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Binding to CSA receptor is associated with asymptomatic and mild malaria: a preliminary study using P.falciparum field isolates from Sudan

DA Hassan, HS Mohamed, AM El-Hussein, ME Ibrahim, NH Abdulhadi

 

Abstract

Malaria imposes great socio-economic burden on humanity, and afflicts approximately 90 countries and territories in the tropical and subtropical regions, almost one half of them are in Africa, South of Sahara. Sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes within the small vessels of vital organs is a key event in the pathogenesis of malaria and responsible of virulence of Plasmodium falciparum parasite. To find out whether the ability of infected red blood cells (IRBCs) to adhere to a specific receptor is a risk factor for developing severe clinical manifestation of the disease, in-vitro cytoadhesion and inhibition experiments were performed on field isolates obtained from five symptomatic and five asymptomatic patients inhabiting Gazira State, Central Sudan. The results showed significant lower levels (p<0.02) of cytoadhesion among asymptomatic compared to symptomatic patients. Percent inhibition by FA6-152, a monoclonal antibody for CD36, was comparable between the two study groups. However, the inhibition by CSA protein was less among symptomatic compared to asymptomatic patients. These results shed light on possible role of CSA receptors expressed on endothelial cells in ameliorating the events associated with the severe phenotype of the disease.
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Laboratory diagnosis of malaria in children under five years in a rural community: microscopy versus malaria PF test

CP Enwuru, SI Umeh, UM Abasi, RC Egbuobi

 

Abstract

The morbidity and mortality associated with malaria in children below 5 years is really worrisome especially in the rural communities with little or no laboratory diagnostic facilities. This study was carried out to compare microscopy with Malaria Pf test for the diagnosis of malaria in a rural community in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State. Two hundred and fifty blood smears of children below 5 years were stained with Giemsa and examined microscopically for malaria parasites. Also the Malaria Pf rapid diagnostic test was used to test the same blood samples for malaria antigens. Thirty two per cent of the blood samples were positive for malaria parasite. Compared with microscopy, the sensitivity of the Malaria Pf test was 90.0%, the specificity was 98.2%. The positive predictive value was 96.0% and negative predictive value was 95.4%. The Malaria Pf test is reliable in the parasite based diagnosis of malaria in children under 5 years. We recommend the application of this test for parasitological confirmation of malaria in all places where it is not possible to provide facilities for good quality microscopy especially in the rural communities.

KEY WORDS: MALARIA, DIAGNOSIS, CHILDREN, MICROSCOPY, MALARIA PF

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Laboratory diagnosis of malaria in children under five years in a rural community microscopy versus malaria PF test

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Multidrug resistant Salmonellae isolated from blood culture samples of suspected typoid patients in Warri, Nigeria

DA Ehwarieme

 

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence of R-plasmids in Salmonella sp. isolated from blood samples of suspected typhoid patients in Warri, Nigeria. A total of 136 blood samples were collected between May and December,2009 and screened for the presence of Salmonellae using standard blood culture techniques of which 20(14.7%) was positive for the pathogen. The multidrug resistant (MDR) isolates obtained (n=16; 80.0%), exhibiting the Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol, Cotrimoxazole and Tetracyclin (ACCoT) resistance profile, were subjected to plasmid curing. All (100%) of these MDR isolates bore their resistance markers on plasmids, as they lost their resistance sequel to the curing experiment. The low prevalence (14.7%) of the pathogen in the blood samples indicate that a good number of the suspected typhoid cases may not be incidences of the disease afterall. Furthermore, the high prevalence of MDR and plasmid-mediated MDR (80.0% and 100% respectively) isolates, suggest that treatment failures may be rampant if precise susceptibility test is not conducted prior to prescription.

Key words: Multidrug resistant, blood culture, typhoid fever.

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Multidrug resistant Salmonellae isolated from blood culture samples of suspected typoid patients in Warri Nigeria

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Diagnostic accuracy of rapid urease test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori gastic biopsies in Nigerian with dyspepsia

AC Jemilohun, JA Otegbayo, SO Ola, AO Oluwasola, A Akere

 

Abstract

Background: The strong association of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) with dyspepsia has caused a major paradigm shift in patients’ management. It has been observed that histology is usually employed as the routine test for the diagnosing H. pylori in centres where  Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) is available in Nigeria. Because of the drawbacks attendant to the use of histology, in terms of cost effectiveness and technical expertise, it is necessary to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a simpler alternative for ease of management of patients with dyspepsia.
Objective: This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of rapid urease test (RUT) in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in patients with dyspepsia.
Methods: Eighty-six consecutive adult patients with dyspeptic symptoms presenting for endoscopy were recruited after giving informed consent. Gastric antral biopsies were collected at endoscopy for RUT and histology. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) of RUT was calculated using histology as the reference
standard.
Results: Of the 86 subjects, there were 39 (45.3%) males and 47(54.7%) females. The mean age was 49.19±13.75 years. The age range was 23 to 85 years. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV of RUT was 93.33%, 75.6 %, 80.76 %, and 91.17 % respectively.
Conclusion: RUT is accurate for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Its use will serve as a good alternative to histology in management of patients with dyspepsia in resource poor environments, except in patients who need histology for reasons other than H. Pylori diagnosis.

Key words: Dyspepsia, Helicobacter pylori, Rapid Urease test, Histology.

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Diagnostic accuracy of rapid urease test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori gastic biopsies in Nigerian with dyspepsia

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Hepatitis B immunization at the University College Hospital, Ibadan: an eight year review of vaccine administration records

SO Ola, A Akere, JA Otegbayo, F Omokhodion, AA Olofin, EA Bamgboye

 

Abstract

Vaccination of health care workers (HCWs) against hepatitis (HBV) infection is highly necessary in Nigeria where the infection occurs in hperendemic proportions. We hereby determine the trends in the administration of HBV vaccine at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. The study reviewed the records for the administration of vaccine against HBV at the Staff Medical Services Department of UCH, Ibadan, Nigeria, from 1994 to 2001. A total of 1,437 subjects consisting of 686 (47.7%) males and 751 (52.3 %) females were vaccinated against HBV from 1994 to 2001. They were aged 16 to 64 years and consisted of 356 students (24.8%) and 1081 healthcare workers (HCWs) (75.2%) which comprised Doctors (30.9%), Dentists (1.9%), Paramedics (19.6%), Non-medics (14.6%) and subjects with undisclosed occupational category ((10.7%). About 11% to 100% of the subjects had annual prescreening for HBsAg sero-negativity from 1996 to 2001 but none had post vaccination assay of anti-HBs titre. All the subjects received 1st dose of 0, 1, 2 accelerated HBV vaccination schedule while on annual basis, 16.7% to 91.8% of the subjects received the 3rd dose of the vaccine. Despite the proportional participation of the different occupational groups was highest among the doctors and dentists but lowest among the paramedics, only 59.7% of all the vaccinees had three dose(s) of the vaccine during the 8 year period. In conclusion, although the HBV vaccination programme had shortcomings, it is an established practice at UCH, Ibadan and efforts should be made to improve on its prevailing standard.

Keywords: Immunization, HBV, Healthcare Workers, Nigerians, UCH, Ibadan.

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Hepatitis B immunization at the University College Hospital Ibadan an eight year review of vaccine administration records

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Evaluation of immunity against poliovirus serotypes among children in riverine areas of Delta State, Nigeria

E Donbraye, MO Adewumi, GN Odaibo, AS Bakarey, OO Opaleye, DO Olaleye

 

Abstract

Nigeria remains one of the major reservoirs for wild poliovirus transmission despite the reported success in National Immunization Days and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. Two hundred children aged ≤ 10 years, were enrolled following parental consent from hard-to-reach riverine areas of Delta state of Nigeria to assess the level of protective immunity to poliovirus. Neutralizing antibodies to the three poliovirus serotypes in the serum samples of the children were determined by the beta method of neutralization.
Eight (4%) of the children had no detectable antibody, 178 (89%), 180 (90%) and 181 (90.5%) were positive for antibodies to poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Overall, 162 (81%) of the children had antibodies to the three poliovirus serotypes at a titre of at least 1:8. The study shows the need for proper monitoring of vaccination coverage in such hard-to-reach riverine areas to achieve the objective of the global eradication of poliovirus.

Keywords: Neutralizing, antibody, poliovirus, serotypes, riverine, Nigeria

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Evaluation of immunity against poliovirus serotypes among children in riverine areas of Delta State Nigeria

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Marburg haemorrhagic fever: recent advances

B AdegborO, OA Adeola

 

Abstract

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of etiologically diverse viral diseases unified by common underlying pathophysiology. These febrile diseases result from infection by viruses from four viral families: Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Filoviridae, and Flaviviridae. The viruses in the four families are all RNA viruses. All share the feature of having a lipid envelope. Survival and perpetuation of the viruses is dependent on an animal host known as a natural reservoir, but humans are not the natural reservoir. With the exception of a vaccine for yellow fever and ribavirin, which is used for treatment of some arenaviral infections, no specific chemotherapy for viral hemorrhagic fever exists. Only supportive treatment is possible The filoviruses, Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV), have been associated with hemorrhagic fever (HF) that produce severe disease and high mortality rates among infected humans and non-human primates. MARV and EBOV are also considered potential biological weapons. Although much progress has been made in developing preventive vaccines and postexposure interventions that can protect laboratory animals and nonhuman primates against lethal challenge with MARV, none of these has been approved for humans. Because MARV haemorrhagic fever, when it occurs, has the potential to spread to other people especially health care staff and family members who care for the patient, there is need for periodic review of recent developments relating especially to its diagnosis and treatment. This would help to increase awareness among health-care providers and limit the spread of the disease during outbreaks.

Keywords: Marburg virus, viral haemorrhagic fever, recent advances

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Marburg haemorrhagic fever recent advances

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Diphtheria mortality in Nigeria: the need to stock diphtheria antitoxin

Diphtheria mortality in Nigeria: the need to stock diphtheria antitoxin

AE Sadoh, WE Sadoh

 

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Diphtheria had been a major of cause of childhood mortality until the advent of an effective vaccine. Even in Nigeria with low to moderate coverage with the third dose of DPT the number of reported cases of diphtheria had been reducing. However, in a recent report we noted an increase in the incidence of diphtheria. The mainstay of management of diphtheria is the Diphtheria antitoxin. Diphtheria antitoxin is not available in Nigeria. We present the mortalities from diphtheria to highlight the need to stock the diphtheria antitoxin.
METHODOLOGY: A review of the case notes of patients managed for diphtheria between August 2008 and 2010 was done and relevant data extracted.
RESULTS: Nine cases of diphtheria were seen and three mortalities were recorded giving a mortality rate of 33.3%. One of the deaths was from myocardial involvement and acute renal failure while another was from possible septicaemia. The third mortality occurred at home after discharge from hospital
DISCUSSION: Most of the symptoms of diphtheria are due to the effects of the diphtheria exotoxin. The non availability of the antitoxin for the management of these children contributed to their mortality.
CONCLUSION: As long as diphtheria remains uneradicated the need for the antitoxin is imperative.
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Bacteriological analysis of well water samples in Sagamu

AO Idowu, BB Oluremi, KM Odubawo

 

Abstract

Majority of the population in semi-urban and urban areas of Nigeria depend on wells as their source of water supply. Due to increasing cases of water-borne diseases in recent times, this study was carried out to examine the microbial quality of well water in Sagamu, Nigeria as a way of safeguarding public health against water borne diseases. Water samples from a total of forty wells, covered and uncovered from four different locations of varying socio economic and demographic status were assessed for their bacteriological quality using serial dilution to obtain total bacteria count and the multiple tube fermentation technique to determine the coliform count using the most probable number method. Positive tubes of the presumptive test were further cultured on appropriate solid media. The organisms isolated were further characterized using standard procedures. The result of the study revealed that all the wells were grossly contaminated with bacteria pathogens such as Klebsiella spp (95%), Escherichia coli (72%) and Salmonella typhi (32.5%). Comparatively, the uncovered wells were more highly contaminated with bacteria pathogens than the covered well especially in the highly populated areas. All the water samples exceeded the standard limit of the most probable number (MPN) per 100ml set for untreated drinking water. This result highlight the fact that most well water in Sagamu metropolis are not safe microbiologically for drinking without additional treatment such as boiling or disinfection and this could lead to outbreak of water borne diseases. Good and proper environmental and personal hygiene must be maintained especially by the users of those wells to prevent their contamination with bacterial pathogens.

Keywords: Well water, bacteriological analysis, bacterial pathogens, water borne, diseases

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Bacteriological analysis of well water samples in Sagamu