Urogenital schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasite Schistosoma haematobium, which resides in the vasculature surrounding the urogenital system. Previous work has suggested that helminthic infections can affect the intestinal microbiome, and we hypothesized that S. haematobium infection could result in an alteration of immune system-microbiota homeostasis and impact the composition of the gut microbiota. To address this question, we compared the fecal microbiomes of infected and uninfected schoolchildren from the Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Nigeria, detecting significant differences in community composition between the two groups. Most remarkably, we observed a decreased abundance of Firmicutes and increased abundance of Proteobacteria – a shift in community structure which has been previously associated with dysbiosis. More specifically, we detected a number of changes in lower taxa reminiscent of inflammation-associated dysbiosis, including decreases in Clostridiales and increases in Moraxellaceae, Veillonellaceae, Pasteurellaceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae. Functional potential analysis also revealed an enrichment in orthologs of urease, which has been linked to dysbiosis and inflammation. Overall, our analysis indicates that S. haematobium infection is associated with perturbations in the gut microbiota and may point to microbiome disruption as an additional consequence of schistosome infection.

Typhoid fever causes significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries, with inaccurate estimates in some countries affected, especially those situated in Sub-Saharan Africa. Disease burden assessment is limited by lack of a high degree of sensitivity and specificity by many current rapid diagnostic tests. Some of the new technologies, such as PCR and proteomics, may also be useful but are difficult for low-resource settings to apply as point-of-care diagnostics. Weak laboratory surveillance systems may also contribute to the spread of multidrug resistant Salmonella serovar Typhi across endemic areas. In addition, most typhoid-endemic countries employ serological tests that have low sensitivity and specificity making diagnosis unreliable. Here we review currently available typhoid fever diagnostics, and advances in serodiagnosis of S. Typhi.

Background The literature shows that ABO blood groups and demographic characteristics influence susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may be used to stem the rising incidence of the disease. However, these associations vary geographically, which necessitates the need to determine the association in every locality. This study determined the ABO blood groups and demographic characteristics of 486 type 2 diabetic patients with no family history in selected hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria. Results The results showed that age class 50–59 years (35.8%) was the most susceptible to T2DM, while age class 30–39 years (8.6%) was the least. Female diabetics accounted for 56.8%, while males constituted 43.2%. Diabetes was less prevalent among singles (9.5%), while married couples had the highest prevalence (55.6%). Primary school leavers were the least diabetic (9.9%), while secondary school leavers were the most diabetic (41.6%). Approximately 59.05% of the patients were overweight, while 5.35% were underweight. Blood group O positive was the most prevalent (38.5%; p < 0.05), followed by A positive (20.2%; p < 0.05), and the least was AB negative (4.5%). Severe conditions were less common among groups O positive and A positive (p < 0.05) compared to other blood groups. Thus, the relatively high prevalence of T2DM among blood groups O and A could be due to natural selection owing to their fitness. Conclusions ABO blood groups and demographic characteristics influenced the prevalence of T2DM in the city. Residents with blood groups O and A positive should pay special attention to T2DM.