Genetic diversity of among asymptomatic pregnant women on intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in Nigeria.

This study investigated the genetic diversity of among asymptomatic pregnant women on intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-Sp) in Osogbo, southwest Nigeria. Blood sample was obtained from consenting pregnant women attending antenatal clinics. Microscopy and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were employed to diagnose and analyse genetic diversity.

Attendee's awareness about preventive chemotherapy neglected tropical diseases (PC-NTD) control during the first world neglected tropical diseases day in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Background: The need to control Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and sustain progress towards elimination through mass administration of medicines requires substantial communal participation. This study, therefore, assessed the knowledge and perception of attendees' regarding NTDs and its control activities during the inaugural World NTD day event in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study involving the administration of pretested semi-structured questionnaires to consenting attendees at the Inaugural World NTD day event was conducted on the 30th January, 2020.

Molecular Identification and Characterization of Plasmodium ovale curtisi in Field Isolates from Symptomatic Children in North-Central Nigeria.

Purpose: Plasmodium ovale is not usually the focus of most malaria research or intervention programmes and has lately been termed the neglected human malaria parasites. The parasite exists as two genetically distinct sympatric species namely P. ovale curtisi and P.

Genetic diversity and complexity of Plasmodium falciparum infections in the microenvironment among siblings of the same household in North-Central Nigeria.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum parasites are known to exhibit extensive genetic diversity in areas of high transmission intensity and infected individuals in such communities often harbour several complex mixtures of parasite clones with different genetic characteristics. However, in the micro-environment, the extent of genetic diversity of P. falciparum parasites remain largely unknown.

Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from naturally infected children in north-central Nigeria using the merozoite surface protein-2 as molecular marker.

Objective: To characterize the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) field isolates in children from Lafia, North-central Nigeria, using the highly polymorphic P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP-2) gene as molecular marker.

Molecular surveillance of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in two distinct geographical areas of Nigeria.

Drug resistance against P. falciparum has been recognized as the crucial obstacle to curbing mortality and morbidity from malaria. We therefore determined the baseline distribution of pfcrt and pfmdr1 genes associated with resistance to chloroquine and pfdhfr gene associated with resistance to pyrimethamine in P.

Ficolin-2 levels and genetic polymorphisms of FCN2 in malaria.

Human ficolin-2 (L-ficolin; FCN2) is a serum protein binding to sugar moieties of different human micro-pathogens forcing phagocytosis. Here, we investigate the clinical significance of FCN2 in African children with either mild or severe malaria (n = 130 and n = 108, respectively) from Gabon by analyzing three promoter SNPs (-986G>A, -602G>A, and -4A>G) and one single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in exon 8 (+6424G>T) using quantitative TaqMan, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, we measured the ficolin-2 plasma levels at two time points: on admission (t(0), acute disease) and 4 weeks after treatment (t(1), healthy phase).

Comparison of PCR-based detection of Plasmodium falciparum infections based on single and multicopy genes.

PCR-based assays are the most sensitive and specific methods to detect malaria parasites. This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of three PCR-based assays that do not only differ in their sequence target, but also in the number of copies of their target region, for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum in 401 individuals living in a malaria-endemic area in Nigeria. Compared to a composite reference generated from results of all the 3 PCR assays, the stevor gene amplification had a sensitivity of 100% (Kappa = 1; 95% CI = 1.