Asian Journal of Research in Infectious Diseases

Climate Change, Ecosystem Loss, and Emerging Infectious Diseases in Nigeria

2026-10-17T09:45:51+00:00

Climate change and ecosystem degradation can affect infectious-disease hazards, human exposure and the recognition of outbreaks, but the direction and strength of those influences differ among pathogens. Nigeria provides a pertinent setting because reservoir-associated infections, mosquito-borne diseases, waterborne outbreaks and climatically sensitive respiratory infections occur across contrasting ecological zones and unequal healthcare environments. This critical narrative review evaluates literature on climatic variability, land-use change, biodiversity, transmission ecology and disease surveillance, giving priority to Nigerian empirical work and using regional or global studies to clarify mechanisms rather than substitute for local evidence. The strongest environment-linked Nigerian analyses concern Lassa fever, whose geographical incidence correlates with climate, land use and socioeconomic factors, although retrospective prediction does not establish prospective forecast utility. Rodent field studies show that seasonal host abundance and viral detection do not necessarily move together. Dengue investigations identify under-recognised febrile illness and competent mosquito habitats, but antibody, vector and molecular results have different inferential meanings. Yellow fever patterns are inseparable from immunity and surveillance selection. For cholera, floods and climatic anomalies interact with water-system failures, displacement and sanitation disadvantage; direct attribution to ecosystem loss remains limited. Meningitis and mpox further illustrate the danger of extending one ecological mechanism across fundamentally different transmission systems. Persistent limitations include spatial aggregation, incomplete diagnostic denominators, heterogeneous environmental measurements and scarce longitudinal linkage of ecosystem disturbance, infected hosts and confirmed human infection. The synthesis argues for pathogen-specific One Health monitoring, prospective ecological–clinical cohorts, out-of-sample validation of warnings and controlled evaluation of water, vector and household interventions. Climate adaptation and ecosystem protection offer important opportunities, but infectious-disease benefits should be demonstrated rather than presumed.

The Gut–lung Axis in Severe Viral and Bacterial Pneumonia: Microbiota Dysbiosis, Host Defense, and Translational Priorities

2026-10-23T11:21:54+00:00

Severe viral and bacterial pneumonia is frequently complicated by acute lung injury, secondary bacterial infection, and systemic organ dysfunction. The gut–lung axis has emerged as a biologically plausible framework linking intestinal microbial ecology, microbial metabolites, barrier integrity, and pulmonary immune defence. This narrative review synthesises clinical and experimental evidence on how dysbiosis may modulate host responses during severe pneumonia. A targeted narrative search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and African Journals Online was used to identify literature published from January 2016 to July 2026; landmark earlier studies were retained when directly relevant, and Google Scholar was used only as a supplementary citation-tracking tool. Evidence was narratively organised around short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) signalling, lung-to-gut injury, gut-to-lung translocation, viral–bacterial superinfection, and microbiome-targeted interventions. Observational human cohorts, particularly in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), report associations between severe respiratory infection, reduced abundance of selected commensal taxa, and systemic inflammatory markers. Experimental studies support mechanisms whereby altered microbial metabolite availability can influence alveolar macrophage activity, tonic interferon signalling, and susceptibility to secondary bacterial pneumonia. Severe illness and antibiotic exposure may also impair intestinal colonisation resistance and barrier function, potentially facilitating systemic exposure to microbial products. However, causal inference in humans remains limited by confounding, heterogeneous sequencing methods, and the predominance of animal models. Microbiome-directed treatment therefore remains investigational. In particular, safety findings from live-probiotic trials in predicted severe acute pancreatitis should not be extrapolated as direct evidence in pneumonia. Prospective human multi-omics cohorts and rigorously designed, condition-specific trials are needed before targeted postbiotic or other microbiome-based therapies can be incorporated into routine critical care.

WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Deficits and Infectious Disease Burden in Urban Slums: A Cross-sectional Survey of Households in Nigeria

2026-10-15T11:09:04+00:00

Background: Urban informal settlements frequently experience inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, increasing exposure to enteric and environmentally mediated infections. Multi-city primary data linking household WASH conditions with disease outcomes in Nigerian slum communities remain limited.

Objectives: To describe WASH access and water quality in selected slum communities in Lagos, Kano, and Port Harcourt; estimate household-reported 30-day occurrence of selected WASH-related illnesses; describe soil-transmitted helminth positivity among stool-tested participants; and examine associations between selected WASH exposures and disease outcomes.

Methods: A multi-site cross-sectional household survey was conducted from January to August 2024. A total of 1,157 households were enrolled through stratified cluster sampling. Drinking-water microbiology was assessed in 580 sampled households, and 648 consenting household members provided stool specimens for Kato-Katz examination. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for household income, caregiver education, household size, number of children younger than five years, and city of residence.

Results: Household WASH conditions were poor: 37.4% of households practised open defecation, 10.5% had a functioning handwashing station with soap and water, and 63.8% of point-of-use water samples exceeded the study microbiological threshold. Household-reported 30-day diarrhoeal episodes occurred in 35.3% of households, while the combined suspected/confirmed typhoid outcome occurred in 19.1%. Among the 648 stool-tested participants, 478 were Kato-Katz positive for at least one soil-transmitted helminth (73.8%). Unimproved water source was associated with diarrhoea (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.10, 95% CI 3.90-6.70), open drainage within 50 m with suspected cholera (aOR 4.20, 95% CI 3.10-5.70), and absence of household sanitation with the combined typhoid outcome (aOR 3.80, 95% CI 2.60-5.40).

Conclusion: In the surveyed communities, multiple WASH deficits co-occurred with substantial burdens of household-reported enteric illness and microbiological contamination. The cross-sectional design supports association rather than causation, but the findings identify potentially actionable deficits in water quality, sanitation, hygiene, and household water handling.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Health Professionals in Senegal Regarding the One Health Approach : A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

2026-10-17T06:32:47+00:00

Introduction: The 'One Health' approach recognises the interdependence between human health, animal health, and ecosystem health. Implementing this approach requires institutional policies, a sound understanding of the concept among health professionals, and effective collaboration across sectors. Data on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of health professionals regarding this approach remain limited in Senegal.

Objective: To describe the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices of healthcare professionals in Senegal regarding the “One Health” approach, as well as their views on intersectoral collaboration and implementation priorities.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare professionals in Senegal. Sociodemographic and professional characteristics, knowledge of the One Health concept and of interactions between human, animal, and environmental health, perceptions, attitudes towards intersectoral collaboration, knowledge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), individual practices, and perceived priorities for implementing One Health were assessed. Data were analysed using counts, proportions, means, and standard deviations, and a knowledge score based on 23 items was calculated.

Results: The mean age was 32.7 ± 5.6 years. Physicians accounted for 32.8% of participants, community health workers for 31.3%, nurses for 20.8%, and pharmacists for 13.9%. A total of 259 health professionals were included. The majority (78.0%) had already heard of One Health, and 76.8% defined the concept as an approach integrating human, animal, and environmental health. The mean knowledge score was 82.2 ± 10.5%, with a median of 82.6%. Most participants recognised interactions between the different components of One Health. Regarding AMR, 83.4% had already heard of the phenomenon, and 70.7% thought it concerned humans, animals, and the environment. The need for cross-sectoral collaboration was acknowledged, but 59.5% felt that current collaboration was either non-existent or weak. Simultaneous collaboration among the three sectors was considered necessary by 77.2% of participants.

Conclusion: The healthcare professionals surveyed demonstrated a high level of declarative knowledge of the One Health concept and acknowledged the interdependence of human health, animal health, and the environment. However, perceptions of the current level of cross-sectoral collaboration revealed a gap between understanding the concept and implementing it in practice. Strengthening practical training, integrated surveillance, data sharing, and cross-sectoral collaboration should be prioritised.

Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Patients Wound Swabs in Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

2026-10-22T13:13:02+00:00

Background and Aim: Wound infections remain a significant cause of morbidity, prolonged hospitalisation and increased healthcare costs globally, particularly in developing countries including Nigeria. The emergence and rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance among wound pathogens has complicated empirical treatment, leading to treatment failures and poor clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates from wound swabs of patients attending Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.

Place of Study: The study was conducted at Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH), Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Methodology: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 232 patients with wound infections. Wound swabs were cultured on Blood agar, Chocolate agar, MacConkey agar and Mannitol Salt agar. Bacterial isolates were identified by cultural, morphological and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion against 12 antibiotics according to CLSI guidelines. Data were analysed using SPSS v20.0.

Results: Out of 232 wound swabs, 80 bacterial isolates were recovered. Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant pathogen accounting for 44(55.0%) isolates, followed by Escherichia coli 17(21.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 12 (15.0%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae 7(8.8%). Demographically, wound infections were highest in the 21–40-year age group (61.3%) and among males (68.8%). By wound type, trauma/accident wounds were the major source of S. aureus 22(50.0%), E. coli 11(64.7%) and K. pneumoniae 4(57.1%), while surgical-site infections accounted for 6(50.0%) of P. aeruginosa. By site, lower-limb wounds predominated across all species: S. aureus 61.4%, E. coli 64.7%, P. aeruginosa 75.0% and K. pneumoniae 85.7%. The antibiogram showed a high multidrug-resistant phenotype. Gram-negative isolates showed 100% resistance to cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, cefixime, imipenem and nalidixic acid, with 82.4-94.1% resistance to ampicillin/cloxacillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate and ofloxacin. Similarly, S. aureus showed resistance to cefotaxime and cefixime (95.5% each), ceftriaxone and cefuroxime (93.2% each), erythromycin (88.6%) and amoxicillin/clavulanate (86.4%). Susceptibility was generally low, with levofloxacin showing the highest susceptibility of only 20.5% for S. aureus.

Conclusion: This study identified Staphylococcus aureus as the leading cause of wound infection in Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, predominantly associated with trauma and lower-limb wounds among young adult males. The emergence of high-level resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors, fluoroquinolones and carbapenems among both Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates severely limits empirical treatment options.