Campylobacter Spp. epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility in a developing country, Burkina Faso (West Africa)

Data on campylobacteriosis are almost nonexistent in Burkina Faso. In this study conducted from 2006 to 2008 in Ouagadougou; stool specimens and sociodemographic data were collected from 1 246 patients attending the university teaching hospital for enteritis. Stool samples were analyzed for the presence of Campylobacter by the direct culture method on selective mCCDA agar followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing on the isolated strains. The isolation rate of Campylobacter was 2.3;comprising of the following species C. jejuni (51.8); C. coli (13.8); and C. upsaliensis (3.5). However; 30.9of the isolates were unidentified. No resistant strain was found to gentamicin. The resistance to amoxicillin+clavulanic acid (3.4) was lower than those (10.3-34.5) to the other antibiotics: erythromycin (10.3); tetracycline (10.3); ciprofloxacin (13.8); amoxicillin (24.1) and ceftriaxone (34.5); nalidixic acid (34.5). Significant associations were found between Campylobacter enteritis and contact with animals (P=0.03); and HIV infection (P0.0001); in contrast to other sociodemographic and seasonal factors. From the data obtained Amoxicillin+clavulanic acid appear to be the first choice for treatment. The implementation of a national program may be helpful in controlling the spread of the disease and the increase of resistance to antibiotics

Use of an Amoeba proteus model for in vitro cytotoxicity testing in phytochemical research. Application to Euphorbia hirta extracts.

Amoeba proteus is proposed as a low-cost multi-purpose biochemical tool for screening and standardizing cytotoxic plant extracts with possible application in the laboratories of developing countries. Advantages and limitations of this test are examined and different mathematical treatments (probit analysis versus curve fitting to Von Bertalanffy and Hill functions) are investigated. Known anti-cancer (doxorubicin, daunorubicin, dacarbazine, 5-fluorouracil) and antiparasitic (emetine, dehydroemetine, metronidazole, cucurbitine, chloroquine) drugs were tested using this method and only metronidazole appeared inactive. Application of this model to Euphorbia hirta established that a 100 degrees C aqueous extraction of fresh aerial parts allows efficient extraction of active constituents and that drying the plant material before extraction considerably reduces activity.