Publications by authors named "Y S Wungak"

Multiple transboundary animal diseases (TADs) circulate in Plateau State, Nigeria, where livestock keeping is common and contributes to both the physical and socio-economic well-being of a large proportion of the population. In this study, we explored the potential for environmental sampling to detect viruses causing TADs circulating in the region. Electrostatic dust cloths were used to swab areas of the environment likely to have contact with secretions and excretions from infected animals.

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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.
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Many small ruminants infected with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) remain asymptomatic, with the capacity to promote silent viral spread within domestic and wildlife species. However, little is known about the epidemiological role played by small ruminants in FMD. In particular, there are few studies that examine FMD seroprevalence, spatial patterns and risk factors for exposure in small ruminants.

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Background: Outbreaks of contagious ecthyma (CE) are frequently reported in sheep and goat flocks in Nigeria with severe clinical outcomes. CE is a debilitating and economically important disease primarily affecting sheep and goats caused by the Orf virus (ORFV). Despite field reports of CE in the country, there is no concise country-wide epidemiological data on the disease and limited genetic data of circulating Nigerian ORFV are available in the public domain.

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Arboviruses are important public health threats in many regions of the world. Nigeria has experienced outbreaks of arboviruses over the past decades, leading to concerns of widespread endemicity, which are frequently misdiagnosed. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of dengue virus (DENV) (a flavivirus) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) (an alphavirus) infections in three major population centers of Nigeria.

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