Vitiligo is not contagious � Expert

In this interview with MOTUNRAYO JOEL, Consultant Physician/Dermatologist, Department of Dermatology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Dr. Onyekonwu Chinwe, speaks about vitiligo

What is vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a disorder characterised by the development of white patches on the skin or mucous membranes of affected individuals as a result of the destruction of or damage to the pigment cells (melanocytes) responsible for skin colour. This condition may lead to severe psychological distress and reduced quality of life, especially in dark-skinned people because such patches become more noticeable.It is impossible to predict how much of the skin can be affected. In the majority of cases, the affected areas remain affected for the rest of the person�s life.

What causes it?

Melanin is the pigment that gives the skin its characteristic colour. Vitiligo is caused by a loss of pigment in the skin, due to destruction of pigment-forming cells known as melanocytes. The exact cause of the destruction of these cells is not known. One possible explanation might be that the body�s immune system destroys the cells, as in other autoimmune conditions. Several theories have been suggested but the current thought is that each of these mechanisms cumulatively contributes to the disease process.

What are the symptoms of vitiligo?

Vitiligo signs and symptoms vary considerably from person-to-person. It is by far more perceptible in people with dark or tanned skinned. Some people may only acquire a handful of white dots which develops no further, while others develop larger white patches that join together affecting larger areas of the skin. However, people with vitiligo are usually well. Vitiligo is not sore or itchy. However, the appearance of the skin can be distressing, particularly if the face or the hands are affected. There is no natural protection from the sun in affected areas of skin. This means that skin affected by vitiligo burns much more easily than normal skin if exposed to sunlight.

How is vitiligo diagnosed?

The diagnosis can be made in the clinic but in some situations, there may be need to carry out some investigations including taking a surgical specimen of the skin and sending it to a pathology lab. Some other skin conditions may sometimes mimic vitiligo and so, when the attending clinician is unsure, it will be best to refer such an individual to a dermatologist.

Who gets vitiligo?

 Millions of people worldwide have vitiligo. Nearly half get it before they reach 21 years of age. Most will have vitiligo for the rest of their lives. It is very rare for vitiligo to disappear. Vitiligo occurs about equally in people of all skin colours and races. About half the people who get vitiligo are male and half are female.

What treatment options are available?

Several treatment options exist. Some of these treatments date back to several decades ago and with improvement in the understanding of the disease, newer treatments are evolving. The type of treatment will depend on the extent of the patches, whether it affects a small area or the whole skin. There are a wide range of helpful drugs (including creams that can be applied to the skin) and non-drug therapies also exist, but it is important that people who develop this condition should visit their health care provider early for prompt initiation of treatment.

Is vitiligo infectious? What is the relation between leucoderma and leprosy?

Vitiligo is neither infectious nor contagious. Leucoderma actually means �white skin� and there are several conditions that could lead to white skin. It is not synonymous with leprosy. Although some cases of leprosy may present with white patches, there are other forms of leprosy that will not show any pigment loss at all.

Can one marry a person with leucoderma?

Leucoderma is a wide term that could mean a lot of things and yes, why not? People marry for so many reasons and I do not think there is any law prohibiting marriage to someone just because they have white patches.

Will the vitiligo patches spread over time? Will they get larger?

Spread of vitiligo depends on several factors including what type of vitiligo the person has. Some cases may spread and get larger and a few may stay within the confines of the initial patch or even reduce in size, over time.

What is segmental vitiligo?

Segmental vitiligo is the type that usually affects one side of the body; it is commoner in childhood, involves hair changes with whitening of the hair and does not spread rapidly. It affects only about 10 per cent of people with this condition. But unpredictably, segmental vitiligo is more noticeable in the early ages affecting about 30 per cent of the children that have been diagnosed with vitiligo.

What is generalised vitiligo?

In generalised vitiligo, the individuals are usually older, the patches affect both sides of the body, the hair may not be involved at the initial onset and it spreads rapidly to involve wider areas. This type of vitiligo may occur in patients who have other diseases called Autoimmune Diseases.

Do people with vitiligo transmit it to their children?

Although vitiligo may run in families, the inheritance is multifactorial. That means there is a mix of several factors which all add up to cause vitiligo in affected individuals. There is no gene that is isolated alone that one can say this is the main cause and therefore transmitted to the children.

What happens once a person develops vitiligo? How long does it last?

The duration for vitiligo is not uniform across all individuals. It depends on what triggers it and other associated conditions or diseases. Some may progress very fast once it is noticed while some others may linger for years before involvement of other sites. It may occur in childhood or in adults and age of onset can vary from as early as in infants of a few weeks old to the elderly population.

Can vitiligo be cured?

There is no known way to prevent or cure vitiligo. However, several methods, including cosmetics, re-pigmentation using UV light therapy, corticosteroid creams, depigmentation of unaffected skin areas, and skin grafting, can be used to improve the appearance of skin severely affected by vitiligo.

Are there things that a person with vitiligo should avoid?

Essentially, especially in our environment, it may be better to avoid unnecessary sun exposure to avoid the risk of skin cancers, although this does not occur commonly.

If a woman is pregnant and has vitiligo, will her child develop vitiligo?

There is no documented scientific evidence that a pregnant woman will transmit vitiligo to her unborn child as may happen in certain diseases like HIV infection.

Is one at greater risk of skin cancer because of my vitiligo?

There may be an increased risk of skin cancer but the evidence in support of this is moderate at this time.

Are cosmetics which have been manufactured to cover vitiligo spots safe to use?

Yes, they are. There are several camouflage cosmetics that are available.

What is the relationship between vitilago and leprosy?

There is no relationship between vitiligo and leprosy.Vitiligo is a disease of as yet, undetermined cause. Several factors have been postulated as to the cause of vitiligo. It is neither infectious nor contagious. Leprosy is an infectious condition caused by a bacteria. It is contagious and can lead to severe disfiguring sores on the body and damage to the nerves. Some complications include loss of fingers and toes and other deformities.

Alao-Akala, Accord Party reply APC on decaying infrastructure in Oyo State

A former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, yesterday in Ogbomoso asked Gov. Abiola Ajimobi to stop blaming previous administrations for the poor state of infrastructure in the state.Alao-Akala, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in reaction to a statement by the Oyo State APC. The former governor said Ajimobi should rather brace up for the challenges of governance and accept responsibility for negligence. The APC statement had blamed the past administrations of Alao-Akala and Rasheed Ladoja in the state for the decay in infrastructure.
The state�s APC Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, had on Sunday claimed that the Ajimobi administration inherited decayed infrastructure from previous administrations. �You will recall that 26 bridges collapsed in Oyo State during the August (2012) flood. �Between the governments of Ladoja and Alao-Akala, you cannot point to any meaningful construction of bridges carried out by them. �Worse still, the dredging of rivers and streams and the de-silting of same were alien to their governments. �It is no wonder that bridges, streams and rivers, left for years without adequate care, started giving way, leading to the flood witnessed in the state,� he said.
Alao-Akala, however, said his administration embarked on the construction of bridges to check flooding in the state. �How can someone who has spent three years in office continue to blame his negligence and woes on past governments? �My administration constructed a new bridge at Itamoko in the Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area within a few weeks of the collapse of the bridge. �There is also the other one at Odo-Oba area of Ogbomoso, to mention only a few of those constructed by my administration.
�The project for the construction of the Apete bridge had been awarded and re-awarded to different contractors in the last three years. �Certainly, Alao-Akala and Ladoja are not the contractors,�� he said. Also speaking to NAN, Mr Bashiru Lawal, the Chairman of Accord Party in the state, said the Ajimobi-led administration must take responsibility for the decaying infrastructure in the state.
He decried the poor state of public utilities in the state, saying incidents of collapsed bridges in the state were becoming worrisome. �Ajimobi was sworn in as governor in May and the Apete bridge collapsed in October of that year (2011).

How does that concern Alao-Akala and Ladoja?�� Lawal

6 injured as rival NURTW factions clash in Ibadan

THE fragile peace that reigned between rival groups in the National Union of Road Transport Workers Union, NURTW, in Oyo State for the past three years was ruptured weekend as six persons were injured during alleged attack on a former Chairman of the union, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola, aka Tokyo.A source said about 20 suspected thugs arrived the scene brandishing several dangerous weapons and allegedly attacked Tokyo�s supporters who were outside. The fracas, which threw the whole Agbeni area of Ibadan, into frenzy was said to have occurred between supporters of Tokyo and the incumbent Chairman of the union, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde aka Fele. Expectedly, both sides were accusing each other of having triggered the chaos. While Tokyo alleged it was Fele�s that attacked him, the latter said his boys who Tokyo mentioned were at a programme at the 2nd Ramadan lecture of Alhaji Arisekola-Alao which held at the NTA, Ibadan.
Fele said, �We had met Alhaji Tokyo on several occasions and we never attacked him. We are not violent union again. We will continue to maintain the peace in the state.� Tokyo was at the residence of Sheikh Haruna Suara, the Chief Imam of Ibadanland on an invitation when the incident happened. Tokyo said, �I was at the Chief Imam of Ibadan�s residence to honour his invitation with some of my supporters when they attempted to kill me. My supporters were attacked while I was being attended to by the Imam in his house at Agbeni area of Ibadan�. He added that if it were not for his supporters who were outside, he would have been killed. Among those injured were Bashiru Saheed, Agboola Rasak, Liadi Akande, Rilwan Akinsola and Alani Adaramola. But Fele argued that his boys could not have attacked Tokyo as he claimed. �We appeal to the state government to call him to order so as not to plunge the union into another avoidable blood letting of the past.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officers, SP Olabisi Okuwobi Ilobanafor said suspected thugs attacked supporters of Akinsola popularly known as Tokyo. She said, �The command dispatched combined police teams and Armed Personel Carrier to the scene to quell the violence and rescue Akinsola.
�We are yet to make arrests because the place was very rowdy and we have to stop that first and later make arrests based on identification by the witness.

Revealed: How Jonathan�s 3m-dollar gesture backfired on Eagles

President Goodluck Jonathan had good intentions when he ordered the sports minister, Tammy Danagogo to fly over $3.5m to the Eagles to pay the players their World Cup appearance fees. The players had demanded their share of the $8m that fifa would pay the Nigeria Football Federation as one of the World Cup finalists. They protested before the match against France and even refused to train for a day over it.
FIFA was yet to pay Nigeria their World Cup bonus but the team, fearing that they might not be paid when FIFA pays the NFF protested and wanted theirs in advance. We gathered that after Senate President, David Mark, contacted the Presidency over the problem in Brazil, President Jonathan ordered Sports Minister to take money to the team in Brazil. And in a Presidential jet, the minister landed and handed the money to Stephen Keshi, the coach. Keshi asked that the money be given to the team secretary Enebi.
The sharing of over $3.5 money, we gathered, took its tool on the team on the eve of the round of 16 match with France last Monday. Who gets what? They continued debating and arguing on the sharing formula till 2.00am on the match day.
The President�s intended good gesture backfired. �Did you notice that the players tired out in the dying minutes of the match and conceded two goals,�a source with the team asked yesterday.
�There was no way they could have been strong when they were fighting over money and could not sleep well and prepare for the match against France,�the source said adding �the fight over money destroyed the team and unfortunately the President�s gesture backfired.�
We also gathered that President Jonathan was aware that NFF had not received the money from FIFA but was sad that the federation failed to explain things to them and avoid the action that was going to tarnish the image of the country. The news that Nigerian players were protesting to the extent of missing training disturbed the President and he gave the directive that boosted the purses of the players but which didn�t help Nigeria�s game against France. Problems will eventually arise as the players who played the qualifying matches but who didn�t make the World Cup team were all entitled to the World Cup grant. But those who shared the money in Brazil were so much in a hurry that it was not clear if they included them.

A Must Read | 10 Things You Don't Know About Kissing

Wanna perfect your French kissing technique, or just want the basics on how to kiss for the first time?

Follow these kissing tips the next time you're ready to smooch. 1. Find the Right Time to Kiss
The best time for a first kiss is when you're alone, there's a pause in the conversation and you're both looking into each other's eyes. Help make this moment happen by finding a way to get away from the crowd, standing or sitting close to your partner, making eye contact and letting the convo come to a natural breaking point. You'll both know when the moment is right.

2. Don't Obsess About Your Breath
Your breath doesn't need to be any more minty fresh than your kissing partner's. (For instance, if you both just had dinner together and ate equally garlicky meals, you'll be fine.) Bring some mints with you, but don't pop them obsessively. It's not necessary and it'll make you look over-eager.
3. Start With Your Lips
The first thing that comes to mind when you think about french kissing is tongue, but that shouldn't come right away - you'll have to ease into it. Start just by lightly kissing their lips (either their top lip, their bottom lip or both) with yours.
4. Don't Make Your Tongue the Star of the Show
A kiss without any tongue at all is perfectly fine. But if you want to take it to the next level, open your mouth a little wider, gently touch your tongue against theirs, and let the tips of your tongues "play around" together. Don't do much more than that, though. When it comes to tongue, a little goes a long way.
5. Use Your Hands Wisely
The best spots to place your hands are around your partner's neck or waist, on the back of your partner's head, or if you want to be extra-romantic, against your partner's cheeks. Never just leave them by your side! That would be a total waste.
6. Don't Forget to Breathe
Take regular breaks to pull away and look into your partner's eyes. It'll give you a chance to catch your breath and share a smile.
7. Mix It Up
Don't leave your lips or your tongue in the same spot for more than a couple of seconds. The initial excitement of a first kiss is thrilling, but things can get boring awfully quickly if you don't vary your style a little.
8. When In Doubt, Follow Their Lead
You don't need to be an expert on kissing to share a great kiss. If you're not sure what to do, just let your partner take over and go with the flow. As long as the two of you like each other and are concentrating on the magic of the moment, it'll go gre
9. It's Okay to Laugh
You might be tempted to laugh or make a little joke to ease the tension or hide some your nervousness. Go for it. Your partner's probably just as nervous as you are, and it'll ease the tension for them, too.
10. Know When to End It
If this is your first time kissing this person, keep things brief. There'll be plenty more chances to kiss, and you want to leave them dying to lock lips with you the next time.at.

Brazil, Germany march on at World Cup

FORTALEZA (AFP) � Brazil defeated Colombia 2-1 and Germany beat France 1-0 in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday to set up a heavyweight semi-final showdown. An early goal from Brazil skipper Thiago Silva and a stunning free-kick from David Luiz was enough to give the World Cup hosts victory over Colombia in a niggly last eight meeting in Fortaleza. Colombia�s star James Rodriguez left the field in tears after his sixth goal of the tournament, an 80th-minute penalty, was not enough to prevent Brazil from advancing to Tuesday�s semi-final in Belo Horizonte. The victory came at a cost for Brazil, though, with captain Silva picking up a yellow card which will see him suspended for the clash with the Germans.
Star striker Neymar was also stretchered from the pitch late in the game, potentially creating a problem for Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Television station Globo reported that he had been taken to hospital to undergo tests. Silva had earlier settled Brazilian nerves, punishing slack Colombian marking at a corner to tap home after only seven minutes. Luiz struck an astonishing 69th-minute free-kick to put Brazil 2-0 up before Colombia fought back.
Rodriguez, the outstanding player of the tournament so far, scored a penalty to make it 2-1 after Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar brought down Carlos Bacca. But Colombia were unable to find the equaliser to force extra-time as Brazil advanced to the last four. Brazil�s semi-final will see them play Germany in a repeat of the 2002 World Cup final won 2-0 by the South Americans. It will be only the second time Brazil has met Germany at a World Cup.
Germany reached the semi-finals for a record fourth straight time earlier Friday after a header from Mats Hummels helped beat France 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Borussia Dortmund defender Hummels rose to head home Toni Kroos�s free-kick on 13 minutes to settle a cagey encounter. �The next dream has come true,� said man-of-the-match Hummels. �It�s unbelievable that it�s all going so well for us here at the World Cup. �I hope that our journey won�t end soon and that we can make it back to compete here week next Sunday,� he added, referring to the July 13 final.
France coach Didier Deschamps bemoaned his team�s failure to capitalise on the handful of chances they created. �There was not much between the sides,� Deschamps said. �One team is more used to these occasions and has more experience. �We were not clinical in front of goal.� France had entered the match quietly confident of avenging semi-final defeats against Germany in 1982 and 1986.
But they were left to rue a lacklustre first half performance which saw Germany dominate in sweltering conditions. France rallied in the second half and Hummels saved Germany with a desperate late block of a Karim Benzema shot shortly before Manuel Neuer parried a firm strike from Blaise Matuidi.
Andre Schuerrle should have sealed victory in the closing minutes, but with the goal gaping, struck his shot from Mesut Ozil�s low cross directly at Hugo Lloris in the French goal. There was still time for Neuer to save Germany at the death, pulling off a brilliant block from Benzema just seconds from the final whistle.
The quarter-final drama continues Saturday when the Netherlands play Costa Rica and Belgium take on Argentina.

Dangote blesses D�Banj�s Koko Garri

It is no news that Dbanj has been frolicking with the high and mighty pushing his �Koko Garri� and establishing himself as an entrepreneur. He has taken his Midas touch beyond the music terrain to the agriculture sector .He recently posted a picture of himself with Aliko Dangote where the serial entrepreneur and Africa�s richest man endorses his �Koko Garri�. Dbanj puts it this way:� From the godfather of Agriculture, it�s an honour to have you as a mentor. Thanks for blessing my �Koko Garri�