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Background: Vertical transmission is an important route of transmission for hepatitis B virus infection. Despitethe introduction of HBV vaccine in the extended immunization program in 2005, Cameroonhas remained a hyper-endemic area. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B Virus among antenatal clinic attenders in Penka-Michel-Cameroon, and to identify potential risk factors associated with the infection for a better prevention of the disease.Original Research Article Study Design:The study was a case control study conducted in four reference hospitals in Penka-Michel, a rural area in west region of Cameroon during April to July 2014. Methodology: Six hundred and forty three(643) pregnant women were recruited. The DiaSpot HBsAgin vitrodiagnostic test strips were first used. Positive samples were further confirmed for HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBe and anti-HBc using an immunoassay kit. Liver enzymes (ALT, AST and ALP) were also evaluatedfor HBsAg positive samplesusing TECO DIAGNOSTICSkit. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic parameters and predisposing risk factors of hepatitis B from each patient. Data collected was analyzed using Graph Pad prism version 5.03. Results: The prevalence of hepatitis B infection (HBsAg) in our setting was 4.7%. Fifty percent of HBsAg positive women were also HBeAg positive and 46.7% of them lack antibodies against hepatitis B e antigen. All the HBsAg positive women had previous contact with HBV and just 3.3% of them were immunized against HBV. Women in the age groups 31–35 years were significantly more affected (X216.95, P= .0045). Only a history of a contact with hepatitis B infection was significantly associated with HBsAg and HBeAg positivity (X2 27.45, P= .0001; X225.31, P= .0003).Conclusion:Administration of HBIG in combination with hepatitis B vaccine as post-exposure prophylaxis for infants born to HBV infected mothers is of paramount importance. In addition, universal HBsAg screening of all pregnant women will greatly assist in reducing the maternal transmission of HBV in Cameroon.
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The Gross Domestic Product of Cameron is partially based on agricultural products. Crops like maize, peanuts, beans, cassava, cocoa and coffee are the most cultivated ones. A high portion of this production is locally consumed, and the other part is exported to foreign countries in order to balance the economy. Postharvest losses due to fungal contamination and the presence of mycotoxins in food represent some of the most important problems this producing country government and populations are facing. The analysis of food from animal or vegatal origin in this country during the last 25 years have highlighted the presence of mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxins, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol in some cases. This paper reviews the effects of mycotoxins on human health and associated regulations, their occurrence in food commodities from Cameroon, as well as the dietary exposure of consuming populations and the results obtained from their bio-monitoring.
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Background: Helicobacter pylori are the primary cause of peptic ulcer disease and an etiologic agent in the development of gastric cancer. The emergence of multi-drug resistant phenotypes is a major public health problem today in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-Helicobacter activities of six Cameroonian medicinal plants on ten Helicobacter pylori clinical isolate from dyspeptic patients and their ability to potentiate the effect of common antibiotics against multidrug-resistance phenotypes Helicobacter pylori. Methodology: Broth microdilution assay was used for the antimicrobial evaluation of plant-extracts alone or in combination with antibiotics, while Time-kill assay was used to study the bactericidal activity. Results: Plant-extracts showed different anti-Helicobacter activity with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values varying from 64 to >1024 µg/ml. The methanol extract of E. cocaine leaves showed the best anti-Helicobacter activity with MIC value of 64 µg/ml against 60% of the tested isolate. Moreover, E. cocaine extract at a concentration equal to 8MIC, produced from 24 to 72 h a viability decrease of 2 logs lower than those for the control against the tested clinical isolates. Synergistic concentration dependent effects were observed when combining this plant extract with erythromycin, or amoxicillin against Helicobacter pylori multi-drug resistant phenotypes with minimum fold inhibition of 16 and eight respectively for erythromycin and amoxicillin. Conclusion: The overall results provide information for the possible use of E. cocaine extract in the control of Helicobacter pylori infections involving multi-drug resistant phenotypes.
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Aims: Mandara is a chain of Mountains located in northern Cameroun with the border of the republic of Nigeria. This area is populated by “kapsiki” an indigenous populations living. This non moslem population is brewing an opaque beer, which has both a symbolic and nutritional. This paper aims at investigating the physicochemical and microbial quality of this beer and highlights its processing. Study Design: The study design used for describing processing method is cluster sampling of the cities surveyed, production sites and markets, and at the secondary level, individuals and groups of individual respondents. Place and Duration of Study: In order to describe and follow the production process, a survey was conducted in three kapsiki rural villages of Cameroon, namely Rhumsiki, Rhumzu and Mogodé. Later on, some samples from two urban town close to the area of Mokolo. Methodology: To describe and follow the production process, a survey on the basis of a questionnaire was conducted. The sample pH, conductivity, density and brix, were recorded onsite using portables devices (conductimeter, densitometer and brixmeter). Laboratory experiment: Following parameters: titrable acidity, polyphenols, ethanol, specific gravity,viscosity was determined according to accredited methods. Microbial analysis focused on total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Shigella, yeasts, molds and sulphite‐reducing clostridia were evaluated. Results: The "red kapsiki" requires for its preparation following steps: malting with quenching, germination and "kilning", decoction, filtration, boiling and sterilizing, cooling, sowing and fermentation. The final beverage is opaque, soft and sparkling. The “red Kapsiki” presented an alcohol content of 3.85 to 4.28 (% v/v), a pH close to 2.40, soluble extract from 6.30 to7.29 °P, Brix from 7.0 to 7.46 °B, total sugar from 41.8 to 72.9 (g/l), conductivity from 1919 to 1990 (μS/cm), and Specific density (g/cm) à 15°C of 1.25. The color of the “red kapsiki” varies from a pinky brown to reddish according the variety of sorghum used. The microbial analyses indicate the presence of Coliforms including Salmonella and Shigella, yeasts and molds in the beverages which indicate the bad hygienic quality of “the red Kapsiki”. Conclusion: Despite its poor hygienic quality, the “red kapsiki”, presented great potential source of income and nutrient for local beer producers.
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Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current prevalence of bovine tuberculosis at Yaoundé and Douala abattoirs. Study Design: Many investigations confirmed that bovine tuberculosis is prevalent in cattle destined for consumption in Cameroon but the magnitude and the distribution of animal tuberculosis in the country are unknown. Place and Duration of Study: Sampling was made during routine meat inspection, in the Yaoundé and Douala abattoirs located in the Central and Littoral regions of Cameroon respectively. Sampling was successively carried out from November 2010 to April 2011. Sample processing (culture, acid-fast staining and spoligotyping) was made at Mycobacteriology Reference Laboratory in Centre Pasteur of Cameroon. Methods: About 16,316 slaughtered cattle, were successively inspected for tuberculosis during this study. Among them 9,127 and 7,189 were slaughtered in Yaoundé and Douala abattoirs respectively. Evidence of pathology was supported by postmortem examination of carcasses using visual examination and palpation of lungs, livers, hearts, internal bodies and lymph nodes. The prevalence was calculated as the number of cattle with suspected TB lesions divided by the number of cattle examined at post mortem within the specified period. Ziehl-Neelsen staining, culture on solid medium and spoligotyping were made to identify acid-fast Bacilli and Mycobacterium bovis. Results: The overall apparent prevalence of bovine tuberculosis based on suggestive macroscopic lesions induced by tuberculosis was 1.03%. This prevalence was split to 0.81% and 1.3% in Yaoundé and Douala abattoirs respectively. Mycobacterium bovis accounted for 47.62% of the tuberculous lesions and its prevalence was 0.49%. Conclusion: This result show that bovine tuberculosis is still prevalent in cattle destined for human consumption in Cameroon and highlighted the contribution of M. bovis as the leading cause of bovine tuberculosis in Cameroon.