Evaluation of pulmonary tuberculosis case detection improvement with the deployment of XpertMTB/Rif in the tuberculosis control program of cross River State, Nigeria.

Objective/background: Global indices show that Nigeria has the highest tuberculosis (TB)-related mortality rate. Overdependence on Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) smear microscopy for diagnosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS has limited control efforts. The new polymerase chain reaction-based XpertMTB/Rif (Cepheid Inc.

Evaluation of rifampicin resistance and 81-bp rifampicin resistant determinant region of rpoB gene mutations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis detected with XpertMTB/Rif in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Objective/background: World Health Organization tuberculosis (TB) indices from 2014 to 2016 showed that Nigeria had the 6th highest prevalence, 4th highest incidence, and the highest mortality rate globally. In efforts to improve TB care, the XpertMTB/Rif (GeneXpert) technology, Cepheid, Sunnyvale, California, USA, which has revolutionized TB detection with concomitant rifampicin-resistance molecular detection, was introduced in Cross River State, South-South Nigeria, in 2014. The GeneXpert uses molecular beacons to detect five overlapping 81-bp regions in the rpoB gene known as the Rifampicin Resistant Determinant Region (RRDR).

Financial burden of health care for Buruli ulcer patients in Nigeria: the patients' perspective.

Background: The economic burden of Buruli ulcer for patients has not been well-documented. This study assessed the costs of Buruli ulcer care to patients from the onset of illness to diagnosis and to the end of treatment.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional cost of illness study conducted among patients with Buruli ulcer in four States in Nigeria between July and September 2015.