Publications by authors named "Makama Sunday"
Article Synopsis
- - The COVID-19 pandemic has led to 7.1 million deaths globally, with Nigeria reporting its first case on February 27, 2020, resulting in 267,173 infections and 3,155 deaths by July 2024.
- - Initially, Nigeria had limited public health lab capabilities for COVID-19 diagnosis, but the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) leveraged its resources and expertise to process over 33,000 samples across five states within six months.
- - Collaborative projects were established among NVRI, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, and other sectors, focusing on One Health grants to improve surveillance for coronaviruses and enhance pandemic preparedness through inter-sectoral cooperation.
Article Synopsis
- - Anthrax is a dangerous zoonotic disease that poses a serious threat to humans, especially in Africa, where recent outbreaks prompted an analysis of research contributions from the region over the past century.
- - The study reviewed 364 anthrax-related publications, identifying a notable increase in research output from 2011 to 2023, with thematic focuses on ecological dynamics, human-animal interaction, bacterial treatment, collaborative prevention strategies, and vaccination efforts.
- - Key contributors included the University of Pretoria and University of KwaZulu-Natal, with significant international collaborations, particularly with researchers from the US, UK, and Germany, as well as strong partnerships among African nations like Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Background: The One Health concept considers the interconnectivity, interactions and interdependence of humans, animals and the environment. Humans, animals and other organisms are constantly exposed to a wide range of natural toxins present in the environment. Thus, there is growing concern about the potential detrimental effects that natural toxins could pose to achieve One Health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a viral pneumonia-like disease caused by novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) started in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China on December 31 2019, and assumed a pandemic status; infecting about 30 million people, with a mortality in excess of 957,000 as at 20 September, 2020. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning COVID-19 among veterinarians with a view to detecting variables that may hinder their effective contributions towards the management and control of COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria.The study found that male veterinarians had significantly good knowledge (p=0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - COVID-19, a zoonotic disease, has severe economic and public health effects worldwide, prompting research to uncover its pathogenesis and find effective treatments.
- - The interplay between oxidative stress and inflammation is crucial in the disease's progression and response to therapies, with host cell redox status influencing viral entry.
- - The review discusses existing literature on how oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to COVID-19 and highlights antioxidants being tested that may help reduce the disease's severity, indicating the need for further research.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how the properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), specifically size and surface charge, affect their uptake and toxic effects on macrophage cells.
- Two sizes of AgNPs (20 nm and 50 nm) with different surface coatings were synthesized and tested for their impact on cell viability, TNF-α induction, ATP production, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
- Results showed that smaller (20 nm) and negatively charged (BSA-coated) AgNPs were more toxic, leading to significantly higher TNF-α levels, while ROS generation was notably observed only with the positively charged 20 nm AgNPs.
Physicochemical properties of nanoparticles influence their environmental fate and toxicity, and studies investigating this are vital for a holistic approach towards a comprehensive and adequate environmental risk assessment. In this study, we investigated the effects of size, surface coating (charge) of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) - a most commonly-used nanoparticle-type, on the bioaccumulation in, and toxicity (survival, growth, cocoon production) to the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus. AgNPs were synthesized in three sizes: 20, 35 and 50 nm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases has generated renewed interest in recent times, as herbal preparations are increasingly being used in both human and animal healthcare systems. Diarrhoea is one of the common clinical signs of gastrointestinal disorders caused by both infectious and non-infectious agents and an important livestock debilitating condition. Plateau State is rich in savannah and forest vegetations and home to a vast collection of plants upheld in folklore as having useful medicinal applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApplications of nanoparticles in the food sector are eminent. Silver nanoparticles are among the most frequently used, making consumer exposure to silver nanoparticles inevitable. Information about uptake through the intestines and possible toxic effects of silver nanoparticles is therefore very important but still lacking.
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