Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus- 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including the recently reported severe variant B.1.617.2, has been reported to attack the respiratory tract with symptoms that may ultimately lead to death. While studies have been conducted to evaluate therapeutic interventions against the virus, this study evaluated the inhibitory potential of virtually screened novel derivatives and structurally similar compounds towards SARS-CoV-2 via a computational approach. A molecular docking simulation of the inhibitory potentials of the compounds against the SARS-CoV-2 drug targets—main protease (Mpro), spike protein (Spro), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp)—were evaluated and achieved utilizing AutoDock Vina in PyRx workspace. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties of these compounds were assessed using SwissADME and ADMETLab servers. All the compounds displayed high binding affinities for the SARS-CoV-2 drug targets. However, the C13 exhibited the highest binding affinity for the drug targets, Spro and RdRp, while C15 exhibited the highest binding affinity for Mpro. The compounds interacted with the LEU A:271, LEU A:287, ASP A:289, and LEU A:272 of Mpro and the HIS A:540, PRO A:415, PHE A:486, and LEU A:370 of the Spro receptor binding motif and some active site amino acids of RdRp. The compounds also possess a favourable ADMET profile and showed no tendency towards hERG inhibition, hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or drug-liver injury. These novel compounds could offer therapeutic benefits against SARS-CoV-2, and wet laboratory experiments are necessary to further validate the results of this computational study.

Antibiotic resistance and zoonoses are leading public health challenges the world is currently battling. However, the continuous use of antibiotics for veterinary care in companion animals, including fish and dogs among others, has increased the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria of zoonotic potential. Domesticated animals are tamed animals that are kept by humans as companion animals, food sources or work animals, and live in close proximity to humans. They have been documented as potential sources of MDR pathogens. The establishment of a national surveillance database for MDR bacteria in humans, animals and the environment will help understand the true burden of MDR pathogens in developing countries, like Nigeria. It will also help identify possible ways to curb them and fill the knowledge gap in the global epidemiological map. The One Health approach to curbing the spread of MDR and zoonotic pathogens by determining the human-animal-environment transmission holds a great advantage in tackling and reducing the prevalence of these pathogens in Nigeria. The regulation of antibiotic use in animals and the implementation of good hygiene are possible ways to reduce the incidence and spread of MDR bacteria and zoonoses.

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease associated with aging. Mounting evidence has linked changes in the gut microbiota to the pathophysiology of osteoporosis.

The emergence and reemergence of infectious diseases caused by viruses continue to be a major public health concern globally, affecting both humans and animals. One such disease is monkeypox, a zoonotic infection caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) that has recurred in sub-Saharan Africa over several decades. Notably, the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox in Nigeria follows a deadly outbreak in 2017, which was preceded by the disease’s first recorded outbreak in 1978. Epidemiological investigations in 2017 showed no apparent link between human monkeypox cases and the outbreak that year, indicating the potential existence of multiple sources of the virus and limited human-to-human transmission. This underscores the presence of an alternative ecological niche in humans. Furthermore, in some communities in Nigeria, monkeys are regarded as sacred and not hunted or consumed, leading to their proliferation and increased likelihood of MPXV transmission. This mini-review focuses on the occurrence, epidemiological distribution, geographical distribution, endemicity, and possible solutions to reduce the spread of human monkeypox in Nigeria. The implications of this reemergence and the need for effective public health measures to prevent and control outbreaks of monkeypox are also discussed.