Publications by authors named "Chinedu A Ugwu"
Introduction: One of the unexpected outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic was the relatively low levels of morbidity and mortality in Africa compared to the rest of the world. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, accounted for less than 0.01% of the global COVID-19 fatalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTyphoid fever remains a significant public health concern due to cases of mis-/overdiagnosis. Asymptomatic carriers play a role in the transmission and persistence of typhoid fever, especially among children, where limited data exist in Nigeria and other endemic countries. We aim to elucidate the burden of typhoid fever among healthy school-aged children using the best surveillance tool(s).
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- The study focuses on the emergence and dissemination patterns of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants in Nigeria and Africa, highlighting their significance for public health policies during a pandemic.
- By combining genomic and travel data, the research indicates that both variants originated from within Africa, with B.1.525 emerging specifically in Nigeria before spreading globally.
- The findings emphasize the importance of understanding regional connectivity and bidirectional transmission in Africa, revealing that the risks of virus importation between countries have been underestimated.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers trapped 942 rodents across Ondo and Ebonyi states, finding a high overall LASV prevalence of 53.6%, with Ondo state showing significantly higher LASV rates and Lassa fever cases compared to Ebonyi State.
- * The study revealed high positivity rates of LASV in various rodent genera, particularly Mastomys in Ondo, and identified key tissues (kidneys, spleen, testes) for LASV detection, suggesting a complex network of transmission that heightens spillover
Post COVID-19: a solution scan of options for preventing future zoonotic epidemics.
Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc
December 2021
The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including suggested bans on hunting, wildlife trade, wet markets or consumption of wild animals. However, such policies risk ignoring essential elements of the problem as well as alienating and increasing hardship for local communities across the world, and might be unachievable at scale.
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