African Scientist Volume 26 , Issue 1 ,2025

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a significant global health issue, particularly in regions with high endemicity. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the intersection of HBV infection and COVID-19 is crucial. This study investigated the prevalence and impact of pre-existing HBV infection among COVID-19 patients in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. This single-center cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

Human Parvovirus B19 (B19V) is a highly contagious pathogen that causes amongst others transient aplastic anaemia in infected individuals. This study investigated febrile inpatient paediatrics for the presence of human parvovirus B19 infection. In this cross-sectional study, 150 consenting febrile paediatrics (90 males and 60 females) admitted into the paediatric hospital wards were recruited. The sera obtained from the participants were screened for B19V IgM antibodies. The model (forest plot) explained a 9% prevalence among the study participants.

The increase in antibacterial resistance has led to the urgent need for novel therapeutic agents, and recently, plant-based antibacterials have emerged as a promising substitute. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterials activity of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the Carica papaya seeds against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. C. papaya seeds were collected, dried, and ground into powder, followed by the extraction of their bioactive compounds using water and ethanol solvents.