Challenges, Health Risks and Recommendations on Meat Handling Practices in Africa: A Comprehensive Review.

Meat handling is a crucial aspect of public health as it forms complex interactions among humans, animals, and the environment. African meat handlers continue to face various challenges in slaughterhouses that significantly impact their lives and the general public during meat processing. This paper reviews the challenges meat handlers encounter and the associated risks of improper meat handling in various African slaughterhouses.

Holistic application of the one health approach in the prevention and control of rabies: plausible steps towards achieving the 2030 vision in Africa.

Rabies remains a significant public health challenge in Africa, primarily burdening impoverished rural communities, with children and young adults being the most vulnerable. Achieving complete elimination in the continent by 2030 requires a coordinated effort hinged on the One Health concept, external support from international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the national governments of endemic countries. Here, we reviewed the various socio-economic and ecological factors influencing the spatial distribution and molecular epidemiology of the disease.

Predictive identification and design of potent inhibitors targeting resistance-inducing candidate genes from whole-genome sequences.

This work utilizes predictive modeling in drug discovery to unravel potential candidate genes from that are implicated in antimicrobial resistance; we subsequently target the gidB, MacB, and KatG genes with some compounds from plants with reported antibacterial potentials. The resistance genes and plasmids were identified from 10 whole-genome sequence datasets of ; forty two plant compounds were selected, and their 3D structures were retrieved and optimized for docking. The 3D crystal structures of KatG, MacB, and gidB were retrieved and prepared for molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and ADMET profiling.

Molecular epidemiology and genetic evolution of avian influenza H5N1 subtype in Nigeria, 2006 to 2021.

Nigeria recorded one of the earliest outbreaks of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1 in 2006, which spread to other African countries. In 2023, 18 countries reported outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry, with human cases documented in Egypt, Nigeria, and Djibouti. There is limited information on the molecular epidemiology of HPAI H5N1 in Nigeria.

PFAS Research in Nigeria: Where Are We?

The persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment and their possible negative health impacts have attracted global attention. In Nigeria, there have been instances of PFAS contamination in many environmental areas, such as water sources. This paper raised concerns regarding limited research of PFAS in Nigeria, potential human exposure, and environmental consequences in Nigeria.

Addressing the Dengue fever challenges in Nigeria: A narrative review and recommendations for control.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that continues to pose a significant public health threat globally, including Nigeria. Here, we provided a review of dengue fever outbreaks in Nigeria from 1972 to 2023, examining the epidemiology, prevention strategies, challenges faced in combating the disease, and recommendations to mitigate its spread and transmission. We utilized scholarly databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar in writing this paper.

Navigating Nigeria's Health Landscape: Population Growth and Its Health Implications.

This comprehensive analysis examines the multifaceted impacts of population growth on public health in Nigeria. Drawing parallels with Omran's epidemiological transition model (that focuses on the intricate means that patterns of health and illness are changing, as well as the relationships that exist between these patterns and the sociological, demographic, and economic factors that influence them) and referencing experiences from Chile and Ceylon. The study highlights a substantial rise in Nigeria's population causing a double burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases, leading to higher morbidity, and mortality rates, increased healthcare costs, decreased productivity, and health inequalities, posing significant challenges to the country's healthcare system.

The re-emergence and transmission of Monkeypox virus in Nigeria: the role of one health.

The Monkeypox virus, commonly abbreviated as mpox, is a viral zoonosis that is experiencing a resurgence in prevalence. It is endemic to regions of West and Central Africa that are characterized by dense forested areas. Various measures pertaining to animals, humans, and the environment have been recognized as potential factors and catalysts for the spread of the disease throughout the impacted regions of Africa.

Assessment of glyphosate and its metabolites' residue concentrations in cultured African Catfish offered for sale in selected markets in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Glyphosate is a non-targeted organophosphate insecticide whose solubility and mobility in hydrophilic solvents enable its rapid leaching into the soil and subsequent contamination of ground and surface water and possible build-up in the aquatic food chain. Based on the public health importance of glyphosate in fish through consumption, it is crucial to determine the current residue concentration in culture species. The aim of the present study is to evaluate glyphosate's residue concentrations and its metabolites in cultured African Catfish offered for sale in selected markets in Ibadan.

Epidemiology and Transmission Dynamics of Viral Encephalitides in West Africa.

Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, often caused by an autoimmune reaction, or in most cases because of a direct viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection. Viral encephalitides (VE) presents a significant public health concern globally, especially in West Africa. There are more than five hundred known arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), with over a hundred of them identified to cause encephalitic diseases in humans and animals, giving rise to a tremendous burden of the diseases and socioeconomic strains in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

Crosstalk between hypoxic cellular micro-environment and the immune system: a potential therapeutic target for infectious diseases.

There are overwhelming reports on the promotional effect of hypoxia on the malignant behavior of various forms of cancer cells. This has been proposed and tested exhaustively in the light of cancer immunotherapy. However, there could be more interesting functions of a hypoxic cellular micro-environment than malignancy.

The effect of micronutrient supplementation on bioavailability, antioxidants activity, and weight gain in response to Infectious Bursal Disease vaccination in commercial broilers.

The effect of supplementing organic selenium and zinc on bioavailability, oxidative stress, weight gain in commercial broilers was studied. A total of 180-day-old chicks were divided into six groups: NSUV (Not supplemented, unvaccinated), NSV (Not supplemented, vaccinated), VS (vaccinated, supplemented selenium), VZ (vaccinated supplemented zinc), VSZ (vaccinated supplemented selenium and zinc), UVSZ (unvaccinated supplemented selenium and zinc). 1 mg/kg selenium and 60 mg/kg zinc were added to the feed of supplemented groups.

Rural-urban variation in willingness to donate blood in Ibadan Region, Nigeria.

Background: Although there are ongoing blood donation campaigns in Nigeria, the prevalence of voluntary blood donation is about 10% and there is limited information about the determinants of blood donation behavior, especially across rural-urban geographic areas. This study examines the rural-urban differences in willingness to donate blood.

Method: A cross-sectional study addressing adults from three rural and three urban communities was performed in 2021 to evaluate willingness, knowledge, attitude and practice of blood donation.

Langya virus outbreak: current challenges and lesson learned from previous henipavirus outbreaks in China, Australia, and Southeast Asia.

Background And Aims: A new novel virus, Langya virus (LayV), was detected in China in August 2022, 3 years after the COVID-19 pandemic. LayV is similar to the previously discovered Mojiang henipavirus. Other zoonotic henipaviruses include the Hendra and Nipah viruses.

Public health concerns surrounding the cVDPV2 outbreak in Africa: Strategies for prevention and control with a special focus on Nigeria.

Background And Aim: Poliovirus is a global health issue that affects children in different parts of the world. Despite the efforts of national, international, and nongovernmental organizations to eradicate the disease, it is re-emerging in Africa due to poor sanitation, vaccine hesitancy, new ways of transmission, and poor surveillance among others. Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) is a major step in eradicating poliovirus and preventing outbreaks in developing countries.

Tomato flu 2022 outbreak in India: Issues, challenges, and possible solutions.

Background And Aims: The outbreak of Tomato flu in India has affected the children making the parents tremble in worry and pain. The outbreak of this disease first occurred in India affecting young children below 5 years of age, thereby causing a threat to the country, neighboring countries, and the rest of the world-although no death is yet recorded. The aim of this research is to discuss the issues, challenges, and possible solutions associated with 2022 Tomato flu outbreaks in India.

Changing Ecotypes of Dengue Virus 2 Serotype in Nigeria and the Emergence of Cosmopolitan and Asian I Lineages, 1966-2019.

Dengue virus (DENV) is a leading mosquito-borne virus with a wide geographical spread and a major public health concern. DENV serotype 1 (DENV-1) and serotype 2 (DENV-2) were first reported in Africa in 1964 in Ibadan, Nigeria. Although the burden of dengue is unknown in many African countries, DENV-2 is responsible for major epidemics.

Usutu virus: An emerging flavivirus with potential threat to public health in Africa: Nigeria as a case study.

Usutu virus (USUV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) of the flaviviridae family (genus ) which belong to the Japanese encephalitis virus complex. Culex mosquitoes have been implicated in the transmission of this pathogen. The major susceptible hosts of USUV are migratory birds, thereby potentiating its ability to spread from one region to another globally.

Revisiting the blind spot of substandard and fake drugs as drivers of antimicrobial resistance in LMICs.

One of the most significant risks to public health is ongoing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Substandard and fraudulent medications, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), are thought to have a role in the genesis and spread of AMR. There are numerous reports concerning the availability of subpar pharmaceuticals in developing countries, with no scientific evidence as to what exactly is included in some of the prescriptions supplied there.