The association between multiple intestinal helminth infections and blood group, anaemia and nutritional status in human populations from Dore Bafeno, southern Ethiopia.

In this cross-sectional study, the associations between helminth infections and ABO blood group, anaemia and undernutrition were investigated in 480 febrile outpatients who visited Dore Bafeno Health Centre, southern Ethiopia, in December 2010. Stool specimens were processed using the Kato-Katz method and examined for intestinal helminth infections. Haemoglobin level was measured using a HemoCue machine and blood group was determined using an antisera haemagglutination test. Nutritional status of the study participants was assessed using height and weight measurements. Among the study participants, 50.2% were infected with intestinal helminths. Ascaris lumbricoides (32.7%), Trichuris trichiura (12.7%), Schistosoma mansoni (11.9%) and hookworm (11.0%) were the most frequently diagnosed helminths. The odds of infection and mean eggs per gram of different intestinal helminth species were comparable between the various blood groups. Among individuals who were infected with intestinal helminth(s), the mean haemoglobin level was significantly lower in individuals harbouring three or more helminth species and blood type AB compared to cases with double or single helminth infection and blood type O, respectively. The odds of being underweight was significantly higher in A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura infected individuals of age ≤ 5 and ≥ 20 years, respectively, when compared to individuals of the matching age group without intestinal helminths. In conclusion, infection with multiple intestinal helminths was associated with lower haemoglobin level, which was more severe in individuals with blood type AB. Future studies should focus on mechanisms by which blood group AB exacerbates the helminth-related reduction in mean haemoglobin level.

In Vivo Anti-Malarial Activities of Clerodendrum Myricoides; Dodonea Angustifolia and Aloe Debrana against Plasmodium Berghei

Background:Malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum is an acute disease which kills an estimated 863;000 people per year according to the WHO report of 2009. The fight against malaria is faced with the occurrence of widespread resistance of P. falciparum. The search for plant-derived antimalarial drugs has great importance in this regard. Thus this study evaluates the toxicity and antimalarial activity of extracts of Clerodendrum myricoides; Dodonia angustifolia and Aloe debrana. Method: Acute and sub acute toxicity studies of the extracts were carried out by giving up to 3000mg/kg to noninfected mice. Weight loss; change in general behavior and mortality were used as indicators of toxicity. Doses of 200; 400 et 600mg/kg/day of each extract of C.myricoides; D. dodonia and A.debrana were given orally to Plasmodium berghei infected mice following the four-day suppressive test procedure. Results: None of the extracts caused symptoms of toxicity at the given doses. Each extract showed variable level of parasitaemia suppression in dose related manner. Methanol extract of C. myricoides leaves exerted 82.50suppression at the dose of 600mg/kg. The methanol extract of the root of D. angustifolia showed the highest (84.52) suppression of parasitaemia at the dose of 600mg/kg. Furthermore; methanol extract of A. debrana induced 73.95suppression; whereas its water extract exerted 54.36suppression of parasitaemia. Conclusion: Crude extracts of C. myricoides; D. angustifolia and A.debrana caused strong activities against P. berghei indicating that they contain some chemical constituents that possibly lead to antimalarial drug development

Efficacy of six-dose regimen of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria, three years after its introduction into Ethiopia.

We assessed the clinical and parasitological efficacy of six-dose regimen of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) (Coartem) for treating uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria three years after its introduction into Ethiopia. A total of 102 patients (mean age: 15.7 years; age range: 1-50 years) were enrolled in the study and followed-up for 28 days based on WHO protocol. Treatment with AL resulted in 100% adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR). No severe side-effect of the drug was observed. All patients had rapid clinical and parasitological responses. None of the subject was found to be positive for asexual or sexual stage of the parasite after day 3. A significant increase in the mean of haemoglobin level was observed on day 28 posttreatment (11.4 g/dL on day 0 vs 12.3 g/dL on day 28, p < 0.05). Thus, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) seem to mitigate not only the problem of drug resistance malaria but also the transmission of the disease. Nevertheless, monitoring ACT therapeutic efficacy is crucial in Ethiopia.