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Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effects of lumbar stabilization exercise (LSE) and graded activity exercise (GAE) on concentrations of interleukin (IL) 1A (IL1A), IL18 receptor 1 (IL18R1), IL18 receptor accessory protein (IL18RAP), IL-6, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), and clinical outcomes of pain intensity, disability, catastrophizing, diverting-attention, cognitive-coping and pain-reinterpretation in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). Methods: This study was a single-blind parallel trial with an adaptive trial design. Fifty-four patients with NSCLBP were randomly assigned to LSE and GAE treatment groups. Demographic and anthropometric characteristics were measured. Treatments were administered twice a week for 10 weeks. The concentrations of IL1A, IL18R1, IL18RAP, IL-6, and COX2 of patients were assessed at four time points with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pain, disability, catastrophizing, diverting attention, cognitive coping, and pain reinterpretation were assessed at three time points with valid instruments. The responsiveness of the biochemical mediators to LSE and GAE was determined with a Bayesian one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics at P1). The concentrations of IL-6 increased significantly (P0.05). Catastrophizing of patients with LSE was significantly less (P

There have been several Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) outbreaks in Nigeria which remains a public health concern. Despite the increasing number of suspected cases of VHF due to heightened surveillance activities and growing awareness, only a few cases are laboratory-confirmed to be VHF. Routinely, these samples are only tested for Lassa virus and Yellow fever virus with occasional testing for Dengue virus when indicated. The aetiology of the disease in these VHF suspected cases in Nigeria which are negative for Lassa, Yellow fever and Dengue viruses remains a puzzle. Since the clinical features exhibited by suspected VHF cases are like other endemic illnesses such as Hepatitis, there is a need to investigate the diversity and co-infections of hepatitis viruses as differentials and possible co-morbidity in suspected cases of VHFs in Nigeria. A total of three hundred and fifty (350) blood samples of 212 (60.6%) males and 138 (39.4%) females, aged

Molecular diagnostic testing has played a critical role in the global response to the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, since its first outbreak in late 2019. At the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic, nasopharyngeal swab sample analysis for COVID-19 diagnosis using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was the most widely used. However, due to the high cost and difficulty of sample collection, the number of available sample types for COVID-19 diagnosis is rapidly increasing, as is the COVID-19 diagnostic literature. The use of nasal swabs, saliva, and oral fluids as viable sample options for the effective detection of SARS-CoV-2 has been implemented successfully in different settings since 2020. These alternative sample type provides a plethora of advantages including decreasing the high exposure risk to frontline workers, enhancing the chances of home self-sampling, reducing the cost, and significantly increasing testing capacity. This study sought to ascertain the effectiveness of Saliva samples as an alternative for COVID-19 diagnosis in Nigeria. Demographic data, paired samples of Nasopharyngeal Swab and Drooling Saliva were obtained from 309 consenting individuals aged 8-83 years presenting for COVID-19 testing. All samples were simultaneously assayed for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, N, and E genes using the GeneFinder™ COVID-19 Plus RT-PCR test kit. Out of 309 participants, only 299 with valid RT-PCR results comprising 159 (53.2%) males and 140 (46.8%) females were analyzed in this study using the R Statistical package. Among the 299 samples analyzed, 39 (13.0%) had SARS-CoV-2 detected in at least one specimen type. Both swabs and saliva were positive in 20 (51.3%) participants. Ten participants (25.6%) had swab positive/saliva-negative results and 9 participants (23.1%) had saliva positive/swab-negative results. The percentage of positive and negative agreement of the saliva samples with the nasopharyngeal swab were 67% and 97% respectively with positive and negative predictive values as 69% and 96% respectively. The findings indicate that drooling saliva samples have good and comparable diagnostic accuracy to the nasopharyngeal swabs with moderate sensitivities and high specificities.

INTRODUCTION: Lassa virus (LASV), the causative agent of lassa fever (LF), an endemic acute viral haemorrhagic illness in Nigeria, is transmitted by direct contact with the rodent, contaminated food or household items. Person-to-person transmission also occurs and sexual transmission has been reported. Thus, this study investigated the presence of LASV in body fluids of suspected and confirmed cases. METHODS: this was a cross-sectional study between March 2018 and April 2019 involving 112 consenting suspected and post ribavirin confirmed cases attending the lassa fever treatment center in Ondo State. Whole blood was collected from 57 suspected and 29 confirmed cases. Other samples from confirmed cases were 5 each of High Vaginal Swab (HVS) and seminal fluid; 12 breast milk and 4 urine. All samples were analyzed using reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) targeting the S-gene of LASV. RESULTS: analysis of whole blood by RT-PCR showed that 1/57 (1.8%) suspected and 1/29 (3.4%) confirmed post ribavirin treated cases were positive. While LASV was detected in 2/5 (40%) post ribavirin treated seminal fluids and 1/11 (8.3%) breast milk. However, LASV was not detected in any of the HVS and urine samples. CONCLUSION: the detection of LASV in seminal fluid and breast milk of discharged post ribavirin treated cases suggests its persistence in these fluids of recovering Nigerians. The role of postnatal and sexual transmissions in the perennial outbreak of LF needs to be further evaluated.