecyl Suphate Polyacrilamide Gel Electrophosis of Campylobacte

In an attempt to study the microbiology of discharging ears, ear swabs were taken from 347 adult patient with discharging ears in the University College Hospital, Ibadan between March 1995 and February 1997. The presumptive diagnosis and indication for ear swabbing were chronic suppurative otitis media (67.1%), acute suppurative otitis media (14.4%) and otitis externa (18.2%). Using standard microbiological methods, 82.4% of the patients had microbes in their ears. These were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (34.6%), Staphylococcus aerus (19.4%), Klebsiella species (17.4%) and Proteus species (12.5%). Others were Candida albicans and Aspergillus species.
Susceptibility result showed that ceftazidime, azithromycin, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime and gentimicin were active against majority of the bacterial isolates and are therefore recommended as first line drugs, while the quinolones should be kept as reserve durgs in the management of these conditions. In addition antifungal cream should be used as wick in dressing, as well as systemic metrondazole to take care of the anaerobes.(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(1): 3-5)

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The Discharging Ears In Adults In Ibadan, Nigeria Causative Agents And Antimicrobial Sensitivity Pattern

The outcome of 532 wound swabs received from patients with wound infections in different units of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Ilorin, Nigeria, over a one year period (July 2000 June 2001), and routinely procesed by Gram staining and culture in the Microbiology Laboratory, is reported. 444(83.5) of all samples cultured positive for bacterial pathogens while 88 (16.5%) were bacteriologically sterile. 272 swabs yielded single isolate while 172 yielded a mixture of two or more organisms. Staphylococcus aureus predominates (35.8%), followed by Pseudomonas spp (21.8%), Escherichia coli (15.3%), Klebsiella spp (13.4%), Proteus spp (5.6%), Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (3.1%), Streptococcus faecalis (2.8%), Streptococcs pyogenes (0.9%), Group B _-haemolytic Streptococci (0.9%), and Acinetobacter spp (0.3%).
Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms demonstrated moderate to high in vitro sensitivity to Ofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin (sensitivity rate 70-94%). In vitro sensitivity to Cloxacillin, Erythromycin, Azithromycin and Ceftazidime by Gram positive organisms ranged beween 55 and 90% while Gentamicin, Ceftrazidime and Azithromycin equally demonstrated moderate to high inhibitory effect on Gram negative organisms including Pseudomonas spp. (sensitivity rate 55-90%).
The Fluoroquino lones are the favoured antimicrobial agents nowadays, as demonstrated in this study. In our environment however, a combination of Cloxacillin and Gentamicin is an effective empiric alternative when cost is considered and this combination can be used. The need for continuous antimicrobial monitoring of clinical isolates of wound infection for drug resistance, which is of paramount importance in the empiric selection of antibiotics, is emphasized.(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(1): 6-10)

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Invitro antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates from wound infections in university of Ilorin Teaching Hospital