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Background: Published data on HIV, HBV, and HCV in correctional facilities in Nigeria is scarce. We set out to establish the seroprevalence, co-infection, and risk factors for these infections for the first time among prison inmates in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Methodology: In a cross-sectional study conducted between April and May, 2007, blood samples were collected from 300 male prisoners of a mean age of 29.2 years, in the state’s four medium-security prisons (overall population: 587). Prior to the study, ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained and structured questionnaires were administered. Samples were analyzed for HIV, HBsAg, and HCV using anti-HIV 1+2-EIA-avicenna, ShantestTM-HBsAg ELISA, and anti-HCV-EIA-avicenna, respectively. Specimens initially reactive for HIV were retested with vironostika microelisa. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13.0. P values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Of the 300 subjects, 54 (18.0 %), 69 (23.0 %), and 37 (12.3 %) tested positive for HIV, HBV, and HCV, respectively. Co-infections were eight (2.7 %) for HIV/HBV and two (0.7 %) for HBV/HCV. Those aged 21-26 years were more likely to be infected with HIV and HBV, while those aged 33-38 years had the highest HCV infection. Associated risk factors included duration in prison, previous incarceration (for HIV, HBV and HCV), intra-prison anal sex, multiple sex partners (for HIV and HBV), ignorance of transmission modes, blood transfusion, and alcohol consumption (for HBV and HCV). No inmate injected drugs. Conclusions: The overall outcome represents the need for prison-focused intervention initiatives in Nigeria. Injected drug use is an unlikely major transmission mode among Nigerian inmates.

SUMMARYHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in Nigeria and constitutes a public health menace. The prevalence of HBV infection in many professional groups has been described in Nigeria. However, literature on HBV infection among female sex workers (FSW) in Nigeria is scanty. FSW in Nigeria are not subjected to a preventive control of HBV infection. This study assesses the extent of spread of HBV among FSW in Nigeria. Seven hundred and twenty (n = 720) FSW (mean age = 26.7 years) were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by a double antibody sandwich ELISA method. The overall HBV prevalence among the FSW was 17.1%. FSWs between the ages of 31-35 year (20.5%) and those with 'age-at-first-sex' below 10 years of age (28%) were most affected. This high prevalence of a vaccine preventable disease is unacceptable, therefore, vaccination of this high risk HBV reservoir group should be considered worthwhile.

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine sera of 104 Key words: seroprevalence -Toxocara -enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay -Nigeria Toxocara canis is a saprozoonotic parasite capable of infecting man. Infection in man follows the ingestion of embryonated eggs of the parasite with subsequent hatching and migration of the larvae in his tissues. The persistence or migration of T. canis in the tissues of man causes visceral larva migrans, VLM (Beaver 1969).The diagnosis and confirmation of human toxocariasis rely heavily upon serological tests. In this respect the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed by Cypess et al. (1977) and modified by Glickman et al. (1978) has been found to be very useful in different parts of the world (De Savigny et al. 1979, Glickman et al. 1979, Matsumura & Endo 1983, Garcia et al. 1989, Abo-Shehada et al. 1992, Hakim et al. 1992, Chomel et al. 1993, Holland et al. 1995 because of its high sensitivity and specificity in the routine diagnosis of human toxocariasis.The purpose of this paper is to report on the first serological diagnosis of human toxocariasis in Nigeria and the importance of the disease as a public health problem in the tropical environment. MATERIALS AND METHODSSerum samples -The sera of 104 subjects comprising of 54 males and 50 females, aged between 2 and 24 years were collected between June 28 and July 4 1996. Twenty two of the subjects (15 This work was supported in part by the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Jos, research grant no. UJ/ FNS/RG/94-95/13. + Corresponding author. E-mail: ajayi j @ unijos.edu.ng Received 6 April 1999 Accepted 11 November 1999 males and 7 females) were inpatients of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, 58 (29 males and 29 females) were pupils of the Jos University Primary School, 15 (5 males and 10 females) were students of the Jos University Demonstration Secondary School, and 9 (5 males and 4 females) were volunteers. Before the collection of sera, signed consent were obtained from the subjects or their parents or guardians. Information about geophagia (soil pica) and dog ownership were obtained by direct interrogation of the subjects and or their parents or guardians. Six of the subjects had parasitological proven helminthiasis which included ascariasis, taeniasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infections.After collection, serum samples were stored at -20 o C until required.Positive and negative control sera and Toxocara ES antigen were gifts from Dr Guus Van der Lugt, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Screening, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.The ELISA -The ELISA was carried out in two 96 well polystyrene microtitre plates (Maxisorb, Nunc, Weisbaden, Germany). An amount of 100 µl of the antigen diluted 1:30 in carbonate buffer, pH 9.6 was added to each well. Then the plates were left opened and incubated overnight at 37 o C. The plates were washed five times with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 0.05% Tween 20 (PBST). After discarding the washing fluid, 100 µl of the ...

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