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Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasite that infect both vertebrate and invertebrate. In human, infection mostly focus on immunodeficiency and immunosuppressive individual. This study describes the prevalence, association of microsporidia infection with CD4 T Cell and risk factors associated with microsporidiosis among apparently health subject and immunocompromised individual in Minna, Niger state, Nigeria. Six hundred and Ninety-four (694) stools samples were collected and examined for microsporidia using Giemsa staining. Cytometer flow was used to determine CD4 T cell count. Pretest questionnaire was used to determine demographic, environmental hygiene, living condition and characteristics of the participants. Results showed 42 (6.06%) of the participant with and without diarrhoeawere positive for microsporidia infection. Histogram were used to describe distribution of microsporidia infection across diseases state. With cytometer flow, 6 (33.3%) among HIV/AIDS with ≤ 50 cell/µl. Highest prevalence were recorded among age ≥ 15 when compare with < 15 with 32 (10.8%) and 10 (7.47%), respectively. This study is first report of microsporidia in Niger state. Diagnose of microsporidia should be included in management of HIV/AIDS infection in Niger state.

Intestinal helminthiasis is one of the most common and neglected diseases affecting all age groups, especially among school children. It is a disease condition of suboptimal environment and poor personal hygiene, and is more prevalent in children in institutionalized centers.This study was aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern, and intensity of intestinal helminthiasis among children in motherless babies' homes/orphanages and the relationship between the prevalence and demographic characteristics of the children. The outcome may be useful in strengthening these homes through advocacy to the appropriate authorities on general health promotion and awareness for the management of the homes.It was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out over 7 months (March-September 2017) in three states of the South-East Nigeria. Prior to the studies ethical clearance and permissions from relevant bodies were obtained. A total of 198 children aged 3 months to 17 years were recruited using multi-stage sampling methods from the homes and orphanages in Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu states. Their stool samples were collected and analyzed for ova of intestinal helminths using ether concentration and Kato-Katz techniques.Frequency tables were designed for relevant variables while quantitative variables were summarized using median and interquartile range (IQR). The relationship between demographic factors and presence of intestinal helminths amongst study participants was tested using Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test (FET) where appropriate. All analyses were done at the 5% level of significance, and a P value.05 was considered statistically significant.: Children aged 1-5 years constituting the highest proportion 110 (55.6%). The median age (IQR) of the participants was 2.5 years (3 months to 17 years). They comprised of 89 (44.9%) males and 109 (55.1%) females with a male: female ratio of 1:1.2. The overall prevalence of intestinal helminths among institutionalized children was 5/198 (2.5%). Ascaris lumbricoides only was seen in four out of five (80%) infested subjects while mixed infestation of A. lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura was seen in one out of five (20%) subjects. All the infected subjects had light intensity of 100-300 EPG. It was noted that three out of five infested subjects were preschool children. However, the difference between the age groups and intestinal infestation was not statistically significant (P0.05). All the subjects with helminthic infection were females. Gender and location of motherless babies' homes/orphanages were not significantly associated with the presence of infestation (P0.05).This study showed that the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminthiasis amongst the surveyed children in the South-Eastern Nigeria are 2.5% and more common among preschool aged children.

Schistosoma mansoni infection constitutes significant economic and public health consequences. Accurate diagnosis of the infection is imperative in order to identify subjects needing care in the broadest sense. In this study the dot-ELISA and direct parasitological method were compared in the diagnosis of S. mansoni infection in Jos, Nigeria. Of the 106 subjects studied 64.2 % were S. mansoni positive serologically while only 10.4 % of them were found to have the parasite’s egg in their stools. Individuals aged 20–29 years of both sexes had highest prevalence of 73.9 % and 21.7% by serological and parasitological diagnosis respectively. Prevalence of infection among males was 13.5 % and 7.4 % among females by parasitology. By serology the corresponding figures were 59.6 % and 68.5 % respectively. No significant difference was observed by parasitology (χ2=4.534, P ≤ 0.05) and by serology (χ2=2.00, P ≤ 0.05). Results advocate for serodiagnostic technique over parasitological method in S. mansoni surveillance and epidemiological studies.

Toxoplasma gondii infection has become a major public health concern in recent times due to the ravaging HIV/AIDS pandemic. The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was determined in Kwal, a rural district of Plateau-Nigeria using IgG-ELISA. Epidemiological assessment was also conducted for the purpose of establishing the infection dynamics. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 30 (20.8%) of the 144 individuals studied. The prevalence of infection was slightly higher amongst the males (22.0%) than the females (20.0%), individuals of age group 21-30 years had the highest prevalence of 33.3% while the least (7.4%) occurred amongst the 41-50 years age group. No significant difference was noted (p0.05). The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies was significantly higher amongst individuals who handle/eat rodents (29.6%) and those who constantly had contact with soil (21.2%). These were the predominant risk factors of T. gondii infection in the area. Consequently, the infection occurred most amongst farmers (25.0%). This study contributes to the development of guidelines for the prevention and management of toxoplasmosis. Results were discussed in relation to the T. gondii epidemiological factors inherent within the population studied.

Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibody seroprevalence was studied in two different populations of 219 HIV-infected patients and 144 apparently healthy individuals (AHIs). Clinical toxoplasmosis was assessed among the HIV-infected patients. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 85 (38.8%, 95% CI: 32.36%-45.26%) of the HIV-infected patients and in 30 (20.8%, 95% CI: 14.20%-27.46%) of the AHIs. Among the AIHs, males represented 22.0% of infections compared to females (20.0%) and individuals within age group 21-30 years accounted for the highest prevalence of 33.3% (95% CI: 11.56%-55.10%). There was no significant difference in the trend (Chi-square, Por = 0.05). Assessment of epidemiological factors showed higher seroprevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies among those who eat rodents (29.6%) and those who constantly have contact with the soil (21.2%). Among the HIV-infected, individuals 31-40-years-old had the highest T. gondii seroprevalence (36.5%). Evaluation of the clinical findings of patients with concomitant toxoplasmosis and HIV infection greatly implicated fever (63.5%), headache (44.7%), rashes (41.2%) and anorexia (34.1%). This study contributes to the development of guidelines for the prevention and management of toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected patients and in apparently healthy individuals in a resource scarce setting.

Information is very scarce on the prevalence of hepatitis-B virus (HBV) infection among blood donors and patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Nigeria. Hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg) ELISA was used to determined the prevalence of HBsAg among 175 blood donors (aged 20-40 years) and 490 HIV-infected patients (aged 17-60 years) in Jos, Nigeria. Twenty-five (14.3%) of the blood donors and 127 (25.9%) of the HIV-infected individuals were HBsAg seropositive, indicating a higher HBV infection among HIV-infected persons than among healthy blood donors. A slightly higher HBsAg seroprevalence was recorded in the males (14.6%) than females (12.9%) of the blood donors. Among the HIV-infected patients, the males had considerably higher HBsAg seroprevalence than the females (31.8 vs 22.1%) with the highest prevalence of HBsAg occurring in the 51-60 years age group (44%), followed by those of 31-40 years (28.2%). Results confirmed the high endemicity of HBV infection in Jos, Nigeria and the significantly greater prevalence of HBV infection among HIV -infected patients than among blood donors.