Background: This study is the first documented prevalence of IgG antibody against HSV-1&-2 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and thus provides baseline data for future in-depth studies on HSV infection in South-South, Nigeria. Objective: This study determined the seropositivity and determinants of serum IgG antibody against HSV-1 & HIV-2 among pregnant women attending BMSH, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods: Serum samples from 180 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Serum samples were analysed with commercial HSV type-1&-2 specific IgG Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the association of infection with socio-demographic variables. Results: Of the 180 pregnant women, 179 (99.4%) were seropositive and 1(0.6%) was seronegative for HSV 1&2 IgG antibody. No statistical association existed between the prevalence of HSV-1&-2 IgG antibodies and the socio-demographic variables studied (p>0.05) except for marital status which was significantly associated (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our data shows that HSV-1 & 2 seropositivity among pregnant women in Port Harcourt is high; thus serological screening for HSV-1&-2 might be advisable for antenatal attendees.

The study looked to establish dual positivity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody among HIV-infected individuals in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Plasma samples from 89 HIV-infected individuals presenting at the Retroviral Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Rivers State, Nigeria, were assayed for anti-HCV-antibody. Seropositivity of anti-HCV-antibody was detected with ELISA kits. Variables tested include sex, age group, educational status, marital status and occupation. Significant variance (p<0.05) existed between patients with mono-HIV infection and those with dual infection of HIV and HCV. Of these infections, 20(22.5%) had HIV and HCV dual infection, while 69(77.5%) had HIV mono-infection. Higher seroprevalence of HIV was found in females [65(73.0%)] than males [24(27.0%)]. The highest seroprevalence of HIV was found in the age group 41-60 years [41(46.1%)], and the age-group 20-30 years had the least prevalence [19(21.3%)]. Also, females had higher HIV and HCV dual positivity (23.1%) than males (20.8%). The age group 31-40 years in this study had the highest HIV and HCV dual positivity (34.5%), while the age group 41-60 years had the lowest prevalence (12.2%). Regarding marital status, singles constituted most study participants and had a dual positivity rate of 28.6% for HIV and HCV. This dual positivity was higher than those divorced and married, with 20.0% and 14.3% prevalence, respectively. Patients with tertiary education (27.3%) and those employed (41.2%) had a higher prevalence than others. None of these demographic characteristics was significantly associated with HIV-HCV dual positivity (p>0.05) except for occupations (p=0.04). Our study further confirms the dual positivity of HIV and anti-HCV in Rivers State, Nigeria. Planned prevention, screening, and treatment are required to reduce further transmission and morbidity.

Aims: Provision of constant and safe blood has been a public health challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa with a high prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs). This study aimed at determining the seroprevalence of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among prospective blood donors at two Hospitals (government and private-owned) in Rivers State, and also to relate some demographic studies to the screening results. Study Design:  Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Two Hospitals (a government-owned and private-owned) in Rivers State, Nigeria, between January 2018 and April 2019. Methodology: Two hundred and eighty-two (185 males and 97 females) blood donors were recruited for this study. Sera samples were screened for antibodies to HIV-1 and -2 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based kits following the manufacturer’s description. Results: Of the 282 screened prospective donors (males and females) in this study, the overall prevalence of HIV from both hospitals was 6.0% with a seronegativity of 94.0%. There was a significant relationship (p <0.05) between the overall seroprevalence of HIV concerning gender (p-0.006) all other demographics had no significant association with HIV. Age group 21-30 had the highest prevalence of HIV (53.80%). Donors with tertiary education had the highest prevalence rate (52.90%) of HIV. About marital status, the unmarried donors had higher HIV prevalence (64.70%) when compared with the married donors (35.30%). However, family donors had the highest prevalence of HIV (52.90%). Finally, concerning occupation, students had a higher HIV prevalence (47.10%). Conclusion: The seroprevalence of HIV in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria was high. This shows that HIV remains a threat to safe blood transfusion and public health in Nigeria. Strict adherence to selection criteria and algorithm of donor screening is hereby advocated.

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Aim: HIV/AIDS continues to spread globally and remains a worldwide pandemic. Opportunistic infections (OIs) occur more and are severe in people living with HIV who have weakened immune systems, and co-infection is another major challenge because it affects the rate to which the disease progress to AIDS. In the present study, a total of 100 HIV positive patients were recruited and evaluated for the presence of common opportunistic infections (OIs) and co-infections among HIV-infected individuals in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Prime Medical Consultants in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, between June 2012 and July 2015. Methods: A total of 100 HIV-infected individuals were recruited for this study (ages 1 to 70 years, 62 males and 38 females). Samples of blood, sputum, high vaginal swabs (HVS) and scrapped lesion from the mouth of the patients were collected. Blood samples were re-screened for the presence of HIV antibodies and HBsAg using the Determine HIV-1/2 (Alere), HIV ½ Stat-Pak (Chembio), HIV-1/2/P24/O ELISA kit and HBsAg one Ultra ELISA kit (Dia.Pro) following the respective manufacturer's instructions. The Ziehl-Neelsen sputum smear microscopy method was used for identifying tuberculosis (TB). Microscopical examination was done on HVS samples and lesions scrapings from the mouth to observe for Candida. Chi-square test was used to establish relationships between demographic factors and prevalence, and significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Of the 100 HIV positive patients, suspected case were 32.0% of TB, 28.0% of oral thrush and vaginosis, and 19.0% of hepatitis. The results of the laboratory analysis further showed that tuberculosis was the most common OI among others. Overall prevalence was 22.0% for TB, 11.0% for Candida albicans (oral thrush), 28.9% for Candida albicans (vaginosis) and 4.0% for HBV.  Higher prevalence of TB was observed in the age groups 41 years & above (35.7%, P=0.14) and in males (22.6%, P=0.86). As for Candida albicans, the higher prevalence was found in age groups 21-40 years (19.1%, P=0.03) and in females only (28.9%), and higher prevalence of HBV was found in age groups 41 years & above (9.1%, P=0.78) and in females (5.3%, P=0.61). None of the variables (age and sex) evaluated in this study was statistically associated (P>0.05) with TB, Candida and HBV prevalence. Conclusion: The study has also shown that some opportunistic infections (candidiasis and Tuberculosis) and coinfections with HBV is prevalent among HIV infected individuals and this could largely be due to a compromised immune system as a result of the viral activities in the host cell. There is need therefore to routinely check for OIs and co-infections especially in the case of an immunocompromised individual. It is also imperative to note that the appropriate use of drugs against these OIs may be one of the strategies to extend the life span of AIDS patients. This will help to monitor how the disease progresses and its complications.