Pooling sputum samples for Xpert® MTB/RIF and Xpert® Ultra testing for TB diagnosis.

Background: The use of molecular amplification as-says for TB diagnosis is limited by their costs and cartridge stocks. Pooling multiple samples to test them together is reported to have similar accuracy to individual testing and to save costs.

Methods: Two surveys of individuals with presumptive TB were conducted to assess the performance of pooled testing using Xpert® MTB/RIF (MTB/RIF) and Xpert® Ultra (Ultra).

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a complex neurological condition with numerous etiologies and treatment options. In a subset of these patients, sudden unexpected death can occur, and to date, there are numerous explanations as to the pathophysiological mechanisms and how to mitigate these catastrophic outcomes. Approximately 2.

Human Monkey Pox Virus Infection in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria: A Report of Two Cases.

Background: Human Monkey Pox Virus (HMPV) infection is a zoonotic infection that is endemic in the Congo basin and West Africa. Its similarity to smallpox infection, increased susceptibility infection in human populations, lack of a definitive therapy and its potential for use as a bioterrorism tool underscores its public health importance.

Objective: To describe the characteristics of HMPV infection in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria.

Multilocus Sequence Analysis Reveals Three Distinct Populations of " Phytoplasma palmicola" with a Specific Geographical Distribution on the African Continent.

To sustain epidemiological studies on coconut lethal yellowing disease (CLYD), a devastating disease in Africa caused by a phytoplasma, we developed a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for " Phytoplasma palmicola" based on eight housekeeping genes. At the continental level, eight different sequence types were identified among 132 " Phytoplasma palmicola"-infected coconuts collected in Ghana, Nigeria, and Mozambique, where CLYD epidemics are still very active. " Phytoplasma palmicola" appeared to be a bacterium that is subject to strong bottlenecks, reducing the fixation of positively selected beneficial mutations into the bacterial population.