Background:The transmission of the hepatitis B virus is parenteral, sexual and perinatal. Fulminant hepatitis occurs in 1% of cases of symptomatic acute hepatitis, and the main problem of hepatitis B viral infection is its chronicity, as defined by hepatitis B surface antigen carriage for more than 6 months. Objective: A descriptive seroepidemiological study of hepatitis B virus and its associated risk factors has been conducted among mothers and their child of preschool age attending the WELL CHILD Clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and the Immunization Clinic of the Children Specialist Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. Materials & methods: Sera of 70 mother and child pairs were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of surface antigen of hepatitis B virus. Results: Prevalence rates of 5.7 and 10% were obtained for surface antigen of hepatitis B virus in mothers and children respectively. The highest surface antigen of hepatitis B virus prevalence rate recorded was 2.9% for children who were aged 2-4 years, while the lowest prevalence rate recorded was 1.4% for those aged less than 1 year. Conclusions: Blood transfusion and mode of delivery appeared to be the most significant risk factors contributing to the transmission of hepatitis B virus among these subjects. All four mothers who were positive for the surface antigen of hepatitis B virus had positive children for this marker.

Rubella virus is a teratogen that may induce foetal death or Congenital Rubella Syndrome in the newborn. Studies carried out in Nigeria, have recorded 68.5% prevalence in pregnant women in the southwest and 54.1% in the Northwest. There has been a dearth of information in the North central. Sentinel studies have placed the incidence of rubella on a seasonal distribution, with an average of 5-9-year variable epidemic pattern. A descriptive study was carried out on pregnant women between July and September 2009, to establish baseline data on the sero-prevalence of antenatal rubella in pregnant women in Ilorin. A total of 92 pregnant women in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy were recruited from the antenatal clinics of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. A 3ml blood sample was collected from each consenting subject and serum assayed for Rubella IgG/ IgM antibodies by indirect ELISA test. Anti-rubella virus antibodies were reported in the sera of 14 pregnant women that participated in the study. A prevalence of 16.3% was recorded. The primigravidae had a higher prevalence (27.0%) than the multigravidae (12.0%). There was a gradual rise in seroprevalence from first trimester pregnancies (13.0%) to second trimester pregnancies (19.1%). High seroprevalence of rubella infections during organogenesis poses high risk to foetus. Since 85% of the subjects were susceptible to rubella virus infection, it is advisable for health planners to prevent further occurrence of antenatal rubella that may result to congenital rubella anomalies by the immunisation of women of child bearing age.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a major public health problem in sub-saharan Africa. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been reported to enhance HIV replication and accelerate the progression of HIV infection to AIDS. Objective: This study reports on the high seropositivity of immunoglobulin (Ig) G and M antibodies against CMV and the risk factors for CMV infection among HIV/AIDS patients in Ilorin, Nigeria. Method: A total of 180 consented HIV-1 seropositive patients (age-range 16-56 years; 108 females and 72 males) were consecutively recruited. Socio-demographic/behavioral data and 5 ml blood samples were collected from each patient. Plasma of each sample was assayed for anti-CMV IgG/IgM using a CMV IgG and IgM Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Results: Twenty (11.1%) of the 180 HIV-1 seropositive subjects were positive for anti-CMV IgM antibody while 169(93.9%) were positive for anti-CMV IgG antibody. Age, marital status, number of sexual partners, CD4 cells counts and previous history of blood transfusion were the main correlates of CMV seropositivity among these patients. However, occupation, sex, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) were not statistically associated with CMV seropositivity in this study. Conclusion:This study has shown that greater percentages of HIV-1 seropositive patients had active CMV infection. It has further shown that CMV is hyperendemic in HIV-1 seropositive patients in Ilorin, Nigeria.

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The frequency of both AIDS defining and non- AIDS defining intestinal parasitic infestation was higher among the HIV infected patients. Patients' CD4+ cells count was an important determinant of the rate and number of parasitic infestation.