Nucleic acid amplification technology (NAAT) has assumed a critical position in disease diagnosis in recent times and contributed significantly to healthcare. Application of these methods has resulted in a more sensitive, accurate and rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases than older traditional methods like culture-based identification. NAAT such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is widely applied but seldom available to resource-limited settings. Isothermal amplification (IA) methods provide a rapid, sensitive, specific, simpler and less expensive procedure for detecting nucleic acid from samples. However, not all of these IA techniques find regular applications in infectious diseases diagnosis. Disease diagnosis and treatment could be improved, and the rapidly increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance reduced, with improvement, adaptation, and application of isothermal amplification methods in clinical settings, especially in developing countries. This review centres on some isothermal techniques that have found documented applications in infectious diseases diagnosis, highlighting their principles, development, strengths, setbacks and imminent potentials for use at points of care.

Background: Snail mucin has been reported to contain agents with wound healing properties. Mucin obtained from the mucus of snails and epiphgram obtained from species of Achatina fulica and Archachatina marginata have also been reported to show antimicrobial properties. Snail species are abundantly available and widely consumed as a delicacy across Nigeria. Aim: To assess the antibacterial effects of mucus secretions from different snail types on bacteria isolated from clinically infected wounds. Place and Duration of Study: The study lasted for a period of four (4) months and was conducted at the Microbiology laboratory of The Cross River State University of Technology in Cross River, Nigeria. Methodology: The in vitro antibacterial potency of snail mucus secretions obtained from Archachatina marginata saturalis, Archachatina marginata ovum and Achatina fulica on bacterial isolates from wound was investigated. The isolates obtained from twenty eight (28) clinical wound samples were Staphylococcus spp (24:53.3%), Pseudomonas spp (16:33.3%) and Streptococcus spp (6:13.4%). The susceptibility of the isolates to snail mucus secretions was assayed on Muller Hilton Agar by the disc diffusion method, using varied mucus/DMSO concentrations of 100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20%. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of the mucus secretions were also evaluated. Results: The viscosity of the mucus secretions were rated as A. marginata saturalis> A. marginata ovum> A. fulica, while their colours were yellow, light brown and dark respectively. Results revealed that Staphylococcus sp was more susceptible to mucus secretion from the A. marginata saturalis (17.4±1.20) than those from A. marginata ovum (15.6±1.44) and A. fulica (15.4±2.04). The minimum inhibitory concentration of mucus secretions from A. marginata saturalis against the test organisms were observed at concentrations of 100% and 20% for Staphylococcus sp, 20% for Pseudomonas sp and 40% for Streptococcus sp respectively. The antibacterial activity of the mucus secretions were observed to be comparable to that of seven (7) different antibiotics used as control. Conclusion: Snail mucus secretions could be a source for antibacterial agents that can serve as an alternative to the expensive synthetic antibacterial agents used in wound treatment if adequately explored.

The development of precise and efficient diagnostic tools enables early treatment and proper isolation of infected individuals, hence limiting the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The standard diagnostic tests used by healthcare workers to diagnose severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have some limitations, including longer detection time, the need for qualified individuals, and the use of sophisticated bench-top equipment, which limit their use for rapid SARS-CoV-2 assessment. Advances in sensor technology have renewed the interest in electrochemical biosensors miniaturization, which provide improved diagnostic qualities such as rapid response, simplicity of operation, portability, and readiness for on-site screening of infection. This review gives a condensed overview of the current electrochemical sensing platform strategies for SARS-CoV-2 detection in clinical samples. The fundamentals of fabricating electrochemical biosensors, such as the chosen electrode materials, electrochemical transducing techniques, and sensitive biorecognition molecules, are thoroughly discussed in this paper. Furthermore, we summarised electrochemical biosensors detection strategies and their analytical performance on diverse clinical samples, including saliva, blood, and nasopharyngeal swab. Finally, we address the employment of miniaturized electrochemical biosensors integrated with microfluidic technology in viral electrochemical biosensors, emphasizing its potential for on-site diagnostics applications.

The graphical representation depicts a novel method of detecting the SARS-CoV-2 N gene without amplification using a label-free electrochemical DNA biosensor-based printed circuit board gold electrode (PCBGE).

This study is a cross-sectional, observational analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, to understand the progression of the disease across the continent. Published data on COVID-19 from 20 January 2020 to 21 June 2021 were obtained and analyzed. Case fatality ratios, as well as case growth rates and other indices were computed. On 21 June 2021, a total of 178,210,532 confirmed cases and 3,865,978 deaths had been recorded worldwide. While the Americas recorded the highest number of cases, Southern Africa recorded the majority of African cases. Fatality rate since from 20 February 2020 to 21 June 2021 was highest in the Americas (2.63%) and low in the South Eastern Asia region (1.39%), globally increasing from 2.17% at the end of January to 6.36% in May 2020 and decreasing to a range between 2.14% to 2.30% since January 2021. In Africa, the infection rate per 100,000 persons was up to 3090.18, while deaths per 100,000 and case fatality ratio were as high as 119.64 and 5.72%, respectively, among the 20 most-affected countries. The testing rate per million population was highest in Botswana (512,547.08). Fatality appears to be increasing in some regions of Africa. The rate of infection and fatality in Africa could still likely take an upward turn. Strict control measures are required, considering the continent’s weak healthcare systems.

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) are phenotypically indistinguishable from the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus–A. baumannii (ACB) complex members using routine laboratory methods. Early diagnosis plays an important role in controlling A. baumannii infections and this could be assisted by the development of a rapid, yet sensitive diagnostic test. In this study, we developed an enzyme-based electrochemical genosensor for asymmetric PCR (aPCR) amplicon detection of the bla_OXA-51-like gene in A. baumannii. A. baumanniibla_OXA-51-like gene PCR primers were designed, having the reverse primer modified at the 5′ end with FAM. A bla_OXA-51-like gene sequence-specific biotin labelled capture probe was designed and immobilized using a synthetic oligomer (FAM-labelled) deposited on the working electrode of a streptavidin-modified, screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). The zot gene was used as an internal control with biotin and FAM labelled as forward and reverse primers, respectively. The bla_OXA-51-like gene was amplified using asymmetric PCR (aPCR) to generate single-stranded amplicons that were detected using the designed SPCE. The amperometric current response was detected with a peroxidase-conjugated, anti-fluorescein antibody. The assay was tested using reference and clinical A. baumannii strains and other nosocomial bacteria. The analytical sensitivity of the assay at the genomic level and bacterial cell level was 0.5 pg/mL (1.443 µA) and 10³ CFU/mL, respectively. The assay was 100% specific and sensitive for A. baumannii. Based on accelerated stability performance, the developed genosensor was stable for 1.6 years when stored at 4 °C and up to 28 days at >25 °C. The developed electrochemical genosensor is specific and sensitive and could be useful for rapid, accurate diagnosis of A. baumannii infections even in temperate regions.