Nigeria remains one of the major reservoirs for wild poliovirus transmission despite the reported success in NationalImmunization Days and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. Two hundred children aged ≤ 10 years, were enrolled following parental consent from hard-to-reach riverine areas of Delta state of Nigeria to assess the level of protective immunity to poliovirus. Neutralizing antibodies to the three poliovirus serotypes in the serum samples of the children were determined by the beta method of neutralization.Eight (4%) of the children had no detectable antibody, 178 (89%), 180 (90%) and 181 (90.5%) were positive for antibodies to poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Overall, 162 (81%) of the children had antibodies to the three poliovirus serotypes at a titre of at least 1:8. The study shows the need for proper monitoring of vaccination coverage in such hard-to-reach riverine areas to achieve the objective of the global eradication of poliovirus.

Rubella is a vaccine-preventable viral infection, its aetiologic agent; rubella virus was identified as human teratogen capable of causing a spectrum of birth defects described as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, significant proportion of the population remains susceptible to rubella infection in developing countries. More significantly, such developing countries including Nigeria have not demonstrated adequate commitment to preventive vaccination; a panacea for intervention. Consequently, this study was designed to determine the prevalence of anti-rubella IgG among pregnant women to ascertain the proportion of susceptible population. A total of 273 consenting rubella vaccine naïve antenatal clinic attendees aged 15-42 years (Median age = 28 years) were randomly selected and their sera analyzed for qualitative and quantitative anti-rubella IgG detection. Overall, 244/273 (89.4%) pregnant women enrolled in this study had protective level (Titre = >10 IU/mL) of anti-rubella IgG (Median Titre = 165 IU/mL; Range = <10 ->250 IU/mL), while, 29/273 (10.6%) of the study population lack protective antibody titre ( OD = <10 IU/mL). Results confirm previous reports of exposure, infection, and continuous circulation of rubella virus in Nigeria. It emphasizes the need for improved and continuous surveillance for rubella and CRS cases, prompt vaccination of vulnerable populations, and evaluation of health policies to achieve immunization and ultimately ensure control/elimination of rubella virus in Nigeria and beyond.

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Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been a major public health concern causing above a million deaths worldwide. The disease can be averted by employing relevant screening programs and effectual vaccines. Objectives: This research aimed to assess the occurrence and risk factors for infection of HBV among undergraduate students accessing health services at University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 15th February and 4th June, 2019. One hundred and eighty-one students were recruited and tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) with the use of Micropoint Diagnostics Kit, Nantong, China. A validated questionnaire was used to capture information on socio-demographics and risk factors for infection of HBV of the consenting volunteers. Ethical approval with number UIL/UHS/TW was obtained. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyze the data collected for descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean age of the students was 19.21± 5.37 years with the majority being females 110 (60.8%). Ten students tested positive for HBV giving an incidence rate of 5.5%. The age of the students showed a significant association with HBV positivity. Use of injectable illicit drugs and sharing of utensils were the behavioural risk factors that correlated with HBV infection. Conclusion: The incidence rate of HBV disease was intermediate and the risk factors identified were age, use of injectable illicit drugs and sharing of utensils. Proper adherence to prevention and control measures coupled with efficient follow-up could decrease the occurrence of the disease.