Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been identified as the most common uropathogenic bacterial pathogen with increasing resistance to antibiotics. Aetiology of urinary tract infections (UTI) and their antibiotic sensitivity patterns vary from time to time and across different areas. In Nigeria, studies on the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of clinical isolates from urinary tract infections are inadequate. Employing standardised microbiological methods, this study assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of E. coli isolates from UTI in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (a tertiary health care institution) in North Eastern, Nigeria. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) accounted for 150 (62.50%) of 240 urine isolates. Lowest susceptibility was for Ampicillin 54 (36.0%), Ciprofloxacin 69 (46.0%) and Norfloxacin 72 (48.0%). More than 50% were susceptible to Levofloxacin and Streptomycin 71 (54.0%) each, Cefuroxime and Co-trimoxazole 78 (52.0%) each, while highest susceptibility was for Nitrofurantoin 117 (78.0%), Chloramphenicol 105 (70.0%) and Gentamicin 96 (64.0%). The isolates were commonly resistant to 9 (24.24%) of the ten (MARI of 0.9) classes of antimicrobial agents used in this study and all the isolates were multidrug-resistant. There is a need for proper surveillance and development of hospital specific antibiograms to inform appropriate empiric therapy of urinary tract infections.

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Background: Shigellosis is endemic throughout the world and Shigella spp. is among the most common pathogens responsible for bacterial diarrhoeal diseases. Death attributed to shigellosis is common in developing countries, where affected populations are immunologically compromised due to poor nutrition and background infections. Aim: To investigate the serogroup distribution of Shigella spp. recovered from clinically diagnosed cases of gastroenteritis and acute diarrhoea among children (0-5 years) in Ile-Ife, southwest Nigeria between September 2003 and September 2006. Methods: The isolates were identified and characterized biochemically and serologically. Results: Out of 102 Shigella isolates identified, 45 (44%) were S. flexneri, 26 (25%) were S. dysenteriae, 19 (19%) were S. boydii, 6 (6%) were S. sonnei and 6 (6%) were untypable strains. Conclusions: We conclude that Shigella serogroups can be considered an important aetiological agent of acute diarrhoea and mortality among children in Ile-Ife, southwest Nigeria.

Background: Shigellosis is endemic throughout the world and Shigella spp. is among the most common pathogens responsible for bacterial diarrhoeal diseases. Death attributed to shigellosis is common in developing countries, where affected populations are immunologically compromised due to poor nutrition and background infections. Aim: To investigate the serogroup distribution of Shigella spp. recovered from clinically diagnosed cases of gastroenteritis and acute diarrhoea among children (0-5 years) in Ile-Ife, southwest Nigeria between September 2003 and September 2006. Methods: The isolates were identified and characterized biochemically and serologically. Results: Out of 102 Shigella isolates identified, 45 (44%) were S. flexneri, 26 (25%) were S. dysenteriae, 19 (19%) were S. boydii, 6 (6%) were S. sonnei and 6 (6%) were untypable strains. Conclusions: We conclude that Shigella serogroups can be considered an important aetiological agent of acute diarrhoea and mortality among children in Ile-Ife, southwest Nigeria.

HIV infection is still a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. The broad diversity exhibited by HIV-1 may impact on transmission, disease progression, drug resistance and vaccine development. Most analyses of HIV-1 subtype distribution have been on partial HIV-1 gene sequences, which may not adequately reflect the circulating subtypes. The objective of this study was to estimate the HIV-1 subtype distribution in sub-Saharan Africa using only full-length genome sequences. Using available HIV-1 full-length genome sequences from sub-Saharan Africa, the HIV-1 distribution in the region was analysed and compared with a previous global analysis which was not based entirely on full-length sequences. A total of 934 HIV-1 full-length genome sequences were available from 27 sub-Saharan countries. There was a disproportionate distribution of HIV-1 subtypes among countries with Cameroon having all the four HIV-1 groups. The subtype C was the most available in addition to a large proportion of circulating and unique recombinant forms (CRFs/URFs) especially in Central and West African countries, with frequencies of 32.6 to 90%. There was decreased representation of subtypes A and G in regions where CRFs/URFs were common compared with previous analysis using partial sequences. There is a need for more HIV-1 full-length genome sequences from sub-Saharan Africa for the true distribution of HIV-1 subtypes to be known, as analysis of partial sequences is not truly representative of the circulating subtypes.

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