Exploring computational approaches to design mRNA Vaccine against vaccinia and Mpox viruses.

Background: Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines emerged as a powerful tool in the fight against infections. Unlike traditional vaccines, this unique type of vaccine elicits robust and persistent innate and humoral immune response with a unique host cell-mediated pathogen gene expression and antigen presentation.

Methods: This offers a novel approach to combat poxviridae infections.

mRNA vaccine design for Epstein-Barr virus: an immunoinformatic approach.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), structurally similar to other herpes viruses, possess significant global health challenges as it causes infectious mononucleosis and is also associated with various cancers. Due to this widespread impact, an effective messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine is paramount to help curb its spread, further underscoring the need for its development. This study, following an immunoinformatic approach, aimed to design a comprehensive mRNA vaccine against the EBV by selecting antigenic proteins, predicting Linear B-cell epitopes, cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T-cell lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes, and assessing vaccine characteristics.

Bioinformatics Designing and Molecular Modelling of a Universal mRNA Vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

At this present stage of COVID-19 re-emergence, designing an effective candidate vaccine for different variants of SARS-CoV-2 is a study worthy of consideration. This research used bioinformatics tools to design an mRNA vaccine that captures all the circulating variants and lineages of the virus in its construct. Sequences of these viruses were retrieved across the six continents and analyzed using different tools to screen for the preferable CD8 T lymphocytes (CTL), CD4 T lymphocytes (HTL), and B-cell epitopes.

SARS CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Selected States of High and Low Disease Burden in Nigeria.

Importance: The global impact of COVID-19 has led to an increased need to continuously assess disease surveillance tools. The utility of SARS-CoV-2 serologic tools in determining immunity levels across different age groups and locations in helping to quickly assess the burden of COVID-19 with significant health policy implications is unknown.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with respect to the age group and sex of participants.

Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of O157:H7 in beef at a commercial slaughterhouse in Moro, Kwara State, Nigeria.

Background: Gastroenteritis due to foodborne disease is a leading cause of death in developing countries. In Nigeria, there is an increasing demand for beef. Yet, there is no surveillance for O157:H7 contamination of raw beef and little is known about the carriage of this pathogen in Nigeria's livestock.

Seroprevalence and molecular characterization of human respiratory syncytial virus and human adenovirus among children in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

In children, the respiratory syncytial virus and adenovirus majorly cause acute respiratory infections. The study evaluated the seroprevalence and conducted the molecular characterization of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and human adenovirus (HAdV) among children. Venous blood, nasopharyngeal, and oropharyngeal swabs were collected from children presenting with acute respiratory infections in a tertiary health facility in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

Emergence and Associated Risk Factors of Vector Borne West Nile Virus Infection in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Background: West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne viral pathogen that is the causative agent of West Nile fever and encephalitis. Diagnostic tools for WNV infection in Nigeria are not well established hence the current prevalence rate of WNV infection in Nigeria is unknown. We aimed to establish the serological prevalence of WNV infection in febrile patients in Ilorin, Nigeria in 2016, and to assess the risk factors associated with the acquisition of the virus.

Distribution pattern of poliovirus potentially infectious materials in the phase 1b medical laboratories containment in conformity with the global action plan III.

Background: The containment of poliovirus infectious/potentially infectious materials in all biomedical facilities in Nigeria remain crucial to maintaining gains recorded towards polio eradication. Activities involved in the Nigerian Poliovirus type 2-laboratory containment survey in line with the 3rd Global Action Plan III (GAP III) for poliovirus containment are documented in this study. Through these activities, the overall preparedness for poliovirus eradication in Nigeria is assessed.

The Neglect and Fast Spread of Some Arboviruses: A Note for Healthcare Providers in Nigeria.

Arboviruses are distributed worldwide and constitute significant health burden globally. Outbreaks of arboviruses have been reported in Africa and beyond. In Nigeria, like in many other countries, arbovirus infections are more often than not neglected.

Dengue virus and malaria concurrent infection among febrile subjects within Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease of public health importance. It is caused by four serotypes of Dengue virus (i.e, DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4).

Seroprevalence and Co-Infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Among Pregnant Women in Lokoja, North-Central Nigeria.

Background: Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is normally associated with orofacial (orolabial) infections and encephalitis, whereas HSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. The evidence suggesting that HSV is facilitating the spread of the global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the risk posed by these synergies to neonates in developing countries informed this study.

Objectives: To determine the seroprevalence and co-infection of HIV and HSV, as well as their associated risk factors, in Lokoja, Nigeria.

Phylogeny of haemosporidian blood parasites revealed by a multi-gene approach.

The apicomplexan order Haemosporida is a clade of unicellular blood parasites that infect a variety of reptilian, avian and mammalian hosts. Among them are the agents of human malaria, parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which pose a major threat to human health. Illuminating the evolutionary history of Haemosporida may help us in understanding their enormous biological diversity, as well as tracing the multiple host switches and associated acquisitions of novel life-history traits.

Prevalence of adenovirus respiratory tract and hiv co-infections in patients attending the University of Ilorin, teaching hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Background: Adenovirus co-infections in HIV patients cause wide-spread morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa, but little research has documented the burden and distribution of these pathogens. This study was conducted between December, 2010 and March, 2011 to investigate the prevalence of Adenovirus Respiratory Tract and HIV co-infections in Patients attending the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Ilorin, Nigeria.

Method: One Hundred and Eighty Four (184) patients were recruited with confirmed HIV positive status.

In vivo antimalarial activity and toxicological effects of methanolic extract of Cocos nucifera (Dwarf red variety) husk fibre.

Objective: Phytochemical constituents as well as antimalarial and toxicity potentials of the methanolic extract of the husk fibre of Dwarf Red variety of Cocos nucifera were evaluated in this study.

Methods: The dried powdered husk fibre was exhaustively extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol successively and the methanolic extract was screened for flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, alkaloids, steroids, triterpenes, phlobatannins, anthraquinones and glycosides. A 4-day suppressive antimalarial test was carried out using Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected mice, to which the extract was administered at doses of 31.

Seroprevalence of rubella IgG antibody in pregnant women in osogbo, Nigeria.

Background: Infection of mothers with Rubella virus during pregnancy can be serious; if the mother is infected within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy she is likely to have miscarriage, stillbirth, or baby with congenital rubella syndrome. This study was carried out to define Rubella virus seroprevalence in pregnancy in Osogbo, Nigeria.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional sero-survey of rubella IgG antibody among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigenemia and its effects on hematological parameters in pregnant women in Osogbo, Nigeria.

Background: The transmission of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is parenteral, sexual and perinatal. Prevention of vertical transmission of HBV is extremely important because HBV infection in early life usually results in a chronic carrier State.

Methods: A descriptive seroepidemiological study of hepatitis B virus and its effects on hematological parameters was investigated in pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.

Assessment of water quality in Asa River (Nigeria) and its indigenous Clarias gariepinus fish.

Water is a valued natural resource for the existence of all living organisms. Management of the quality of this precious resource is, therefore, of special importance. In this study river water samples were collected and analysed for physicochemical and bacteriological evaluation of pollution in the Unity Road stream segment of Asa River in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Evaluation of CD4+ T cells in HIV patients presenting with malaria at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Nigeria.

CD4 count is an important immunological marker of disease progression in HIV seropositive patients. This study was carried out to determine the effect of malaria or fever of unknown origin on the population of CD4+ T lymphocytes of HIV seropositive patients attending the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. 36 subjects were selected for this study.