Nasal carriage of staphylococcus aureus and antibiotic susceptibility pattern among children in Freetown; Sierra Leone

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus has been demonstrated to be a major risk factor for invasive S. aureus infections in various population including children. The extent of S. aureus carriage in Sierra Leonean children is largely unknown. To determine the prevalence and pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of nasal S. aureus among children in Freetown; Sierra Leone; samples were collected from anterior nares of children less than two years at the Ola During Children's Hospital between October 2008 and April 2009. Of the 116 children screened during the study period; S. aureus isolates were found in the nasal specimens of 40 (34.5) of the children. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to norfloxacin; gentamycin; erythromycin; trimethoprim-sulfamethazole; doxycycline; tetracycline and amoxycillin-clavulanic acid were observed to be 95; 35; 30; 20; 15; 7.5 and 2.5respectively. All the isolates were susceptible to oxacillin and resistant to chloramphenicol; penicillin G; amoxycillin and ampiclox. Regular monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern may be useful

Prevalence of Intestinal Helminthes among Children in Selected Communities in Monrovia; Liberia

The present study was carried out among children below 15 years in 10 communities in Monrovia. Out of the 646 children recruited in the study; 216 (33.4) were positive for at least one intestinal helminth parasite. Children between 11 - 15 years had the highest prevalence of intestinal helminthes. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most common intestinal helminth parasite encountered (79.6); followed by Trichuris trichura (19.0). Strongyloides stercoralis and Enterobius vermicularis were the least prevalent helminth parasites encountered among the study population (1each). The population in these communities depended largely on poorly built latrines and buckets for faecal disposal although some (49) used flush toilets despite their being in poor conditions. Only 23.45 of the 646 children surveyed used pipe borne water for drinking and other domestic purposes. The high prevalence rates of helminth infection obtained could be due to persistent infection and re-infection of the study population as a result of the constant seeding of the soil with parasite eggs and larvae in these communities

Knowledge; perception of risk and attitude of Sierra Leone military personnel towards colleagues with HIV/AIDS

The aim of this survey was to gain an insight into the level of knowledge; perception of risk and attitude of Sierra Leone Military personnel towards colleagues with HIV/AIDS. Four hundred and fifty (450) randomly selected male and female military personnel including officers and other ranks from six battalions were surveyed with a standard questionnaire. Results of this survey demonstrated a relatively low level of knowledge of HIV and AIDS amongst the survey population as evidenced by the 40and 52of participants stating that HIV is transmitted by mosquito bites and from public toilets respectively. An equally low perception of risk of the infection was demonstrated from the responses of the participants about attitude towards HIV infected colleagues. Three-fourth of the participants indicated that nobody should be informed if a colleague is HIV positive; with almost all the participants expressing their willingness to take care of an HIV/AIDS person in their household. Varying responses obtained demonstrate the necessity for scaling-up HIV education within the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. More resources most therefore be made available to the HIV/AIDS office of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces so that HIV education activities can be extended to all the brigades and battalions

Transmission of onchocerca volvulus by simulium damnosum S.L. in four villages in the Gorama Chiefdom; Kono district; Sierra Leone

Quantitative studies on the transmission of onchocerca volvulus; including monthly and annual biting densities; age composition; parity rates; infection and infective rates of the similium damnosum s.l. population; were carried out for a year in a tropical rain-forest zone in Sierra Leone. In all 19;432 s. damnosum s.l. female flies were acught and 8;755 dissected; of which 6.307 were parous. The annual biting rate (ABR) varied between 20;787 and 39;188; 5.4 per cent of all flies were infected with O. volvulus; 3.6 per cent carried infective larvae in the head capsule; with mean of 2.5 per fly. The annual transmission potential (ATP) varied between 1;138 and 2;081. The ATPs for Bunabu; Matama; Kangama and Moimandu villages were 2;081; 1;403; 1;138 and 1;498 respectively; with most of the infection occuring during the months of May and August. The prevalences of skin microfilariae (mf) in Bunabu; Matama; Kangama and Moimandu villages were 79.0 per cent; 51.3 per cent; 78.0 per cent and 80.0 per cent respectively