Aim: HIV/AIDS remains a leading cause of death and disability in Sub Saharan Africa and this accounts for almost half of the world’s HIV related deaths. On the other hand, bacterial sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as syphilis contributes to the morbidity and mortality obtained in developing countries. Co-infection of syphilis and HIV may increase the risk of HIV transmission and adversely affect reproductive health. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of STDs in HIV positive individuals can help prevent spread to their partners. There is also very little information about incidence and prevalence of HIV/Syphilis co-infection and their determinants. The aim of this study is to evaluate the HIV/Syphilis co-infection among HIV-infected individuals in Uyo, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 176 individuals living with HIV participated in this study. The average age of the study participants was 39.1 years from a range of 6-67 years. Plasma samples obtained from the human subjects were analysed for presence of HIV and Syphilis antibodies using enzyme-Linked immunosorbent Assay. Results: Our findings showed that the overall prevalence of HIV/Syphilis co-infection in Uyo was 1.7%. Analysis of the results revealed that the variables—sex and educational background—significantly influenced the rate of syphilis sero-positivity among the population under study. While variables- age, marital status and occupational skills non-significantly influenced the rate of syphilis sero-positivity among the population under study. Conclusion: This study confirmed the co-infection of HIV and Syphilis in Uyo, Nigeria. Early screening of Syphilis and other STDs contributes to the control of infection and reduces the spread of HIV to partners. A number of primary preventive interventions for HIV and syphilis need to be adopted including use of condoms and medical male circumcision in order to improve sexual and reproductive health amongst individuals.

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) has become increasingly recognized as one of the causes of cancer in humans and in Nigeria, its seroepidemiology, has not been fully elucidated. EBV vaccination is not a part of the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) therefore, immunization against the virus is non-existent. This study was conducted to assess the seroprevalence of EBNA IgG antibody in patients in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Demographic data and sera were collected from 80 consenting patients of different gender and ages from the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State. Their sera were screened for EBV IgG antibodies using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (DIA.PRO Diagnostic Bioprobes, Milano). Of the 80 sera evaluated for EBV Immunoglobulin G antibody, 68 (85%) were positive and 12 (15%) were negative. Seropositivity rate was higher in males (89.3%) than in females (82.9%). Patients within 21-25years had the highest prevalence rate of 87.2%. Age and gender were not significantly associated with the seroprevalence of EBNA IgG antibodies. From the result, the immunity gap in the population is significant. Hence, there is need for vaccination of susceptible individuals in order to ensure the control and elimination of Epstein Barr virus in Nigeria.

Aims: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Malaria are the two main global public health threats that dent development in low and middle-income countries. This study evaluated the immunological marker and HIV/Malaria co-infection among individuals infected with HIV-1 in old Cross River State, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) between March 2018 and August 2019. Methods: A total of 417 individuals infected with HIV-1 partook in this study. The age of these individuals ranged from 4-72 years (average age = 39.1 years). Plasma samples were analyzed for HIV and Malaria using Enzyme-Linked immunosorbent Assay. The CD4 count was enumerated using the Partec CyFlow® Counter. Plasma viral loads (PVL) were determined using the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 assay. Results: Results showed that 230(55.1%) of the participants were in the 31-45 years age range. The majority (67.4%) of the HIV-1 infected individuals were females. An overall prevalence of HIV/Malaria coinfection in Old Cross River State, Nigeria was 14.3%, of which Uyo was 6.3% and Calabar was 3.0%. A higher prevalence of HIV/Malaria coinfection was observed among age groups <25 years (17.5%), males (5.1%), singles or divorced/widow/widower (7.7%), those with primary education (7.5%), and students (10.0%). Higher HIV/Malaria coinfection was also observed among those with CD4 cell count <200 cells/μl and 350-499 cells/μl (5.7%) and PVL >5000 copies/mL (7.9%) compared to others with 2.0% prevalence. Of all variables evaluated only marital status (p= 0.033), educational background (p= 0.000) and occupations (p =0.000) were significantly associated. Conclusions: This study further confirmed the presence of HIV/Malaria coinfection in old Cross River State, Nigeria. This study has added to the voices on the ground to give a better view on the frequency and the pattern of distribution of HIV/Malaria coinfection since limited studies have been done on this in old Cross River State, Nigeria. This, therefore, highlights the need for a well-structured approach to the management of HIV/Malaria coinfection in Nigeria.