The effects of malaria on some haematological and biochemical parameters among males, pregnant and non-pregnant female patients attending district hospitals in Bida and Kagara areas of Niger State, Nigeria was investigated. The subjects were volunteers confirmed to be positive for malaria and without other clinical symptoms. A total of 231 patients (103 males and 128 females) within the age range of 1-50 years were studied. Fifty (20 males and 30 females) apparently healthy individuals in the similar age bracket were used as controls. Haematological and biochemical parameters were analyzed using standard methods. Overall, the reduction in haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume (PCV) in patients were significantly higher/lower from non-infected patients (p>0.05), while there was no significant differences observed in the male patients. The mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (36.03 ± 1.29g/dl) in pregnant subjects was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to the non-infected pregnant control group (32.65 ± 0.46g/dl). There was a significant reduction in neutrophils but increase in lymphocytes in all subjects irrespective of sex. Non-significant (p>0.05) increase existed in serum lipid levels among pregnant and non-pregnant women. When males and females were compared, serum lipids except triglycerides varied significantly. There were apparently no variations in glucose levels between pregnant and non-pregnant subjects, whereas males had significantly higher values. Some of these parameters can thus be useful tools in the monitoring and management of malaria.

Background: The threat of pandemic A/H1N1 influenza is still a matter of considerable public concern. Influenza outbreak in 2009 underlined the importance of rapid production of a sufficient vaccine reserve for pandemic and interpandemic periods. One promising way to allay this concern is development of cell culture-derived live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV), because this technology makes it possible to produce a considerable amount of vaccine over a short period of time.

Dengue is one of the most common arbovirus infection worldwide, which is a vector borne disease caused by the bite of Ades Aegypti mosquito. Symptoms of the infected individuals have a very broad range of presentation having similarities with other infections like malaria and influenza like illness etc. It is a retrospective study conducted at a centre in north Karnataka with the sampling method of quota or sequential sampling with inclusion of 121 cases all seropositive for dengue antigen or antibodies or both in the monsoon season from july 2018 till November 2018. The complete blood picture and liver enzymes like SGPT and SGOT were assessed during the period of the infected individuals. Leucopoenia is taken below 4000 cells/cumm, thrombocytopenia is taken below 100000 per cumm and liver enzymes were evaluated and graded as per the CTCAE guidelines version 4.0. The two tailed T Test was used to determine the significant change in the SGOT and SGPT liver enzymes. The symptoms ranged from mild to severe ones like fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, generalised body ache (myalgia), cough, Rash, retro bulbar pain, bleeding, hypotension, signs of plasma leakage, leucopoenia, thrombocytopenia, SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) or AST (Aspartate aminotranferase) and SGPT (Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase) or ALT (Alanine Transaminase), hypotension (blood pressure of 90/60 mm of Hg or lower), pleural effusion and ascites. 1.7% of the individual even showed seropositivity but didn’t have any episode of fever and elevation of SGOT was significantly raised with respect to SGPT which was nearly within normal range for nearly half of the infected patients. This indicates that muscle injury is more significant with respect to the liver injury during the course of the disease. Negligible number of individual landed up in complications like Dengue Hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome if prompt and proper management of the disease is done. It was also seen that the affected individuals were more from the age group of 16 years to 37 years, the cause for which still need to be explained on a bigger population size.

Brucellosis is worldwide and affects human, cattle health and international trade. Human Brucella seroprevalence in Ugandan communities is not well known since most of the health centers are not able to screen for brucellosis. The study presumptively determined: seroprevalence, identifi ed risk factors associated with Brucella infection in cattle keeping household members and within their herds in Kyangyenyi sub county, Sheema district, South Western region of Uganda. A one-month cross-sectional study that used a simple two stage cluster sampling method was conducted where 216 households were randomly selected from 18 rural villages. Questionnaires were administered to household participants. Humans and cattle from same households were screened for Brucella antibodies using the Rose Bengal Test.