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Background: Rotavirus remains one of the main causative agents of gastroenteritis in young children. This happens, especially in countries (e.g., Nigeria) that have not yet introduced the vaccine into the national immunization program. A significant prevalence of Rotavirus infection both in children and adults without major symptoms has earlier been reported. This study aimed at defining the prevalence of asymptomatic Rotavirus infection from apparently healthy children in Maiduguri, Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria. Methods: A total of 269 stool samples were randomly collected from apparently healthy children <15 years of age from July 2017 to June 2018. All samples were screened using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for the presence of Rotavirus antigen. The Rotavirus-positive samples were further subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) to determine their RNA electropherotypes. Results: A total of 59 stool samples (19.9%) were Rotavirus positive with peaks observed in the cold dry season, among male children, and 6–10 years of age group. A total of 50 randomly selected Rotavirus-positive samples were subjected to PAGE, and none of the samples showed either long or short profiles. Conclusion: This study shows that Rotavirus can be shed into environments without any signs and symptoms. In view of this, the Rotavirus vaccine should be considered a priority and be introduced in the existing national immunization program in Nigeria, particularly in Borno State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid urbanisation of cities in developing countries has witnessed a growth in the volume of housing construction in the urban areas. The demand for housing and the inability of government to meet this demand has encouraged the growth of informal housing. The concept of healthy buildings is of great importance, considering the amount of time spent inside a building. Little attention is placed on the healthy nature of the building with respect to the provision of adequate natural ventilation within the building and the use of plants to ensure a more natural environment. The aim of this paper is examine the design decisions taken by house owners that affect the healthiness of their houses. The research method adopted was the descriptive survey method using an observation schedule and questionnaire. Six cities in north central Nigeria were selected and residential communities were selected and studied. The research showed that 87% of the urban dwellers in these cities usually spend more time within the building interior when they are at home and that 22% of the respondents made consideration made for outdoor activities. The paper concludes that there are options for improving the current housing provision in order to make them healthy. The paper recommends design considerations that housing providers in informal housing sector of urban areas should consider in order to ensure that healthy houses are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) are major causes of diarrhoea in Nigeria. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of diarrhoea caused by DEC within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria., Methods: A total of 730 rectal swabs obtained from 201 children with diarrhoea and 529 healthy controls aged 0-24 months were cultured for the isolation of Escherichia coli. All E. coli isolates were investigated by PCR to determine their pathotype., Results: A total of 61 DEC strains were recovered at a rate of 18.4% and 2.6% from children with diarrhoea and healthy controls respectively. The DEC strains recovered were Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (34.4%), Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (31.1%), Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(18.0%), typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (15.0%) and Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (1.6%). Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli andEnteroinvasive Escherichia coli were recovered only from children suffering from diarrhoea and the overall prevalence of DEC strains was significantly higher among the children with diarrhoea (P < 0.0001). The number of DEC strains obtained during the dry season was significantly higher (P = 0.012) than the number obtained in the rainy season., Conclusion: Diarrhoea caused by E. coli in the Nigerian children studied is associated with several diarrhoeagenic pathotypes and a significant proportion of the healthy children were found to harbour EAEC and ETEC strains. These asymptomatic carriers may be regarded as potential transmitters of infection to vulnerable children in the study area.

Background: Nasal Staphylococcus aureus is a major source of community and hospital associated staphylococcal infections. This study determined the prevalence of nasal S. aureus isolates and investigated their antimicrobial resistance profile in healthy volunteers., Methods: Nasal specimens of healthy volunteers in Amassoma were cultured and screened for S. aureus using standard microbiological protocols and their antibiotic profile susceptibility was investigated using disc diffusion and agar dilution techniques., Results: A total of 40 (33.3%) S. aureus isolates were obtained from 120 nares specimens screened. Twenty three (57.5%) and 17 (42.5%) of the isolates were from university students and villagers respectively. The isolates showed an overall 75% resistance to ampicillin, 52.5% to doxycycline, 47.5% to chloramphenicol, 35% to erythromycin and 32.5% to cotrimoxazole; with 27.5% methicillin resistant. No isolate was resistant to gentamicin while few isolates were resistant to cefuroxime (2.5%), augmentin (5.0%), ciprofloxacin (10.0%), ofloxacin (10.0%) and vancomycin (7.5%). Twenty one (52.5%) of all the isolates were multi-drug resistant, ten (47.6%) of which were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and only 3 (7.5%) were fully susceptible to all the tested antimicrobial drugs., Conclusions: The observation calls for strategies to prevent their spread to more vulnerable populations where the consequences of their infections can be severe.