ABSTRACT
Aims:This study aimed at determining the prevalence, infection intensities and risk factors associated with Schistosomiasis (SCH) and Soil transmitted helminthiasis (STH) among school aged children (SAC) in Tiko Health District (THD). Study Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in three health areas (Likomba, Holforth and Tiko town) in Tiko Health District.Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in THD from July to October, 2018.Methodology:The study included 464 children of both sexes aged between 4 –15 years. Stool and urine samples were collected from 464 children and processed using the Kato Katz and Urine filtration techniques respectively. Information on socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors were collected using structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 with statistical significance set at p< 0.05.Results:Of the 464 SAC examined, the overall prevalence of Schistosomiasis, STH and Schistosomiasis/STH co-infection rate in THD was 16.16%, 14.44% and 0.43% respectively. Females (18.98%; 14.81%) were more infected with Schistosomiasis when compared to STH than males (13.71%; 14.11%). The order of STH prevalence observed was Ascariasis (9.27%) > Hookworm disease (3.88%) > Trichuriasis (1.29%). The mean infection intensity for Urinary Schistosomiasis and STH was 4.36 eggs per 10ml and 11.74 eggs per gram (EPG) respectively. SAC residing in Likomba HA were significantly at higher risk of Schistosomiasis (aOR: 4.40, P=0.008) and STH (aOR: 2.14, P= 0.031). Use of tap water was associated with STH.Conclusion: Tiko Health District can be considered as a moderate-risk zone for Schistosomiasis and a low risk zone for STH infection according to WHO classification
ABSTRACT
Aims: This research aimed to evaluate the haematological parameters associated with malaria and its controls.Materials and Methods: A convenient cross-sectional technique was used for the study for which the sample size was determined by using the formula; n= Z² (P) (1-P) / (A) ². The haematological profile was performed using the Sysmex 2000i automated blood cell counter machine.Results and Discussion:The erythrocyte profiles (RBC, HB, HCT, RDW-SD and RDW-CV) are highly affected by malaria, whereas MCH, MCHC, and MCV did not show significant variations between the positive malaria cases and negative malaria cases. Means of haemoglobin concentrations, RBC count and HCT values for cases with positive malaria were significantly lower than negative malaria cases and controls for all the age groups and sexes. Conclusion:The study showed that there were haematological profiles between the positive and negative malaria cases and this can be used in conjunction with clinical and microscopic parameters to heighten the suspicion of malaria as well as prompt initiation of therapy for diagnosing malaria
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Background: Analysis of the dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum infection as it relates to the ABO blood group system could expand our understanding of malaria pathology and further global efforts in addressing the scourge of malaria disease. This study seeks to examine the association between malaria infection and parasite density in relation to the ABO blood group system.Methods: 298 patients (Age Mean±SD = 28.8±9.16) were selected at random and screened for malaria parasite infection and parasite density quantification using the thick blood film method. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine relationship between parasite density and blood group.Results: 88 (29.5%) patients tested positive to malaria parasite infection. Patients with blood group O recorded the highest number of positive cases (56.81%) and the least was found among those with blood group AB (3.42%). 93.18% of patients that tested positive were rhesus positive while 6.82% were rhesus negative. 40.90% of patients with mild parasitaemia and 10.23% of patients with moderate parasitaemia were of blood group O+. Pearson correlation coefficient was strong, direct and linear (r = 0.9184; r2 = 0.8434).Conclusions: This study has shown that there is a strong correlation between parasite density per microliter of blood in relation to the ABO-blood group type of individuals diagnosed with malaria parasite infection.
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Study Background: Plasma IL-2 and IL-10 are cytokines for immuno regulation and immuno modulation in infectious diseases. IL10 inhibit synthesis of IFN gamma, IL-2, IL-3, TNF. Plasmodium infection is associated with reproduction of cytokines for innate and acquired immunity. Aim and Objective: This work was designed to determine variations in plasma IL-2 and IL-10 in relationship with plasmodium parasite density. Materials and Methods: Out of one hundred and sixteen (116) initially recruited only fifty Plasmodium infected female and male (female =25; male =25) aged 4-70 years free of M. tuberculosis and seronegative to HBsAg, HCV and HIV were recruited for the work.. Fifty age matched Plasmodium non-infected subjects were studied as control (female =25; male =25). Only subjects who were free of M. tuberculosis and seronegative to HIV, HCV, HBsAg test and AFB negative were recruited for the work. Plasma IL-2, IL-10, HIV, HBsAg and HCV were determined in the patients and the control subject immunochemically by ELISA while Identification of Plasmodium spp was determined in the blood of the patients and the control subject using WHO standard technique for the laboratory diagnosis of plasmodium infection in malaria endemic area. Results: A frequency of : 12.0%(14) Anti-HCV seropositive, 6.9%(8) Anti-HIV seropositive, 19.8%(23) HBsAg seropositive, 13.8% (16) AFB positive patients and 4.3%(5) indeterminate results was obtained from the 116 Plasmodium infected patients initially recruited. There was a significantly Higher plasma value of IL-10 in plasmodium infected patients with parasite density of 500-999 and ≥1000 than the control subjects with p<0.05. There was also a significantly lower mean plasma value of IL-10 in plasmodium infected patients with parasite density of 50-499 than those patients with parasite density 500-999 and ≥1000 with p<0.05. Conclusion: Plasmodium parasitemia and increase in parasite density has been found to significantly increase the plasma value of IL-10 with no significant change in the plasma value of IL-2. There was also an evidence of HIV, HCV, HBV and M. tuberculosis co-infection with Plasmodium spp .
ABSTRACT
Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is recognizable by characteristic signs of disease and is highly lethal. The infection, however, may be quite inapparent in some seropositive dogs, and this has raised the polemic question as to whether or not such animals can be a source of infection for Lutzomyia longipalpis, the vector of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL). In this study we have examined 51 dogs with acute CVL from an AVL area in Pará State, northern Brazil, and compared the parasite density, amastigotes of Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi, in the skin, lymph node and viscera of symptomatic with that of nine asymptomatic but seropositive dogs (IFAT-IgG). Post-mortem biopsy fragments of these tissues were processed by immunohistochemistry, using a polyclonal antibody against Leishmania sp. The X² and Mann Whitney tests were used to evaluate the means of infected macrophage density (p < 0.05). There was no difference (p > 0.05) in the skin (10.7/mm² x 15.5/mm²) and lymph node (6.3/mm² x 8.3/mm²), between asymptomatic and symptomatic dogs, respectively. It was higher (p < 0.05), however, in the viscera of symptomatic (5.3/mm²) than it was in asymptomatic (1.4/mm²) dogs. These results strongly suggest that asymptomatic or symptomatic L. (L.) i. chagasi-infected dogs can serve as a source of infection, principally considering the highest (p < 0.05) parasite density from skin (10.7/mm² x 15.5/mm²), the place where the vetor L. longipalpis takes its blood meal, compared with those from lymph node (6.3/mm² x 8.3/mm²) and viscera (1.4/mm²x 5.3/mm²).
A leishmaniose visceral canina (LVC) é reconhecida pelas características clínicas da doença e é altamente letal. A infecção, entretanto, pode ser totalmente assintomática em alguns cães soropositivos, o que tem levantado questão polêmica sobre a possibilidade desses animais, serem ou não uma fonte importante da infecção para o flebotomíneo, Lutzomyia longipalpis, o principal vetor da leishmaniose visceral americana (LVA). Neste estudo foram examinados 51 cães com LVC aguda, provenientes de área endêmica de LVA no Estado do Pará, Brasil, e a carga parasitária, formas amastigotas de Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi, na pele, linfonodo poplíteo e vísceras (fígado e baço) foi comparada com a de nove cães assintomáticos soropositivos (IFAT-IgG). Fragmentos de biópsia desses tecidos obtidos post-mortem foram processados para análise através de imunohistoquímica, usando um anticorpo policlonal contra Leishmania sp. Os testes do Qui-quadrado (X²) e Mann Whitney foram usados para avaliar as médias da densidade de macrófagos infectados (p < 0,05). Os resultados mostraram que não houve diferença (p > 0,05) na densidade de macrófagos infectados da pele (10,7/mm² x 15,5/mm²) e do linfonodo (6,3/mm² x 8,3/mm²) entre cães assintomáticos e sintomáticos. Entretanto, a densidade de macrófagos infectados da víscera de cães sintomáticos (5,3/mm²) foi maior (p < 0,05) que a de cães assintomáticos (1,4/mm²). Estes resultados sugerem, fortemente, que cães naturalmente infectados por L. (L.) i. chagasi, assintomáticos ou sintomáticos, podem servir como fonte de infecção, principalmente, considerando-se que a densidade de macrófagos infectados da pele (10,7/mm² x 15,5/mm²), local onde o flebotomíneo vetor Lu. longipalpis realiza a hematofagia, foi maior (p < 0,05) que as do linfonodo (6,3/mm² x 8.3/mm²) e vísceras (1,4/mm²x 5,3/mm²).