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The human tumor viruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) establish persistent infections in B cells. KSHV is linked to primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and 90% of PELs also contain EBV. Studies on persistent KSHV infection in vivo and the role of EBV co-infection in PEL development have been hampered by the absence of small animal models. We developed mice reconstituted with human immune system components as a model for KSHV infection and find that EBV/KSHV dual infection enhanced KSHV persistence and tumorigenesis. Dual-infected cells displayed a plasma cell-like gene expression pattern similar to PELs. KSHV persisted in EBV-transformed B cells and was associated with lytic EBV gene expression, resulting in increased tumor formation. Evidence of elevated lytic EBV replication was also found in EBV/KSHV dually infected lymphoproliferative disorders in humans. Our data suggest that KSHV augments EBV-associated tumorigenesis via stimulation of lytic EBV replication.

This study was designed to assess the seroconversion rate of measles vaccine among infants receiving measles immunization in Ilorin, Nigeria. The pre- and post-measles vaccination sera of the children were tested using the Haemagglutination Inhibition test. The measles vaccines administered at the immunization centre were also tested for their potency using in-vitro titration method. Only 286 (71.5%) of the vacinees returned to give post-vaccination samples. All the infants screened had low pre-vaccination measles antibody titers. Thirty one (8.0%) of the infants had measles prior to vaccination. The seroconversion pattern showed that 196 (68.6%) of the infants developed protective antibody titers. Low seroconversion rate reported in this study was due to low vaccine potency. The titers of vaccines with low potency ranged between log10(-1.0)-log10(-2.25) TCID/per dose. This was beside other non specific antiviral substances exhibited virus neutralizing activity. Only 3 (50%) of the 6 vaccine vials tested had virus titers of log10(-3.25) to log10(-3.5), which fell above the cut-off point recommended by the World Health Organization for measles vaccines. The sero-conversion rate of 68.6% observed among vaccinees is far lower than the immunity level of 95% required stopping measles transmission in an endemic community. Failure of 31.4% of these infants to sero-convert post vaccination can be attributed partly to administration of sub-potent vaccines. There is need for improvement and maintenance of effective vaccine cold chain system in Nigeria. There is need also for periodic monitoring of post-vaccination antibody titers as well as vaccine potency status in order to ensure development of protective seroconversion rates.

Objectives The study intends to report the profiles of anaerobic bacteria isolated and attempts to evaluate the impact of immunocompromised status of patients on the disease. Study design A cross-sectional prospective study. Setting ENT clinic, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria; a 450-bed tertiary health facility. Subjects 104 consecutive consenting participants with clinical evidence of CSOM ≥12 weeks. Methods A hospital-based study conducted over a seven (7) month period. The middle ear aspirate was obtained with the aid of a micropipette and sent immediately for Microscopy, Culture and Sensitivity of both anaerobic and aerobic bacterial isolates. Results A total of 11 patients with chronically discharging ears, of the 104 studied had anaerobic bacteria cultured from their middle ear aspirates. Age ranged from 4 to 50 years with a male:female ratio of 1:1.8. A total of 32 isolates (11 anaerobic and 21 aerobic) were recovered. All anaerobic organisms were mixed and included both Peptostreptococcus and Bacteroides . Metronidazole had 100% sensitivity to gram negative and 62.5% to gram positive anaerobic organisms tested. Five (5) patients had immunocompromised states of 11 patients with anaerobic bacteria isolated in middle ear aspirates (group I), while 13 immunocompromised patients of the remaining 93 patients with no anaerobic bacteria isolated (group II). The proportion of anaerobic isolates in group I is higher ( p Conclusion Immunocompromised state and age appear to play key role in presence of the anaerobic organisms recovered from the middle ear of the patients studied.

Persistent infection by human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered to be the main causative agent of cervical cancer and other anogenital cancers. Of the more than 30 genotypes capable of infecting the anogenital tract, it is estimated that, worldwide, HPV 16 and 18 cause 70% of the cervical cancers. Control through primary prevention has become a distinct reality through a prophylactic vaccine, which may take quite some time for its widespread use. Thus control of cervical cancer through cervical screening strategy is the only viable solution now. Despite the high rates of false negative results associated with cervical cytology, it is still considered as the gold standard for cervical cancer screening in developing countries. The advent of highly sensitive and specific HPV DNA detection techniques has offered a lot of promise for cervical cancer prevention. The severe restriction on the availability of infrastructure, resources and funding in developing countries has made it difficult to adopt HPV DNA detection as a routine cervical cancer prevention strategy. This present discourse is a review of relevant literature using internet search engines such as; PubMed and Google. Due to the limitations of Pap smear, there is need to consider HPV DNA detection as a useful adjunct to Pap smear screening, in order to effectively control cervical cancer in developing countries. Key words: Human papillomavirus (HPV), DNA detection techniques, cervical cancer.

Background : Congenital Rubella Infection can be prevented and future generation saved from disability by protecting women of reproductive age through vaccination. The study is aimed at determining serological evidence of recent rubella infection among women of childbearing age. Method : A cross sectional study was carried out among 285 women aged between 15 and 49 years. Enzyme immunoassay method was used to detect and quantify human IgM and IgG antibodies with avidity for Rubella virus in sera of participants. Socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects, along with recent history of fever, rash and adverse pregnancy outcome among others were obtained using a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was carried out using the program statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16. Majority (78.3%) of the women recruited for the study were within 15-34 years age range. Of the 285 sera assayed for Rubella IgM antibodies, 23 (8.1%; 95% CI: 4.9%-11.3 %.) was IgM seropositive, while the remaining 262 (91.9%) were seronegative. A total of 7 (2.5%) of reproductive age women in Ilorin had a recent primary infection while 16 (5.6%) had a persistent Rubella infection or recent re-infection. In conclusion, there is need for vaccination of susceptible women of reproductive age in Ilorin as a large number of women have Rubella in their reproductive age. Keywords : Rubella, Immunoglobulin M, avidity, reproductive age, Ilorin, Nigeria

Background: Human immune-deficiency virus/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome predisposes to opportunistic parasitic infestations of the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in newly diagnosed treatment naïve HIV/AIDS patients.Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out from December 2010 to June 2011. Questionnaires were administered to 238 HIV/AIDS subjects, and 238 age and sexmatched controls. CD4+ T cell count was carried out on HIV-positive subjects. Stool samples were examined using direct microscopic and modified Ziehl-Neelsen methods. Positivity of intestinal parasites was taken as the presence of worms, oocyst, cyst, ova or larvae in the stool samples.Results: Ninety males and 148 females were studied for the HIV-positive and HIV-negative controls respectively. Intestinal parasitic infestation in HIV-positive subjects was 68.5%, and was significantly higher than in the HIV-negative controls 49.2% (P < 0.05). In HIV-positive subjects, Cryptosporidium spp. was the commonest (55.0%) parasite isolated. Others were Cyclospora cayetanensis (41.2%), Isospora belli (3.0%), Entamoeba histolytica (8.4%), Giardia lamblia (3.7%), Ascaris lumbricoides (2.5%), Strongyloides stercoralis (1.7%), Trichuris trichiura (0.8%) and Schistosoma mansoni (0.4%). HIV-positive patients with CD4+ T cell count of less than 200 cells/ul were more at risk of opportunistic parasites compared to the HIV-negative controls.Conclusion: The prevalence of intestinal parasites in newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS individuals was high, and its association with CD4+ T cell count was demonstrated. Routine screening for parasitic infestations at diagnosis is indicated to reduce the burden of the disease.Keywords: Intestinal parasites; HIV/AIDS; Newly diagnosed; Treatment naive; Adults

Culture media play a very important role in bacteriology as they are used in the isolation, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. It is essential that the quality of media be safeguarded to have a successful microbiology laboratory. Microorganisms usually show typical morphological appearance and properties on solid media. Variations in the composition of the medium may alter this appearance and properties. There is therefore a need to ensure good quality media, which is capable of giving satisfactory results by ensuring a proper quality management system. Often times, majority of laboratories prepare their media for routine diagnostics and research purposes. Therefore, it is essential that certain parameters of media are checked thoroughly before they are considered suitable for laboratory use. Control methods are discussed in details in this report.

Problem statement: Methicilin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Nosocomial Infection (NI) outbreaks and prevalence among vario us populations are well reported in literature particularly for developed countries. NI due to MRS A is a known cause of increased hospital stay, cost, morbidity and mortality especially among the critically ill. There is paucity of information on MRSA in developing nations including the carriage b y critical healthcare givers who are potential transmitters. In most hospital in developing countr ies like Nigeria, there is neither surveillance sys tem or control policy for MRSA. Approach: We screened healthcare workers in the critical car e units of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, Nigeria for MRSA and determined vancomycin susceptibility of the isolates. Swabs of both anterior nares and web spaces of the hands were taken, transported and incubated in Tween 80 a t 35°C overnight aerobically before inoculation onto Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA). Inoculated MSA were incubated aerobically at 35°C for 18-24 h. Staphylococcus aureus was identified as Gram positive cocci with positiv e catalase, coagulase and DNAse test. MRSA were identified by combined oxacillin and cefoxitin discs diffusion method. Sensitivity to vancomycin was by vancomycin discs diffusion and vancomycin agar screen plating. Results: Of the 198 healthcare workers screened, 104 had MRSA either in the nose, hand or both giving a carriage rate of 52.5%. Nasal carriage (38 .9%) was higher than hand (25.3%). Doctors (22.7%) and Nurses (16.7%) were the predominant carriers. MRSA isolates were resistant to commonly available antibiotics. Only 1 (1.3%) of th e nasal isolates was vancomycin resistant. Conclusion: MRSA carriage among healthcare workers in the critical care units of the Nigerian hospital is high with doctors and nurses being the major carriers. The MRSA isolates were multi-drug resistant which may lead to increased morbidity and mortality if transmitted to the critically-ill. Th ere is need for MRSA control policies in hospitals with settings of our type.

This study reports the detection of urinary tract infections among 80 pregnant women in Oluyoro Catholic Hospital Ibadan, South-Western, Nigeria for a period of 6 months. It was carried out to detect the presence of urinary tract infection in pregnant women, and to isolate and to identify the pathogens responsible for the infection. A total of 80 clean voided mid-stream urine samples were collected from pregnant women between the ages of 21-40 years. The results showed 38 bacterial isolates with an incidence of 47.5% in this population. The isolates were identified based on colonial morphology, microscopic characteristics, and biochemical tests using Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. Escherichia coli 16(42.1%) was the most predominant organism. This was followed by Staphylococcus aureus 11(28.9%), Klebsiella aerogenes 7(18.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2(5.3%), and a mixed culture of Klebisella aerogenes and Staphylococcus aureus 2(5.3%). Urine microscopy revealed the presence of Pus cells in the urine samples collected. Two samples, representing 2.5% of the samples contained yeast cells, suggesting that Candidiasis was also predominant. The high incidence rate of 47.5% reported in this study should be of great concern, as not only do UTIs pose a threat to health, but they also impose an economic and social burden due to the stigma associated with these infections.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B virus is responsible for 50%-80% of Hepatocellular carcinoma cases worldwide. In Nigeria, vertical transmission remains a major route of Hepatitis B virus infection. Primary (vaccines and post-exposure prophylaxis) and secondary prevention of HBV transmission by appropriate sexual and sanitary practices are not yet optimal in the country yet measures for early detection (serological, molecular) and treatment of infected pregnant women is not a practice.This study aimed at identifying the prevalence and risk factors for Hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was done at the Ante-natal clinic of the University College Hospital Ibadan. One hundred and eighty pregnant women were recruited from March to August 2013, and tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen (BIORAD FRANCE) using third generation ELISA, as well as HIV-1 and 2 using Uni-Gold Recombigen and ALERE determine (a rapid immunoassay designed to detect antibodies to HIV 1 and/or 2). Positive HBsAg samples were tested for Hepatitis B envelope antigen, antibody and Hepatitis B core antibody (DIAPRO Italy) while serum HBV DNA was detected using PCR. Data were obtained using questionnaires to establish the sociodemographic characteristics and presence of risk factors and analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: the seroprevalence of HBsAg was 8.3% out of which 26.7% were positive for HBeAg, 53.3% had HBeAb, 20% had neither HBeAg nor HBeAb, 100% had total HBcAb and 86.7% had HBV DNA in their serum. The mean age was 32.1years, the highest HBV infection rate occurred in 25-29 year age group. Multiple sexual partners (OR- 3.987, P- value=0.026) and early age at sexual debut (OR 11.996, P- value=0.022) were independent risk factors for HBV infection. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis B virus infection is of high endemicity in Nigeria thus early detection, treatment of infected pregnant women,immunoprophylaxis for exposed newborns and surveillance for those with chronic infection is essential. Health education programs on prevention and control measures must be instituted.

Detailed Methodology. (DOCX 21 kb)

Infection with genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) remains a common viral sexually transmitted disease, often subclinical and a major worldwide problem of women of reproductive age group. Herpes cervicitis is an unusual presentation of Herpes simplex virus infection in females. The finding of herpes cervicitis on routine pap smear of an asymptomatic woman on Intrauterine contraceptive device still further supports the need for increased awareness on the possibility of Herpes simplex virus infection among women, particularly those on Intrauterine contraceptive device. The index case is a 28 years old Nigerian female who was referred to our Special Treatment Clinic on account of an abnormal pap smear cytology which was in keeping with Herpes cervicitis. There was no history of genital ulcer in this patient; however ELISA for HSV 2 IgM was positive in her. We therefore describe a case of herpes cervicitis in an asymptomatic woman on intrauterine contraceptive device. This case highlights to clinicians the need to be aware of the possibility of this association and to carry out relevant investigations so as to identify and treat these patients appropriately. Therefore, there is a need to put in place adequate public health intervention strategy to prevent genital herpes in women of reproductive age group with a view to preventing the possibility of congenital herpes in subsequent pregnancy.

Introduction: The burden of HSV-2 infection, the cause of most cases of genital herpes in Nigeria, varies from region to region; and so are the associated factors. This infection is known to be responsible for several negative pregnancy outcomes. There is currently no documented data on sexual behavioral factors associated with the occurrence of HSV-2 infection or seroprevalence among pregnant women in Nigeria. This study aimed at identifying the sexual behavioral correlates of HSV-2 seroprevalence among pregnant women in Benin City, Nigeria. Methodology: The cross-sectional study design was adopted and the study took place between November 2011 and June 2012. Four hundred and ten consenting ante-natal clinic patients in two major tertiary hospitals in Benin City were consecutively and prospectively included. Data sources were represented by questionnaires, the patient’s case records and laboratory investigations. Each patient’s serum was analyzed for HSV-2 antibody detection. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. Results: Four hundred and ten patients were enrolled with average age 30.6 years. Seroprevalence of HSV-2 antibody was 47.3%. Sexual behavioral factors that were significantly associated with HSV-2 seroprevalence included early exposure to sexual intercourse, number of sex partners, involvement in polygamous marriages, involvement of husband in extra-marital affairs and hormonal contraceptive use. Conclusion: The prevalence of HSV-2 among pregnant women in Benin City is high. Public health campaigns aimed at: delaying onset of sexual activity; encouraging monogamous relationships; and emphasizing that hormonal contraceptives do not protect from STI’s, are recommended.

Purpose: This study was set out to find out the pattern of antimalarial drug use in a Nigerian rural community following the aggressive price subsidy of Artemisinin Combination Therapy(ACT) recently embarked upon by Roll Back Malaria partners through Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm). Methods: Questioners were administered to 310 adult members of the community with the most recent malaria episodes so as to find out about the drugs used and some of the factors associated with the choice of the drug. Result: Although the overall use of ACT (13.55%) in this community was about 4 times higher than what it used to be, Chloroquine 123(39.62%) and sulphadozine/pyrimathamine 120(38.71%) were the mostly used antimalarial agents. Choice of drug used was significantly associated with perception of efficacy and price among other factors. Respondents liked the price of ACT (33.3%) most, CQ was the drug most liked in terms of efficacy (44.2%) while SP was the drug most liked in terms of lack of side effect (38.9%), taste (61.6%) and convenience (35.7%).( P= 0.001) Conclusion: In addition to sustaining the current price control, there is a need to continuously monitor and effectively regulate the quality of the ACTs in circulation so as to gain the confidence of both the prescribers and the end users regarding efficacy and adherence to ACTs. This will help to safeguard the huge investment in ACT subsidy by the Roll Back Malaria partners. Key words: ACT, Subsidy, Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria

Objective: To determine the prevalence of asymptomaticbacteriuria, bacteriology and sensitivity pattern in Ilorin using thegold standard of urine culture.Methods: A prospective study was carried out from 1st Julyto 31st October 2007, at the University of Ilorin TeachingHospital (UITH) on 125 consenting asymptomatic pregnantwomen. A structured proforma was used to collect informationfrom the women and a midstream urine specimen collected forbacteriological culture.Results: Of the 125 pregnant women, 50 had bacteriuria on urineculture giving a prevalence of 40�20The mean age of the womenwas 28.5 years with a standard deviation of 4.95. The age rangedbetween 14 and 40 years. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonestpathogen isolated (72� followed by Proteus spp (14� Most ofthe organisms showed good sensitivity to Nitrofurantoin andgentamicin.Conclusion: The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in Ilorinis high and routine urine culture is advocated for all pregnantwomen at booking.

Nigeria is presently suffering from another Lassa fever epidemic. This was confirmed in the statement of the Minister of Health of the Federation in which he said, “There has been an upsurge in the reported cases of Lassa fever since the beginning of this year, especially in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs. Within two weeks, 12 cases with five deaths due to the disease were recorded. 25 contacts are confirmed by laboratory investigations to have been infected, including 4 health staff working in the National Hospital, Abuja.”1 Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever first described in 1969 in the town of Lassa in Borno state, Nigeria.2 It is endemic in West African countries, and causes 300,000 cases annually with 5000 deaths.3 Lassa fever epidemics occur in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Central African Republic.4 Lassa virus, the agent of the disease is a member of the Arenaviridae family. The virus is pleomorphic with single-stranded and bisegmented RNA genome.3 Its primary host is Natal Multimammate Mouse (Mastomys natalensis). Transmission to man occurs via exposure to the rat excrement through respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts5, exposure of broken skin or mucus membrane to infected material, direct contact, sexually and transplacentally. The prevalence of antibodies to the virus is 8-22%9 in Sierra Leone, 4-55% in Guinea,12 and 21% in Nigeria.13 The disease is mild or asymptomatic in 80% of infected people, but 20% have a severe multisystemic disease. Clinical features are difficult to differentiate from that of other viral haemorrhagic fevers and common febrile illness such as Malaria, Typhoid fever and so on. Definitive diagnosis is by viral isolation, Antigen and Antibody detection and Reverse Transcriptase PCR. Treatment is with Ribavirin, an antiviral agent. No vaccine is currently available. Prevention is by keeping rats away from homes.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a major public health problem in sub-saharan Africa. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been reported to enhance HIV replication and accelerate the progression of HIV infection to AIDS.Objective: This study reports on the high seropositivity of immunoglobulin (Ig) G and M antibodies against CMV and the risk factors for CMV infection among HIV/AIDS patients in Ilorin, Nigeria.Method: A total of 180 consented HIV-1 seropositive patients (age-range 16-56 years; 108 females and 72 males) were consecutively recruited. Socio-demographic/behavioral data and 5 ml blood samples were collected from each patient. Plasma of each sample was assayed for anti-CMV IgG/IgM using a CMV IgG and IgM Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) kit.Results: Twenty (11.1%) of the 180 HIV-1 seropositive subjects were positive for anti-CMV IgM antibody while 169(93.9%) were positive for anti-CMV IgG antibody. Age, marital status, number of sexual partners, CD4 cells counts and previous history of blood transfusion were the main correlates of CMV seropositivity among these patients. However, occupation, sex, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) were not statistically associated with CMV seropositivity in this study.Conclusion: This study has shown that greater percentages of HIV-1 seropositive patients had active CMV infection. It has further shown that CMV is hyperendemic in HIV-1 seropositive patients in Ilorin, Nigeria.Keywords: CD4, CMV, HIV/AIDS, IgG, IgM, Risk factors, HAART

Background Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the commonest viral opportunistic infections in persons with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In AIDS patients, progressive loss of immune function, and in particular, loss of cell mediated immunity, permits CMV reactivation and replication. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of seropositivity for CMV IgG and IgM among HIV sero-positive patients in Ilorin, Nigeria Methodology Sera obtained from 180 HIV sero-positive individuals and 180 HIV sero-negative blood donors participants were assayed for CMV IgG/IgM using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), The CD4 cell counts were also done. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on the risk factors for CMV/HIV co-infection. Result A total of 169(93.9%) of the HIV sero-positve were CMV IgG positive while, 174(96.7%) of the control were also CMV IgG positive. Among the HIV sero-positive, 20 (11.1%) were CMV IgM antibody positive, while 4(2.2%) of the HIV sero-negative control group were CMV IgM positive. Age of Participants (p = 0.000), number of sexual partners(p = 0.000) and CD4 cell counts(p = 0.000) were significantly related to CMV IgM sero-positivity. However the use of HAART (p = 0.777), history of blood transfusion(p = 0.837) and sex of participants (p = 0.591) were found not to be significantly related to CMV IgM sero-positivity. Conclusion Cytomegalovirus is hyperendemic among HIV sero-positive and sero-negative individuals in Ilorin. This suggests primarily a horizontal, non sexual route of transmission. There is need for multi-centre studies using more sensitive tests such as CMV DNA PCR in order to establish the prevalence of CMV infection among HIV/AIDS patients.

Background Sub-Saharan countries including Nigeria have the highest burden of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the world. Most studies on HPV surveillance in Nigeria were done in the southern part of the country. Geographical and socio-cultural diversity of Nigeria makes these data unlikely to be universally representative for the entire country. Northern Nigeria especially the North-East carries a higher prevalence of cervical cancer and many of its risk factors. The region may be harbouring a higher prevalence of HPV infection with a possibility of different genotypic distribution. This study was carried out to determine the burden and confirm the predominant HPV genotypes among women presenting for cervical cancer screening at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe (FTHG), North-eastern, Nigeria. Methods The study was an observational hospital based cross sectional study among women who presented for cervical cancer screening in FTHG. A total of 209 consenting women were tested for cervical HPV infection using PCR. DNA sequencing was carried out on positive samples to determine the prevalent HPV genotypes. Results The prevalence of cervical HPV infection among the participants with mean age of 39.6 ± 10.4 years was 48.1 %. The five most predominant genotypes were 18, 16, 33, 31 and 35, with prevalence of 44.7 %, 13.2 %, 7.9 %, 5.3 % and 5.3 % respectively. Other genotypes observed were 38, 45, 56, 58, 82 and KC5. Multiple HPV infections were detected among 7.9 % of participants. Risk factors such as level of education (X2 = 15.897; p = 0.007), age at sexual debut (X2 = 6.916; p = 0.009), parity (X2 = 23.767; p = 0.000), number of life time sexual partners (X2 = 7.805; p = 0.005), age at first pregnancy (X2 = 10.554; p = 0.005) and history of other malignancies (X2 = 7.325; p = 0.007) were found to have a statistically significant association with HPV infection. Conclusion This study identified a high burden of HPV infection in Northern Nigeria while also confirming HPV 18 and 16 as the most predominant genotypes. It further justifies the potential benefit of the currently available HPV vaccines in the area. A larger and community based study is however recommended for better representation of the area. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13027-015-0035-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.