Publications by authors named "Judith Uche Oguzie"

Dengue is often misclassified and underreported in Africa due to inaccurate differential diagnoses of nonspecific febrile illnesses such as malaria, sparsity of diagnostic testing and poor clinical and genomic surveillance. There are limited reports on the seroprevalence and genetic diversity of dengue virus (DENV) in humans and vectors in Nigeria. In this study, we investigated the epidemiology and genetic diversity of dengue in the rainforest region of Nigeria.

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Several mutations in the surface (S), basal core promoter (BCP), and precore (PC) genes of the hepatitis B virus have been linked to inaccurate diagnosis and the development of immune escape mutants (IEMs) of the infection, which can lead to chronic infection. Understanding the prevalence and spread of these mutations is critical in the global effort to eliminate HBV. Blood samples were collected from 410 people in Osun and Ekiti states, southwest Nigeria, between 2019 and 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers found that the LARGE gene is crucial for how Lassa virus binds and enters human cells, linking it to natural selection in populations in Nigeria, particularly the Yoruba.
  • They suggest that the rise of diseases like Lassa fever is more about increased detection capabilities than the emergence of new viruses, indicating humans may have been exposed to these pathogens for longer than thought.
  • This groundwork inspired the Sentinel project, aimed at early detection and characterization of pathogens globally through its core strategies of detection, information sharing, and empowering public health systems to enhance pandemic preparedness.
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As the threat of arboviral diseases continues to escalate worldwide, the question of, "What types of human communities are at the greatest risk of infection?" persists as a key gap in the existing knowledge of arboviral diseases transmission dynamics. Here, we comprehensively review the existing literature on the socioeconomic drivers of the most common mosquito-borne diseases and mosquito presence/abundance. We reviewed a total of 182 studies on dengue viruses (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), yellow fever virus (YFVV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and presence of mosquito vectors.

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