Oyewale Tomori | |
---|---|
President of the Nigerian Academy of Science 2013 | |
Vice chancellor of Redeemer's University | |
In office 2004–2011 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Osun State,Nigeria | 3 February 1946
Political party | Non-Partisan |
Oyewale Tomori (born 3 February 1946) is a Nigerian professor of virology,educational administrator,and former vice chancellor of Redeemer's University. [1] [2] [3] [4] In 2024,he became the chair of West Africa National Academy of Scientists. [5]
Tomori was born in Ilesa,Osun State,Nigeria on 3 February 1946. He received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Ahmadu Bello University,Zaria as well as a Doctorate degree,Ph.D in virology from the University of Ibadan,Oyo State,Nigeria where he was appointed professor of virology in 1981,the same year he received the United States Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service Certificate for contributions to Lassa fever research. [6] [7] [8] Three years (1984) after his appointment as a professor of virology,he was appointed the head of the Department of Virology. At the University of Ibadan Tomori's research focuses on viral infections including Ebola hemorrhagic fever, [9] yellow fever and Lassa fever. [10] He served as the Regional Virologist for the World Health Organization Africa Region (1994–2004) before he was appointed as the first vice chancellor of Redeemer's University,Ogun State,Nigeria,a tenure that ended in 2011. [11] [12] [13]
He is a recipient of several awards and fellow of many international academic organizations,including:
His highest-cited works are: [18]
Lassa fever,also known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever,is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. Many of those infected by the virus do not develop symptoms. When symptoms occur they typically include fever,weakness,headaches,vomiting,and muscle pains. Less commonly there may be bleeding from the mouth or gastrointestinal tract. The risk of death once infected is about one percent and frequently occurs within two weeks of the onset of symptoms. Of those who survive,about a quarter have hearing loss,which improves within three months in about half of these cases.
Marburg virus disease (MVD),formerly Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF) is a viral hemorrhagic fever in human and non-human primates caused by either of the two Marburgviruses:Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV). Its clinical symptoms are very similar to those of Ebola virus disease (EVD).
This is a timeline of the development of prophylactic human vaccines. Early vaccines may be listed by the first year of development or testing,but later entries usually show the year the vaccine finished trials and became available on the market. Although vaccines exist for the diseases listed below,only smallpox has been eliminated worldwide. The other vaccine-preventable illnesses continue to cause millions of deaths each year. Currently,polio and measles are the targets of active worldwide eradication campaigns.
Lassa mammarenavirus (LASV) is an arenavirus that causes Lassa hemorrhagic fever,a type of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF),in humans and other primates. Lassa mammarenavirus is an emerging virus and a select agent,requiring Biosafety Level 4-equivalent containment. It is endemic in West African countries,especially Sierra Leone,the Republic of Guinea,Nigeria,and Liberia,where the annual incidence of infection is between 300,000 and 500,000 cases,resulting in 5,000 deaths per year.
An arenavirus is a bi- or trisegmented ambisense RNA virus that is a member of the family Arenaviridae. These viruses infect rodents and occasionally humans. A class of novel,highly divergent arenaviruses,properly known as reptarenaviruses,have also been discovered which infect snakes to produce inclusion body disease,mostly in boa constrictors. At least eight arenaviruses are known to cause human disease. The diseases derived from arenaviruses range in severity. Aseptic meningitis,a severe human disease that causes inflammation covering the brain and spinal cord,can arise from the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Hemorrhagic fever syndromes,including Lassa fever,are derived from infections such as Guanarito virus,Junin virus,Lassa virus,Lujo virus,Machupo virus,Sabia virus,or Whitewater Arroyo virus. Because of the epidemiological association with rodents,some arenaviruses and bunyaviruses are designated as roboviruses.
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a diverse group of animal and human illnesses. VHFs may be caused by five distinct families of RNA viruses:the families Filoviridae,Flaviviridae,Rhabdoviridae,and several member families of the Bunyavirales order such as Arenaviridae,and Hantaviridae. All types of VHF are characterized by fever and bleeding disorders and all can progress to high fever,shock and death in many cases. Some of the VHF agents cause relatively mild illnesses,such as the Scandinavian nephropathia epidemica,while others,such as Ebola virus,can cause severe,life-threatening disease.
Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever (VHF) is a zoonotic human illness first identified in 1989. The disease is most prevalent in several rural areas of central Venezuela and is caused by Guanarito mammarenavirus (GTOV) which belongs to the Arenaviridae family. The short-tailed cane mouse is the main host for GTOV which is spread mostly by inhalation of aerosolized droplets of saliva,respiratory secretions,urine,or blood from infected rodents. Person-to-person spread is possible,but uncommon.
Frederick A. Murphy is a retired American virologist. He was a member of the team of scientists that discovered the Ebola virus at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),where he served as Chief of Viropathology,near Emory University in Atlanta,Georgia,in 1976,and is internationally known for his work on rabies,encephalitis and hemorrhagic fevers,with over 250 peer-reviewed journal articles. Murphy was as an electron microscopy pioneer in the field of virology,best recognized for obtaining the first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle at the CDC in 1976.
Clarence James Peters,Jr is a physician,field virologist and former U.S. Army colonel. He is noted for his efforts in trying to stem epidemics of exotic infectious diseases such as the Ebola virus,Hanta virus and Rift Valley fever (RVF). He is an eminent authority on the virology,pathogenesis and epidemiology of hemorrhagic fever viruses.
Redeemer's University is a private university in Ede,Osun State,Nigeria. Established in 2005,it is owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God and situated off the Ibadan-Osogbo Road.
In 2014,an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) occurred. Genome sequencing has shown that this outbreak was not related to the 2014–15 West Africa Ebola virus epidemic,but was of the same EBOV species. It began in August 2014 and was declared over in November of that year,after 42 days without any new cases. This is the 7th outbreak there,three of which occurred during the period of Zaire.
Robert Ellis Shope was an American virologist,epidemiologist and public health expert,particularly known for his work on arthropod-borne viruses and emerging infectious diseases. He discovered more novel viruses than any person previously,including members of the Arenavirus,Hantavirus,Lyssavirus and Orbivirus genera of RNA viruses. He researched significant human diseases,including dengue,Lassa fever,Rift Valley fever,yellow fever,viral hemorrhagic fevers and Lyme disease. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of viruses,and curated a global reference collection of over 5,000 viral strains. He was the lead author of a groundbreaking report on the threat posed by emerging infectious diseases,and also advised on climate change and bioterrorism.
Jean-Paul Joseph Gonzalez is a French virologist. He graduated from the Medical School of Bordeaux University France.
Sonja Buckley was a Swiss-born virologist. She was the first person to culture Lassa virus,the causative agent of Lassa fever,a potentially deadly disease that originated in Africa.
Jordi Casals i Ariet was a Catalan physician and epidemiologist.
In August–November 1976,an outbreak of Ebola virus disease occurred in Zaire. The first recorded case was from Yambuku,a small village in Mongala District,1,098 kilometres (682 mi) northeast of the capital city of Kinshasa.
Patricia Ann Webb was a microbiologist known for her work in characterising and classifying severe contagious diseases including Machupo,Lassa and Ebola viruses.
Christian Happi is a Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases,both at Redeemer’s University. He is known for leading the team of scientists that used genomic sequencing to identify a single point of infection from an animal reservoir to a human in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. His research focus is on infectious diseases,including malaria,Lassa fever,Ebola virus disease,HIV,and SARS-CoV-2.
The African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID),based at Redeemer’s University,Ede,Nigeria,is a consortium of West African academic and medical institutions partnering for research and training.
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