Background Numerous research studies have identified specific human gene variants that affect enhanced susceptibility to viral infections. More recently is the current pandemic where the SARS-CoV-2 infection has shown a high degree of person-to-person clinical variability. A wide range of disease severity occurs in the patients’ experiences, from asymptomatic cases, mild infections to serious life threatening conditions requiring admission into the intensive care unit (ICU). Main body of the abstract Although, it is generally reported that age and co-morbidities contribute significantly to the variations in the clinical outcome of the scourge of COVID-19, a hypothetical question of the possibility of genetic involvement in the susceptibility and severity of the disease arose when some unique severe outcomes were seen among young patients with no co-morbidity. The role human genetics play in clinical response to the viral infections is scarcely understood; however, several ongoing researches all around the world are currently focusing on possible genetic factors. This review reports the possible genetic factors that have been widely studied in defining the severity of viral infections using SARS-CoV-2 as a case study. These involve the possible involvements of ACE2, HLA, and TLR genes such as TLR7 and TLR3 in the presentation of a more severe condition. Short conclusion Understanding these variations could help to inform efforts to identify people at increased risk of infection outbreaks through genetic diagnosis of infections by locating disease genes or mutations that predispose patients to severe infection. This will also suggest specific targets for therapy and prophylaxis.

Newcastle disease virus is a paramyxovirus which causes Newcastle disease in birds. Investigation was done on the effect of leaf extract of Phyllanthus amarus against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) using an in-ovo assay. Nine to eleven day-old viable embryonated chicken eggs (ECE) were used for the assay, these were divided into six groups of six eggs each. Methanol, aqueous and n-hexane extracts of the plant leaves were administered to the various groups at concentrations varying from 50 to 5 mg/ml. Embryonated eggs were incubated and embryo survival was monitored daily. Negative control and diluents control groups received phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and dimethly suphoxide (DMSO), respectively. The other group was uninoculated while a virus control group received 100 EID 50 /0.1 ml NDV alone. Bacteria free allantoic fluid from the embryonated eggs in different treatment groups were harvested and collected for spot hemagglutination (HA) test and HA assay to detect the presence of NDV viral particles and the viral titre, respectively. Leaf extracts were assayed for presence of phytochemicals and antioxidant potentials. It was observed from the results that the extract was toxic to the embryo at a concentration above 50 mg/ml and further results showed that the HA viral titre reduction was directly proportional to increasing extract concentration. The phytochemical assays of leaf extract revealed the presence of phytochemicals including alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, phenols, steroids, glycosides. The current findings have demonstrated that leaf extract from P. amarus has potentials of medicinal value as well as antiviral activity against NDV in-ovo. Further experimental assays using live animal models are recommended to validate the use of P. amarus plant extract in therapeutic measure in chickens.

Aims: This study is geared to evaluating honey as an alternative of conventional antibiotics to treat infections caused by the selected diarrhoeagenic bacteria. Place and duration of Study: Research laboratory of Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Nigeria between December 2017 to May 2018.  Methodology: Honey samples from ten (10) different locations in Nigeria were screened for possible antibacterial activity on both the clinical and typed cultures of the selected diarrhoeagenic bacteria; Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteriae, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus using agar well diffusion method. Conventional antibiotics were used as control. Data obtained were subjected to one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using XL-Start, 2016 version. Results: All the honey samples used exerted growth inhibitory activity on all the test bacteria including the ones that were resistant to the conventional antibiotics (Ofloxacin and augmentin) used as control. In some cases, the growth inhibitions mediated by the honey samples were superior to that of the conventional antibiotics. Conclusion: This study showed that honey has antibacterial activity against the selected bacteria and therefore can be exploited as an alternative to conventional antibiotics to treat infections caused by the selected diarrhoeagenic bacteria especially the ones that were resistant to conventional antibiotics.

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In this investigation, the types of bacteria present in the blood of HIV-1 positive individuals attending the Antiretroviral Therapy clinic at a tertiary healthcare centre in Southwest, Nigeria and their antibiogram profile were assessed. A total number of Five Hundred confirmed HIV-1 Positive Patients were recruited for this study. Their blood was collected and subjected to standard microbiological techniques to isolate and identify the types of bacteria present and also determine the antibiogram profile of the isolates.

The effects of soxhlet extraction of oil from castor seeds (Ricinus communis Linn) using n-hexane as solvent on hematological and histopathological properties of albino rats was investigated using standard method. The haematological analysis of the animals' blood showed that the extract caused a reduction in the packed cell volume (PCV) from 49.3 to 46.7%. Histopathological analysis of the organs of the animals showed that the extract caused dilation of the sinusoid with less prominent nucleus of the liver, homogeneity of the muscle fibres of the heart with inflammatory cell infiltration, infiltration of kidney cells with increased hyaline casts, while the small intestine showed acute erosion of superficial and middle parts of the intestinal villi. Since the oil has deleterious effects on the organs of the animals used and also reduced the PCV, it is conceivable that when the oil is consumed by humans, it will have the same effect. Therefore, it is advocated that the oil should not be consumed until further work is done on it.

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The antibacterial activity of different extracts from the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Salmonella typhimurium, pathogenic bacteria that cause diarrhea. These extracts evaluated include cold water extract (CWE), hot water extract (HWE) and steam distillation extract (SDE). Only SDE has inhibitory effects on the selected bacteria and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged from 0.1% for S. aureus to 0.01% for E. coli and S. typhimurium, and 0.001% for S. typhi.