The Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Professor Rosemary Audu, has shared groundbreaking findings on emerging and re-emerging viral diseases.
She made this known at a media briefing at the NIMR Board Room on Tuesday, February 25 during which she highlighted her ongoing research on viral hemorrhagic fevers and the global efforts to combat the Mpox virus.
Leading virologist
Professor Audu, a leading virologist, has been instrumental in Nigeria’s response to viral outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Her extensive work in health surveillance has been pivotal in monitoring vector-borne diseases across West Africa.
In 2018, she played a key role in confirming a Lassa fever outbreak in Ondo State, where 80% of suspected cases tested negative. From 2018 to 2020, her research identified Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in febrile patients and herdsmen in Kwara State.
In 2021, she discovered Yellow Fever virus in febrile patients and pools of mosquitoes in Delta State, followed by the detection of Zika Virus in 2021-2022 in the same region. During this period, she also studied the Chikungunya virus in febrile patients in Delta.
Between 2022 and 2024, her work on Dengue virus in febrile patients extended to Oyo and Delta States, where she also found a high abundance of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary vector for the disease.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Audu led research that significantly advanced Nigeria’s response.She was responsible for sequencing the first index case of SARS-CoV-2 in Nigeria and conducted seroprevalence studies in Enugu, Gombe, and Lagos, providing crucial insights into the spread of the virus. Her research also included evaluating various serological and molecular assays to improve diagnostic accuracy and assessing the effectiveness of vaccines in Nigeria.
One of the major challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic was the global shortage of testing kits due to border closures.
In her response, Professor Audu stated that under her leadership, NIMR developed local diagnostic kits, demonstrating Nigeria’s capability in producing essential medical tools.
Her recent work on the Mpox virus has yielded significant findings. Her team identified the virus in stored samples, particularly among high-risk individuals and suspected cases. She also found traces of the virus in environmental samples such as beddings, pillows, chairs, tables, and cups, raising new concerns about transmission pathways.
Professor Audu emphasized that emerging and re-emerging diseases are becoming more common and pose significant threats to public health. She urged for stronger surveillance, early detection, and rapid response measures to prevent future outbreaks.