Transplacental transfer of Lassa IgG antibodies in pregnant women in Southern Nigeria: A prospective hospital-based cohort study.

Background: Evidence from previous studies suggest that Lassa fever, a viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to West Africa has high case fatalities, particularly in pregnancy. While there have been remarkable innovations in vaccine development, with some Lassa vaccines undergoing early clinical trials. An understanding of Lassa antibody kinetics and immune responses will support vaccine design and development.

Seroprevalence and clinico-epidemiological correlates of hepatitis C viral antibodies at an antenatal booking clinic of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

Purpose: This was to determine the sero-prevalence of hepatitis C viral (HCV) antibodies in pregnant women attending the first antenatal clinic and assess the epidemiologic correlates of women anti-HCV positive.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study which used in vitro diagnostic test kits to detect anti-HCV antibodies. Women attending their first antenatal clinic were recruited at the antenatal clinic of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria.

A clinical note on Haemophilus aegyptius infection in sheep in Nigeria.

An outbreak of Haemophilus aegyptius infection in a livestock farm located in Maya, Oyo State, Nigeria is reported. Diagnosis was based on clinical signs of central nervous system disturbance, histopathological findings of meningoencephalomyelitis, acute multifocal necrotising purulent hepatitis and the isolation of Haemophilus aegyptius from the spinal cord. Other diseases that can cause nervous disturbance are discussed.

Microbial contaminants found in low egg passage rabies vaccine used in Nigeria.

Bacteriological and mycological examinations (cultural and biochemical characteristics) identified 4 pathogenic organisms as contaminants in 6 out of 7 LEP batch 20 rabies vaccines produced 1990 in Nigeria. Cryptococcus neoformans and Penicillium spp. were isolated from 5 vaccine samples, while one sample additionally also contained Rhizopus and Pseudomonas.

An outbreak of listeriosis in cattle in Nigeria.

An outbreak of listeriosis in a herd of cattle associated with still birth, abortion, nervous signs and death is reported. Typical micro abscesses in the brain were not observed on histopathology but a marked purulent meningitis was seen and Listeria monocytogenes was isolated on culture.