ObjectivesTo assess the respiratory health effect of city ambient air pollutants on transit and non-transit workers and compare such effects by transportation mode, occupational exposure and sociodemographic characteristics of participants.DesignCross-sectional, randomised survey.SettingA two primary healthcare centre survey in 2009/2010 in Uyo metropolis, South-South Nigeria.ParticipantsOf the 245 male participants recruited, 168 (50 taxi drivers, 60 motorcyclists and 58 civil servants) met the inclusion criteria. These include age 18–35 years, a male transit worker or civil servant who had worked within Uyo metropolis for at least a year prior to the study, and had no history of respiratory disorders/impairment or any other debilitating illness.Main outcome measureThe adjusted ORs for respiratory function impairment (force vital capacity (FVC) and/or FEV1<80% predicted or FEV1/FVC<70% predicted) using Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases (GOLD) and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) criteria were calculated. In order to investigate specific occupation-dependent respiratory function impairment, a comparison was made between the ORs for respiratory impairment in the three occupations. Adjustments were made for some demographic variables such as age, BMI, area of residence, etc.ResultsExposure to ambient air pollution by occupation and transportation mode was independently associated with respiratory functions impairment and incident respiratory symptoms among participants. Motorcyclists had the highest effect, with adjusted OR 3.10, 95% CI 0.402 to 16.207 for FVC<80% predicted and OR 1.71, 95% CI 0.61 to 4.76 for FEV1/FVC<70% predicted using GOLD and NICE criteria. In addition, uneducated, currently smoking transit workers who had worked for more than 1 year, with three trips per day and more than 1 h transit time per trip were significantly associated with higher odds for respiratory function impairment at p<0.001, respectively.ConclusionsFindings of this study lend weights to the existing literature on the adverse respiratory health effect of ambient air pollution on city transit workers globally. The role of other confounders acting synergistically to cause a more deleterious effect is obvious. In all, the effect depends on the mode and duration of exposure.

This work was carried out to study the association between lifestyle, health-care practices and incidence of recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis (RVVC) among young women in south eastern Nigeria. It was a multicentre case-control study of 176 women aged between 20 and 35 years recruited from the designated health facilities. Lifestyle and health-care practice structured questionnaires were used to survey the participants. Clinical examination was performed and vaginal swabs were taken from participants for microscopy, culture and sensitivity. The germ tube test was performed for identification of Candida albicans. The results of this study showed that frequent douching with water or other fluids (odds ratio [OR](adjusted) = 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.25-4.66, P = 0.000), wearing tight nylon/synthetic underwear (OR(adjusted) = 4.76, 95% CI = 2.28-9.95, P = 0.000), alternative medical treatment for repeated or recalcitrant cases (OR(adjusted) = 4.84, 95% CI = 2.94-15.91, P = 0.000), were significantly associated with higher odds for RVVC and self-diagnosis and use of over-the-counter antifungal medications (OR(adjusted) = 4.61, 95% CI = 2.29-9.32, P = 0.000) were associated with RVVC. Results of the fungal cultures showed that C. albicans and non-C. albicans were isolated from 83.7% and 16.3% of participants, respectively. Our results supported the association between some of the hypothesized risk factors and the occurrence of RVVC.

Objective:To evaluate the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of the ethanol leaf extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis in the treatment of various ailment in Niger Delta region of Nigeria, in Plasmodium berghei infected mice.Materials and Methods:The ethanolic leaf extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis (90-270 mg/kg/day) was screened for blood schizonticidal activity against chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei berghei in mice. The schizonticidal effect during early and established infections was investigated.Result:Stachytarpheta cayennensis (90-270 mg/kg/day) exhibited significant (P< 0.05) blood schizonticidal activity both in 4-day early infection test and in established infection with a considerable mean survival time comparable to that of the standard drug, chloroquine, 5 mg/kg/day.Conclusion:The leaf extract possesses significant (P< 0.05) antiplasmodial activity which confirms it's use in folkloric medicine in the treatment of malaria.

Blighia sapida is a medicinal plant used in Southern Nigeria for the treatment of some eye ailments and headache. The Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM), Ghana, has used this plant for the treatment of diarrhea for over 20 years. Objective: This study was designed to investigate the lethal effect of aqueous, ethanol, and ethyl acetate extracts of the leaf of B. sapida on fourth instar larvae of An. gambiae, Cu. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti. Methods: The lethal effect of aqueous, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the leaves of B. sapida at concentrations of 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60 and 0.75% w/v each were investigated in static bioassays on 4 th 15 instar larvae of An. gambiae, Cu. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti. Results: The 72hLC 50 values of the aqueous extract were 0.393, 0.488 and 0.423%w/v

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