Aims: Burden of infectious diseases in correctional institutions constitutes a public health concern due to the confined nature and congestion of the prisons. This study aimed at surveying Burden of HIV, Tuberculosis Infection and Risk factors amongst inmates of Correctional Institutions in Port Harcourt Nigeria Study Design: The study was descriptive, comprising both males and females. A total of 178 inmates constituted the study population Place and Duration of Study: Port Harcourt Maximum Prisons, Creek Road and the Juvenile Remand Home, Borokiri, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, between the months of May to December 2019. Methodology: Two millilitres of blood was collected from each participant after receiving their informed consent. The blood was dispensed into EDTA anti-coagulant bottles and used for serological investigations of HIV 1&2, and TB.  Samples positive for TB was confirmed using the GeneXpert Molecular technique while HIV 1&2 were confirmed using Real-Time PCR and their Viral Loads determined. Results: The overall prevalence of HIV and MTB in the study population were: HIV 1 & 2 (3.9%) and Tuberculosis (0.6%) The Mean Viral Loads of positive samples were HIV 1&2 (479.3 copies/ml); and High MTB was detected. The most significant risk factors identified are as follows:, inmates with tattoos on their bodies (c2=83.6, p<0.0001), took part in blood initiation ceremonies (c2=110.1, p<0.0001), have exchanged needles/sharp objects (c2=2.2, p>0.0001), have tribal marks (c2=58.4, p<0.0001), received blood (c2=151.1, p<0.0001). Majority of the inmates have had sex before, 159(89.3%) [89(56.0%) had multiple sex partners up to 3 and above, 32(20.1%) had 2 partners while 38(23.9%) said they were single sex partners (c2=37.1, p<0.0001)]. On condom use, 90(50.6%) of the inmates do not use condom while 88(49.4%) admitted they use condoms. 7(3.9%) of the inmates have indulged in anal sex (c2=151.1, p<0.0001). 6(3.4%) had history of family drug use while 23(12.9%) have used drugs prior to imprisonment Conclusion: The prevalence of HIV among inmates in this study is quite high and remains a public health problem while that of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) though appearing relatively low still remains a public health risk. The risk factors amongst inmates of Correctional Institutions in Port Harcourt Nigeria have been identified in this study. The high HIV 1 & 2 prevalence with MTB prevalence with high viral load results indicates poor health conditions which if not contained can spread to other inmates. This requires prompt interventions and treatment among the correctional inmates.

Background: Genetic evidence of asymptomatic Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis) and Ureaplasma urealyticum (U. urealyticum) infection associated with infertility among females is lacking because suitable high throughput molecular methods have not been applied. Objective: This study aimed to explore the occurrence of M. hominis and U. urealyticum in the genital tract of females with asymptomatic infection and infertility as well as determine their genetic relatedness. Materials and Methods: The study group included 100 asymptomatic females and 31 females diagnosed with infertility. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene following DNA extraction was performed directly from endo-cervical swabs. Phylogenetic analysis established the genetic linkage between the isolates from both groups. Results: In asymptomatic females, M. hominis and U. urealyticum were detected with a prevalence of 8% and 2% respectively. Among females with infertility, the prevalence was 6.45% and 3.23% for M. hominis and U. urealyticum respectively. In both groups, M. hominis occurred significantly more frequently. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three distinct clusters in both groups: two with already characterized M. hominis and Ureaplasma species (28.6% of the overall Mycoplasma spp.) and one distinct cluster matched with U. urealyticum. Furthermore, all M. hominis from asymptomatic females clustered significantly with infertility contrary to U. urealyticum. The M. hominis cluster was significantly linked to two strains from China. Conclusion: The sequence analysis of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma in the genital tract of asymptomatic and infertile females showed significant association; therefore, it is paramount to consider them as possible etiologic agents of infertility and genital infection, especially when the etiology of infertility is unknown. Key words: Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Genetic linkage, Asymptomatic infections, Infertility.

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Dermatophytes are the fungal pathogens of human and animals infecting the keratinized tissues of the body namely skin, hair and nails. They include species of Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. This study was aimed at molecular typing  of dermatophytes isolated from school pupils and staff members of some selected Schools in Anambra East and Ayamelum L.G.As of Anambra State in Nigeria. One thousand (1000) samples  (scalp/hair, nail, feet, glabrous skin and groin/perianal) were collected from pupils and staff members of both gender and age bracket of  (1 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 30 etc ) years that showed visible signs of skin infection located in these two Local Government Areas. Standard procedures were employed in processing of test samples and inoculation on dermatophyte test medium. The plates were incubated at room temperature (25 – 270C) for 7 – 10days for observation of fungal growth. Colonial, morphology, and molecular studies and sequencing were used for identification. Sensitivity was performed using sterilized discs (6mm) prepared from whatman No. 1 filter paper, impregnanted with different concentrations (25mg, 50mg, 100mg and 200mg) of terbinafine, itraconazole, ketoconazole, fluconazole and griseofulvin dissolved in 2% dimethylsuphuroxide (DMSO). Molecular studies were used as confirmatory tests on dermatophytic isolates using Sanger sequencing method. The results show that the dermatophytic isolates includes: Trichophyton tonsurans, Microsporum audounii, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton violaceum, Trichophyton verrucosum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Epidermorphyton flocossum. Results also revealed the nucleotide sequences of the dermatophytes and genetic relationships between isolated dermatophytes from different pupils and schools. PCR-RFLP was used as gold standard for the diagnosis and Confirmation of Source of infection of dermatophytes and can aid in initiating prompt and appropriate antifungal therapy. Phylogenetic tree was drawn to show the relationships between the isolates.

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Plants contain variety of bioactive compounds known to have chemotherapeutic value some of these plants also have dyes. Against the background, this study is aimed at determining the nutritional composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant and staining properties of Cnestis ferrugenea fruit. Plant fruits were collected and processed using soxhlet extraction technique. Phytochemical analysis was determined using standard laboratory method. Phenolic content estimation of plant fruits was determined using folin-ciocalteu (F.C) method. Antioxidant was estimated using 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) . Cnetis ferrugenea fruit extract had anti-fungi activity but low antibacterial activity. Phytochemical analysis of plant fruit shows the presence of alkaloid, saponin, tannin, flavonoid and cardiac- glysoside. Nutritional compositions are total ash, moisture, crude fibre, lipid, carbohydrate and protein. MIC of fruit extract is 6.25 and has IC50 value 15966.02 with pH of 4.6. Cnetis ferruginea ethanoic fruit extract stained fungal isolates but didn’t stain bacteria isolate. Studied fruit extract is a good source of carbohydrate, crude fibre and moisture content, it has antioxidant, antifungal and staining properties but low antibacterial properties. Free radicals are central cause of disease, knowledge of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of plants extract will help pharmaceutical company formulate products that will combat the menace of free radicals. Some medicinal plants possess natural dyes.

Candida africana is emerging as an organism of interest. It is evolutionarily divergent from Candida albicans but has reduced virulence with a restricted ecological niche. This study aimed at comparing in silico the genome level to detect variations in the two species. Raw Illumina Hiseq data were downloaded from the European Nucleotide Archive (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena) with the accession number SRR6669859 and assembled using shovill (v. 1.0.9) the resulting genome was mapped against the haploid reference Candida albicans SC5314_A22 strain using the D-GENIES webtool and contigs were reordered based on the reference, then gap-filled using GapFiller (v1-10), and annotated using MAKER-P. Synima and progressive Mauve were used to compare the annotated genomes of Candida africana and Candida albicans for synteny. OrthoVenn2 webserver was used for the identification and comparison of orthologous clusters. Microsynteny variations within the genomes were determined using the GEvo. The study revealed the presence of insertions, deletions, and hypervariable regions within the genome of Candidia africana, showing a high level of synteny with Candida albicans. The genome of Candida africana is 14.04Mbp with a BUSCO score of 99.66%. The two species form a total of 5146 orthologous protein clusters and shared a total of 5124 protein, C. africana has a unique cluster protein cluster while C. albicans have 18 unique Protein clusters. The genome of C. africana has lots of structural variations and the presence of gene losses and gains. These genetic variations possibly play a role in the reduced virulence potential observed in C. africana.

Background: Indoor environmental factors and human activities influence the presence and concentration of fungal propagules which may lead to the risk of developing respiratory infections and allergic reactions. Aim/Objectives: This study aimed to identify the factors that influence indoor fungal composition and determine its association with the development of respiratory and allergic reactions. Methodology: A total of 549 air samples and 226 nasal swabs of occupants were examined using health base questionnaire, malt extract agar and A6 single stage microbial air sampler. House dampness, mould growth on indoor materials, temperature, relative humidity, type of ventilation, type of human activity, and location of building were found to affect the prevalence and diversity of indoor fungi. Results: A total of 55, 46 and 50 species of fungi were isolated from homes, offices and hospitals respectively. High fungal count, were recorded in homes with moisture problems, low temperature and high relative humidity and homes located in high density areas. High cases of respiratory health problems were reported by occupants of these homes. Conclusion: Improvement in housing and establishment of awareness programmes can be used to lower fungal load and health problems associated with dampness in homes.It is necessary to maintain and prevent the housekeeping activities that can predispose fungal concentration in indoor environment.