Objectives Nigeria has the highest prevalence of Lassa fever (LF) in West Africa, with Edo State being a high-burden area. This study describes the epidemiology and management of LF in Edo State. Methods A desk analysis of LF cases from the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) records from January 2021 to November 2023 was conducted. The outcome variables were case outcome and severity, classified using the 2018 Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention LF guide. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted at α <0.05. Results Of the 10,432 suspected cases, 1296 (12.4 %) were confirmed, with 964 (74.4 %) occurring during the dry season. The median age was 26 (interquartile range 15–40) years, and 687 (53.0 %) were male. The location distribution pattern of the confirmed cases was clustered, with one-third (34.3 %) from Etsako West. Older age (adjusted odds ratio 2.2, 95 % confidence interval: 1.2–4.0) and more than five symptoms (adjusted odds ratio 9.5, 95 % confidence interval: 6.9–13.1) were associated with severe LF and increased odds of in-hospital death. Hospital presentation time was not associated with LF severity or outcomes. LF confirmation at ISTH was within 24 hours. Conclusions Older patients with more than five symptoms should be prioritized in LF management, and the ISTH-LF care algorithm is effective.
The presence of pesticide residues in food products, particularly milk, poses significant public health risks, especially in developing regions where agricultural practices often involve extensive pesticide use. This study aimed to assess the levels of pesticide contamination in milk collected from agro-pastoral cattle settlements in Niger State, Nigeria, and evaluate the associated health risks for both children and adults. Milk samples were systematically collected and analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect and quantify the concentrations of various pesticides, including organophosphates, organochlorines, and herbicides. The detected pesticides included Dichlorvos, β-Hexachlorocyclohexane, Malathion, DDT, and Dieldrin, among others, with Dichlorvos and β-Hexachlorocyclohexane showing the highest concentrations. Using the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) model, we calculated the potential health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated milk for different age groups. The results indicated that children were particularly at risk, with EDI values exceeding the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for certain pesticides, such as Dieldrin, leading to a risk ratio of 1.288. In contrast, adults showed a lower risk, with EDI values generally within safe limits. The findings underscore the urgent need for stricter pesticide regulation, enhanced monitoring of pesticide residues in livestock products, and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to mitigate the public health risks. This study highlights the vulnerability of children to pesticide exposure through dairy consumption and calls for immediate intervention to safeguard food safety and protect public health.
Bayero University Kano has some Assistive Technology tools, but barriers like, malfunctioning or outdated devices are evident, and if these barriers persist, students with visual impairments may remain deprived in their academic work, which undermines the university’s commitment to equity and inclusive education for all. This study investigated the accessibility and utilisation of assistive technologies (AT) among students with visual impairments at the Bayero University Kano Library A mixed-method research design was adopted, combining quantitative data from structured questionnaires (10 respondents), and qualitative data from interviews with six (6) respondents and observations. Findings revealed that there are assistive technologies available such as screen readers, braille translators, magnifiers, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software, their accessibility and usability remain limited. Students disagreed that the technologies effectively addressed their needs or improved independent access to resources. The results also indicated inadequate awareness and lack of sufficient training. Respondents strongly emphasised the need for training to improve usage of the Assistive technologies. Barriers identified include difficulties in using the Assistive technologies, insufficient facilities, limited staff support, and the distance of the library from lecture venues. The study concludes that availability of assistive technologies is insufficient without training, maintenance, and institutional support. The study recommends that university should ensure training, user involvement in evaluating technologies, and policy interventions to ensure equitable and inclusive access to academic resources for students with visual impairment, relocating AT facilities closer to lecture venues or establishing satellite service points within academic buildings to reduce distance barrier, collaborate with academic departments to integrate the use of AT into teaching, coursework, and assignments.
Introduction: Cholera is an infectious disease characterized by acute watery diarrhea. It is caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae serogroups O1 or O139. On May 14, 2021, a case of cholera was reported from Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State. A Rapid Response Team was deployed immediately to describe the outbreak, determine its source, and risk factors, and institute control measures. Methods: We defined a suspected case of cholera as any person with acute watery diarrhea with or without vomiting living in Niger State from 14 May to 30th August 2021. We reviewed routine surveillance data obtained from the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR)and conducted active case searches in hospitals and communities. We calculated attack rates (AR) and case fatality rates (CFR) and generated an epi curve and spot maps. We conducted a case-control study using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect sociodemographic, clinical, and hygiene practice data from 67 cases and 134 controls. We tested 67 stool samples, 10 vendor salad samples, and 36 water samples. Bivariate analysis was conducted to determine factors associated with cholera and multivariate analysis was used to identify predictors of cholera in Niger State at a significance level of p<0.05. Results: A total of 2,051 cases were reported with a CFR of 6.5%. Wushishi LGA had the highest CFR (40.0%) while Bosso LGA had the highest AR of 127.3/100,000 population. Children aged 0 to 9 years comprised 25.8% (530/2051) accounting for the largest proportion of the affected population. Consumption of water stored in an uncovered wide-mouthed container (AOR: 2.81; 95% CI: 1.36-5.76) and being less than 20 years of age (aOR: 0.34, 95%CI: 0.14-0.82) were independently associated with cholera. Vibrio cholerae was cultured from 47(70.1%) stool, 6(60%) salads, and 14(38.9%) water samples. Conclusion: We confirmed the presence of a cholera outbreak in Niger State with a high CFR. Storing water in uncovered open-mouthed containers and being aged 20 plus years were risk factors. We educated the community on the proper treatment and storage of water.
Introduction: Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related non-malignant prostate gland enlargement in men that leads to pain and difficulty voiding urine. The etiology of BPH is still unknown. Studies have been reported on the effects of Annona muricata (soursop) against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with little documentation. Aim: This study aimed to determine the effects of aqueous fruit extract of A. muricata on testosterone propionate induced benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) in male Wistar Rats. Methodology: The fruits of A. muricata were processed to obtain fruit extract and phytoconstituents. An acute toxicity study was conducted with six doses of A. muricata fruit extract (10, 100, 1000, 1500, 2900 and 5000 mg/kg) to determine the safety and tolerability dose limit. A total of 48 adult male Wistar rats were used for the study. After 2 weeks of acclimatization, the animals were orchimetized. The rats were randomly divided into six groups of eight animals each; group 1 (normal control + sham treated + distilled water); groups 2 (positive control + castrated + TP/day); group 3 (finasteride (3 mg/kg) + castrated + TP/day); group 4 (100 mg/kg AM + castrated + TP/day); group 5 (200 mg/kg AM + castrated + TP/day) and group 6 (400 mg/kg AM + castrated + TP/day) for 42 days. On the 43rd day animals were euthanized, blood and prostate tissue samples were collected for biochemical and histological study. Results: This study showed that, the extract significantly (p < 0.05) decreased both the prostate weight and testosterone levels in a dose-dependent manner compared to finasteride-treated rats. The effect of the extract on the histology of the prostate had significant recovery and was able to restore the enlarged prostate to near-normal in a dose-dependent manner. A significant (p < 0.05) recovery was observed at a higher dose (400 mg/kg) of the extracts. Conclusion: The effects of Annona muricata (soursop) against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) showed inhibitory potentials via decreased prostate weight, prostate specific antigen, and testosterone levels in a dose-dependent manner. At a high dose (400 mg/kg) body weight of rats had significant recovery (p < 0.05) restoring prostatic histoarchitecture to near-normal. This study suggests that Annona muricata fruit may be considered a treatment option for benign prostatic hyperplasia in men.
