There are various methods for detection of Helicobacter pylori and the gold standard for non-invasive detection is the urea breath test (UBT). The aim of the study is therefore to detect H. pylori from the stool of patients with dyspepsia by PCR and compare results obtained with UBT. A total of 97 stool samples from patients presenting with dyspeptic symptoms in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) were screened for urea breath test (UBT) and the presence of H. pylori DNA using stool-PCR. Out of 97 stool samples analysed, 38 (39.2%) were positive for Helicobacter spp. and 20 (20.6%) positive for H. pylori by PCR, through amplification of 16S rRNA and glmM genes respectively. Of the 20 positive by glm M gene, the cagA gene was detected in 8 (40%) samples, while 47 (48.5%) out of 97 stool samples were positive for H. pylori by UBT. The sensitivity and specificity of the glmM gene compared with UBT as the gold standard is 42.6% and 100% respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 100% while the negative predictive value (NPV) was 60%.The method may be useful for detecting H. pylori from stool amongst children especially where most hospitals lack endoscope for children although the method is expensive.

Objective: Rare coexistence of disease or pathologyBackground: Bacterial Infections, especially, of the respiratory system, have been reported as one of the medical concerns in patients with the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), particularly those with multiple co-morbidities. We present a case of a diabetic patient with co-infection of multi-drug-resistant Kocuria rosea and methicillin-re-sistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) who contracted COVID-19.Case Report: A 72-year-old man with diabetes presented with symptoms including cough, chest pain, urinary incontinence, respiratory distress, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, loss of taste, and anosmia and was confirmed to have COVID-19. At admission, he was also found to have sepsis. MRSA was isolated in conjunction with another organism, re-sembling coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, which was misidentified using commercial biochemical testing systems. The strain was finally confirmed to be Kocuria rosea by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both strains were highly resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics, but the Kocuria rosea was resistant to all the cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides tested. The use of ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin did not improve his condi-tion, which ultimately led to his death.Conclusions: This case report shows that the presence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria infections can be fatal in patients with COVID-19, especially in patients with other co-morbidities like diabetes. This case report also shows that biochemical testing may be inadequate in identifying emerging bacterial infections and there is a need to in-clude proper bacterial screening and treatment in the management of COVID-19, especially in patients with other co-morbidities and with indwelling devices.

Purpose: To formulate and evaluate microspheres of the antiretroviral drugs maraviroc and tenofovir intended for a candidate vaginal microbicide and assess its effect on the vaginal lactic acid bacteria microflora. Methods: Ionic gelation technique was used to formulate maraviroc and tenofovir microspheres with subsequent characterization. The effect of varying concentrations of the polymer, crosslinking agent and the curing time on the outcome variables viz: particle size, mucoadhesion and encapsulation efficiency were investigated. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from the vagina of healthy women using standard microbiologic methods. The analysis of their 16S rRNA sequence data identified Lactobacillus fermentum and Enterococcus faecalis strains which were assigned GenBank accession numbers. The efficacy of the microspheres on HIV-1BaL strain was evaluated using TZM-bl indicator cells. Results: The optimal maraviroc and tenofovir microspheres had particle sizes of (434.82 μm and 456.18 μm), mucoadhesion of (93.3% and 90%) and encapsulation efficiency (92.80% and 78.9%) respectively. Maraviroc release kinetics followed a zero-order model and tenofovir was released via Higuchi model. The assay of a 1 mg/mL suspension of the microspheres on the strains of Lactobacillus fermentum and Enterococcus faecalis showed a viability of 93.9% and 89.7%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean absorbance readings of the test agent and that of the positive control (P = 0.001). The microspheres elicited a progressive decline in HIV infectivity until at a concentration of 1 μg/mL. Conclusion: The antiretroviral drugs loaded in the microspheres, had good mucoadhesion which is a potential for prolonged residence time in the vagina. The antiretroviral drugs were adequately released from the microspheres and showed efficacy against the HIV-1 BaL virus strain. There was no significant disruption in the growth of the lactic acid bacteria which constitute valuable bacteria microflora of the vagina.

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori is a principal cause of gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and contribution of duodenal ulcer promoting gene A (dupA), the plasticity region genes and sigma factors in relation to their pathological expression of H. pylori infections in the Nigerian population. Methodology: Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to analyze a total of forty-nine H. pylori strains isolated from patients attending various endoscopic units in tertiary hospitals in Nigeria for complete dupA (G27 variant), jhp0917, jhp0918, other plasticity region genes jhp 914/917, jhp0914, jhp0940 and sigma factors. Results: PCR results indicated that the prevalence of complete dupA (G27 variants), jhp0917, jhp0918 and other plasticity region genes jhp0914, jhp0914/0917 and jhp0940 in the H. pylori strains were 4%, 53%, 88%, 73%, 12% and 0% respectively. The prevalence values of the sigma factors were 96%, 92%, 80% for rpoN, fliA and rpoD respectively. However, the endoscopic findings showed that erosion, normal mucosal, ulcer, hyperaemic stomach, mucosal atrophy and oedematous stomach in the patients where the H. pylori strains were isolated were 40.8%, 32.7%, 10.2%, 8.2%, 2.0% and 6.1% respectively. There was significant association between jhp0917, jhp914/917 and G27 variant and the endoscopic findings, while other plasticity genes showed no association with the endoscopic findings. Conclusion: These results suggest that the presence of jhp0917, jhp0914/917 and G27 variant could be used as marker to predict the pathological effect of severity in Nigeria patients with H. pylori infection.

Background: Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by the penetration of adult female Tunga fleas into the skin of humans and animals. The disease disproportionately affects individuals in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Caribbean, where poverty, inadequate sanitation and limited healthcare services facilitate transmission, especially among vulnerable populations. Objective: To evaluate the association between socio-environmental factors and personal hygiene practices with tungiasis prevalence among residents of rural communities in the periphery of Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria, across the rainy and dry seasons from September 2021 – April 2022. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted, targeting at least 423 participants per sampling season. Following ethical approval and informed consent, semi-structured questionnaires were administered to collect demographic, socioeconomic, environmental and hygiene-related data. Physical examinations, performed by a qualified medical practitioner, identified tungiasis cases based on previously validated criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, while the Chi-square test assessed associations between infection status and categorical variables. A multivariate generalized linear model was used to identify key predictors of tungiasis infection. Results: Overall tungiasis prevalence of 5.3% (54/1020) among study participants. While infection rates were slightly higher in males (27/410; 6.6%), the difference was not statistically significant. Most infected participants (96.3%) had lower education levels and exhibited unsatisfactory hygiene practices. The Chi-square test identified residing in a household with an earthen floor as the strongest variable correlated with tungiasis [χ ² = 63.2, p = < 0.001 ]. However, the final model, revealed seasonality -rainy season (OR: 4.80 [2.33–10.82], p = < 0.001 ), frequent rat sightings (OR: 3.04 [1.40–7.29], p = 0.008 ) and sleeping on a mattress placed directly on the floor (OR: 2.60 [1.18–6.28], p = 0.024 ) as the most significant determinants of tungiasis infection. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the complex interplay between socioeconomic status, environmental characteristics, hygiene practices and seasonal variations in shaping tungiasis prevalence within a vulnerable rural community. Key predictors of infection, that is, seasonality, frequent rat sightings and poor sleeping conditions, underscore the need for targeted interventions to prioritize improving personal and household hygiene, implementing sustainable rodent control measures and raising community awareness about tungiasis prevention. These measures will not only help reduce tungiasis prevalence but also mitigate the burden of other zoonotic diseases that thrive under similar socio-environmental conditions.