Association of intestinal helminthic infection and nutritional status of primary school children in Gombe State, Nigeria

Background: Intestinal helminthic infections are among the commonest infections worldwide. It often affects the poorest communities and has similar geographic distribution with malnutrition. Intestinal helminthic infection contributes to undernutrition through subtle reduction in digestion and absorption of food, chronic inflammation and loss of nutrients. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminthic infection and its relationship with nutritional status of primary school children in Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study of 350 pupils selected through multistage random sampling technique from 24 primary schools in Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria from July 2018 to January 2019. Demographic information including age, gender, height, and weight were collected from each participant with a designed collection form. The data were analysed using SPSS version 24.0, and presented as frequency distribution and mean ± SD. The Chisquare test (with Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval) was used to test for association between prevalence of helminthiasis and factors such as gender, age group and school type. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. Results: The prevalence of intestinal helminthic infection was 23.7% (83/350). Eighty (96.4%) of the 83 infected pupils were in public schools while only 3 (3.6%) were in private schools (p<0.001). The prevalence of helminthiasis was significantly higher in underweight pupils (34%, OR=2.113, p=0.0065)) and significantly lower (5.4%, OR=0.1637, p=0.0037) in overweight pupils while the prevalence was not significantly associated with normal weight (p=0.5482) or obesity (p=1.000). Conclusions: Intestinal helminthic infection is a public health problem in children with adverse significant relationship with nutritional status. Provision of toilet facilities in schools and periodic de-worming of pupils aimed at reducing loss of nutrients from intestinal helminthiasis are recommended.

[Teleworking and its repercussions in the Senegalese context during the covid-19 pandemic]. / Le Teletravail et ses repercussions en contexte Senegalais durant la pandemie a covid-19.

PURPOSE: To describe the repercussions of teleworking among the employees of an humanitarian agency based in Dakar, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a transversal, descriptive study, from june 10 to 13, 2021. An anonymous online questionnaire, created via Google Survey platform, was sent to the various employees of this agency. RESULTS: Married people were more numerous (76%). The average age was 45.7 yearsold. The employees lived in families of an average of six peoples. The most enumerated advantages of teleworking were the economic gains linked to the absence of travel (88%), the improvement of work / family balance (84%), the increase in efficiency (64%) and feeling of freedom felt (56%). On the other hand, the increase in working time (96%), low back pain (72%), the family environment often not very favorable to teleworking (52%) and the decrease in social ties between colleagues (60%) were the main limitations of teleworking. CONCLUSION: It has many advantages and also has limitations. These could be minimized by better organization and psychological support for the staff.

BUT: Décrire les répercussions du télétravail chez les employés d'une agence humanitaire basée à Dakar, dans le contexte de la pandémie à Covid-19. MATÉRIEL ET MÉTHODES: Nous avons procédé à une étude transversale, descriptive, réalisée du 10 au 13 juin 2021. Un questionnaire anonyme en ligne, créé via la plateforme Google Survey, avait été adressé aux différents employés de cette agence. RÉSULTATS: Les mariés étaient plus nombreux (76%). L'âge moyen était de 45,7 ans. Les employés vivaient dans des familles de six personnes en moyenne. Les avantages du télétravail les plus énumérés étaient les gains économiques liés à l'absence de déplacement (88%), l'amélioration de la conciliation travail/famille (84%), l'augmentation de l'efficacité (64%) et le sentiment de liberté ressenti (56%). Par contre, l'augmentation du temps de travail (96%), les lombalgies (72%), le cadre familial souvent peu favorable au télétravail (52%) et la diminution des liens sociaux entre collègues (60%) étaient les principales limites du télétravail. CONCLUSION: Il revêt de nombreux avantages et présente également des limites. Ces dernières pourraient être minimisées par une meilleure organisation et un accompagnement psychologique du personnel.

A mini- national surveillance study of resistance profiles of Staphylococcus Aureus isolated from clinical specimens across hospitals in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Infections with Staphylococcus aureus cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Resistant strains of S. aureus to commonly used antibiotics are being increasingly encountered in clinical practice, necessitating the need to determine the resistance pattern in Nigeria. METHODS: Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on 360 S. aureus isolates from clinical specimen from seven hospitals across the six geo-political regions of Nigeria using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion technique, and E-test for vancomycin. Cefoxitin 30 µg disc was used to determine methicillin resistance, and D-test for inducible clindamycin resistance. RESULTS: Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was confirmed in 176 (48.9%) of the isolates, 346 (96%) for penicillin G and 311 (86.4%) for trimethoprim. 175 (99.4%) of the 176 resistant to methicillin were susceptible to vancomycin. Linezolid, tigecycline, chloramphenicol and clindamycin had susceptibilities of 341 (94.7%), 332 (92.2%), 298 (82.8%) and 290 (80.6%) respectively. Inducible clindamycin resistance was elucidated in 25 (29.1%) of the 86 isolates. Generally, MRSA isolates were more resistant than methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) to all antibiotics tested. CONCLUSION: Staphylococcus aureus rates of resistance are high and call for urgent action such as antibiotic stewardship programmes and periodic surveillance to enhance clinical outcomes. While targeted therapy is preferred, options for empiric treatment include chloramphenicol, clindamycin, linezolid or vancomycin.

Fate of faecal pathogen indicators during faecal sludge composting with different bulking agents in tropical climate.

In recent years, composting has increasingly been promoted as a reliable method for sanitizing Faecal Sludge (FS) from onsite sanitation systems, particularly where there are opportunities to use the recovered nutrients in agriculture. However, there remain gaps in our understanding of the fate of infectious faecal pathogens during composting, particularly in tropical climates. This study investigated the influence of different locally available bulking agents on the inactivation efficiency of composting by tracking the fate of four key indicator organisms (E. coli, Salmonella spp., Enterococci spp., and viable helminth eggs). Dewatered FS was mixed with different bulking agents - i.e. Sawdust (SD), Coffee husks (CH) and Brewery waste (BW). Compost piles of FS:SD, FS:CH, and FS:BW in a volumetric ratio of 1:2 were set-up in duplicate (3 m3 each), composted on a pilot scale and monitored weekly for the survival of pathogen indicators for a period of 15 weeks. The study findings suggest that the different bulking agents have a statistically significant (p < 0.05) effect on the temperature evolution and survival of pathogen indicators in compost. CH was the most suitable bulking agent for composting with FS as piles containing CH exhibited higher pathogen inactivation efficiency and shorter inactivation periods of 6 weeks compared to 8 weeks for SD and BW piles. Time-temperature was the most important factor responsible for pathogen inactivation. However, other mechanisms such as indigenous microbial and toxic by-products such as NH4+-N also played an important role in the inactivation of pathogens. The results suggest that co-composting of FS with a sawdust, coffee husk or brewery waste for 8 weeks with thermophilic temperatures of about 48-60 °C sustained in the composting piles for more than 38 days, using 7 days turning frequency, is sufficient to ensure complete sanitization of FS before reuse in agriculture.

Seismicity on tidally active solid-surface worlds.

Tidal interactions between planets or stars and the bodies that orbit them dissipate energy in their interiors. The dissipated energy heats the interior and a fraction of that energy will be released as seismic energy. Here we formalize a model to describe the tidally-driven seismic activity on planetary bodies based on tidal dissipation. To constrain the parameters of our model we use the seismic activity of the Moon, driven by tidal dissipation from the Earth-Moon interactions. We then apply this model to predict the amount of seismic energy release and largest seismic events on other moons in our Solar System and exoplanetary bodies. We find that many moons in the Solar System should be more seismically active than the Earth's Moon and many exoplanets should exhibit more seismic activity than the Earth. Finally, we examine how temporal-spatial variations in tidal dissipation manifest as variations in the locations and timing of seismic events on these bodies.

Optimal antiretroviral therapy adherence as evaluated by CASE index score tool is associated with virological suppression in HIV-infected adults in Dakar, Senegal.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with optimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and virological failure (VLF) among HIV-infected adults enrolled in the national ART programme at the teaching hospital of Fann, Dakar, Senegal. METHODS: Cross-sectional study from 1 September 2013 to 30 January 2014. OUTCOMES: (1) optimal ART adherence by the Center for Adherence Support Evaluation (CASE) Index Score (>10) and (2) VLF (HIV RNA > 1000 copies/ml). Diagnostic accuracy of CASE Index Score assessed using sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with optimal adherence and VLF. RESULTS: Of 98 HIV-infected patients on ART, 68% were female. The median (IQR) age was 42 (20-50) years. A total of 57 of 98 (60%) were on ART more than 3 years, and majority (88%) were on NNRTI-based first-line ART regimen. A total of 79 of 98 (80%) patients reported optimal ART adherence, and only five of 84 (5.9%) had documented VLF. Patients with VLF were significantly more likely to have suboptimal ART adherence (17.7% vs. 2.9%; P = 0.02). CASE Index Score showed the best trade-off in Se (78.9%, 95% CI: 54.4-93.9%), Sp (20.0%, 95% CI: 11.1-31.7), PPV (22.4, 95% CI: 13.1-34.2%) and NPV (76.5%, 95% CI: 50.1-93.2), when used VLF threshold of HIV RNA >50 copies/ml. Factors independently associated with VLF were CASE Index Score <10 ([aOR] = 13.0, 95% CI: 1.1-147.9; P = 0.04) and being a boosted PI-based ART regimen ([aOR] = 27.0, 95% CI: 2.4-309.4; P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal ART adherence is achievable in a high proportion of HIV-infected adults in this study population. CASE Index Score was independently associated with virological outcomes, supporting usefulness of this low-cost ART adherence monitoring tool in this setting.

Effect of filter media thickness on the performance of sand drying beds used for faecal sludge management.

The effect of sand filter media thickness on the performance of faecal sludge (FS) drying beds was determined in terms of: dewatering time, contaminant load removal efficiency, solids generation rate, nutrient content and helminth eggs viability in the dried sludge. A mixture of ventilated improved pit latrine sludge and septage in the ratio 1:2 was dewatered using three pilot-scale sludge drying beds with sand media thicknesses of 150, 250 and 350 mm. Five dewatering cycles were conducted and monitored for each drying bed. Although the 150 mm filter had the shortest average dewatering time of 3.65 days followed by 250 mm and 350 mm filters with 3.83 and 4.02 days, respectively, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) attributable to filter media thickness configurations. However, there was a significant difference for the percolate contaminant loads in the removal and recovery efficiency of suspended solids, total solids, total volatile solids, nitrogen species, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand, with the highest removal efficiency for each parameter achieved by the 350 mm filter. There were also significant differences in the nutrient content (NPK) and helminth eggs viability of the solids generated by the tested filters. Filtering media configurations similar to 350 mm have the greatest potential for optimising nutrient recovery from FS.

Penetration of spherical projectiles into wet granular media.

We measure experimentally the penetration depth d of spherical particles into a water-saturated granular medium made of much smaller sand-sized grains. We vary the density, size R, and velocity U of the impacting spheres, and the size δ of the grains in the granular medium. We consider velocities between 7 and 107 m/s, a range not previously addressed, but relevant for impacts produced by volcanic eruptions. We find that d∝R(1/3)δ(1/3)U(2/3). The scaling with velocity is similar to that identified in previous, low-velocity collisions, but it also depends on the size of the grains in the granular medium. We develop a model, consistent with the observed scaling, in which the energy dissipation is dominated by the work required to rearrange grains along a network of force chains in the granular medium.

[Evaluation of tolerance of zidovudine-lamivudine-nevirapine combination in HIV 1 patients in Fann Teaching Hospital in Dakar]. / Évaluation de la tolérance de l'association zidovudine-lamivudine-névirapine chez les patients VIH-1 au Centre hospitalier de Fann à Dakar.

We conducted a study to evaluate the tolerance of the zidovudine (AZT), lamivudine (3TC) and nevirapine (NVP) combination regimen in HIV-1 patients by a descriptive analytical retrospective study of all HIV-1 patients receiving AZT-3TC-NVP combination between 2008 and 2011. Seventy patients were included. Two thirds of the patients presented at least one side effect (44 cases). The digestive disorders (15 cases) and neuropsychiatric (14 cases) were the most frequent. Epigastralgia (20%), headaches (20%) and arthralgias (13%) were main side effects. A maculo-papular exanthema was noted in three cases. During the follow-up, five patients presented with anemia. No patient presented hepatic cytolysis due to NVP. All the patients followed for more than six months presented a side effect against 29.7% when the duration of treatment was equal to or less than 6 months (p=10(-5)). Most of the side effects due to the association AZT/3TC/NVP are minor. The evaluation of the clinical and biological tolerance must be maintained during all the follow-up.

[An attempt to analyse the recovery mode effects on heart rate and performance in a series of 400 meter flat race]. / Essai d'analyse des effets du mode de récupération sur la fréquence cardiaque et la performance au cours d'une série de courses de 400 mètres plats.

22 subjects divided into two groups A and B have to observe respectively passive and active recuperations. The analysis of the results shows that the subjects of Group B present a lower pulse rate at the end of the test. However, their average heart rate is not significantly different form that of the subjects of Group A. Group B is significantly more performant than Group A with regard to the total distance covered (P < 001) and duration (05 > P > 01).

[Immunoblastic lymphoma as expression of the final phase of IgA multiple myeloma]. / Linfoma inmunoblástico como expresión de la fase terminal de un mieloma múltiple IgA.

We present the case of a patient diagnosed of IgA multiple myeloma who, four months after being diagnosed and after four cycles with VCAP with good response, showed high fever and constitutional syndrome; multiple subcutaneous nodules appeared during his hospitalization. Biopsy of the bone marrow, and of one of the nodules showed an immunoblastic lymphoma. Even with treatment the patient died due to a pneumonia and a digestive hemorrhage.

Joint larval development of Cystocaulus ocreatus/Muellerius capillaris and C. ocreatus/Neostrongylus linearis (Nematoda) in six species of Helicidae (Mollusca) experimentally infected).

This is the first study on the experimental susceptibility of the following species of molluscs: Cernuella (X.) cespitum arigonis, Helicella (H.) itala, Helicella ordunensis, Cochlicella barbara, Cepaea nemoralis and Helix (C.) aspersa, as intermediate hosts for the combination of both C. ocreatus and M. capillaris, pulmonary parasites in ruminants. Furthermore, the larval development of C. ocreatus and N. linearis, the two taken together, has been followed in Cernuella (X.) cespitum arigonis, H. ordunensis and C. nemoralis. Approximately 40 specimens of each of the above-mentioned species of molluscs were infected with the parasites listed. Bearing in mind the results obtained, we believe that while Cernuella (X.) cespitum arigonis, H. ordunensis, C. nemoralis, C. barbara and Helicella (H.) itala are suitable intermediate hosts for the larval combination of C. ocreatus and M. capillaris, the same cannot be said of Helix (C.) aspersa. Likewise, the first 3 species of molluscs quoted are ideal for the joint larval development of C. ocreatus and N. linearis. It seems that double infections favour larval development.