ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study reports knowledge of onchocerciasis and surrounding factors from the perspective of community members, Community drug distributors and health workers in eight endemic LGAs of Ogun State, Nigeria. METHODS: Using structured questionnaires and Focus Group Discussion, a total of 417 community members, 37 health workers and 42 CDDs across 16 communities participated in the study. RESULTS: Majority (70.7%) of participants knew the disease by its local name, "Inarun". Community members (62%) identified severe itching as a symptom of the disease while (35.9%) (17.6%) and (9.8%) of participants associated bites of black-flies, physical-exertion on farm and allergies to peanuts as the cause of the disease. Majority (62.2%) of health workers reported the insufficiency of drug-storage facilities at community-health centres. Drug distributors also decried the paucity of funds to facilitate wide therapeutic-coverage. Compliance with drug use was affected by adverse reaction by (4%) Community members, pregnancy (9%) and inability to swallow pills (11.6%). CONCLUSION: To improve onchocerciasis control in Ogun State, public-health-education regarding the disease aetiology needs to be improved. Also, treatment rounds need to be increased to accommodate members who unwillingly missed treatment. Finally, government provision of transport logistics to CDDs for ease of logistics is very important.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cholera, a severe acute watery diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae is endemic in Nigeria with most cases occurring in the rural areas. In South West Nigeria, some individuals resort to alternative treatments such as Ogi-tutu, Psidium guajava and Vernonia amygdalina during infections. The effectiveness of these alternatives in the prevention and treatment of V. cholerae infection requires experimental investigation. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative effects of Ogi-tutu, Vernonia amygdalina and Psidium guajava on intestinal histopathology of experimental mice infected with V. cholerae. METHODS: Preliminary investigation of in vitro vibriocidal activities of these alternatives were carried out using agar cup diffusion assay. For ameliorative effects, adult mice were inoculated with 100 µl (106 cells) of Vibrio cholerae and dosed at 0 h (immediate prevention) and 4 h (treatment of infection) and their intestines were histopathologically evaluated. RESULTS: The histopathological changes were the same irrespective of the treated groups, but the lesions varied in extent and severity. The ameliorative effects in decreasing order were V. amygdalina > P. guajava > Ogi-tutu. CONCLUSION: V. amygdalina gave the best ameliorative effects in the prevention and treatment of V. cholerae infection.
