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EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS IN COUNTRIES BORDERING DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: LESSONS FROM WEST AFRICAN OUTBREAK: Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness
No full textBackground: Ebola virus disease ravaged three West African countries in the wake of 2014 which was seen as the deadliest Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in history. Several lessons were taken out of the West African outbreak as one of the major lessons taken out from the West African outbreak is lack of preparedness by countries in this region.
Materials and Methods: This paper looked at the mistakes of the West African outbreak and reports how such mistakes were corrected in the current outbreak going on in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Preparedness efforts are currently taking place in countries bordering DRC which included quick detection and response to an eventual EVD event.
Results: This paid off on several occasions when cases from DRC to Uganda were quickly detected and response was as quick as possible. Preparedness carried out in Countries bordering DRC included setting up of Rapid Response Team and training of these teams both at country and regional level. All members of the RRT were trained in all areas of readiness which included community engagement, laboratory, logistics, surveillance, case management, sample collection, packaging and shipment as well as Infection Prevention and Control.
Conclusion: These trainings have led to readiness to an eventual EVD event. Countries now have the ability to respond quickly with better Emergency Operation Centre for EVD
IN-VITRO SCREENING OF SOME PLANT EXTRACTS FOR THEIR POTENTIAL ANTICANCER ACTIVITY
Full text linkBackground: Natural products have been shown to be reliable sources of anticancer medicines although there is still a consistent demand for new therapeutic natural products for cancer treatment with minimal side-effects.Materials and Methods: In this study, six plant extracts (Grevillea robusta; Euphorbia millii; Euphorbia royleana; Aloe grandidentata; Bauhinia corniculate; and Cassia fistula) were screened for the presence of phytochemical metabolites as saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, anthraquinones and sterols, using qualitative tests. Antiproliferative screening assay was performed on a panel of three cancer cell-lines (HepG-2, HCT-116 and MCF-7) using MTT assay, and cytotoxicity was determined using WI-38 human fibroblast cell- line.Results: Some plant extracts reduced cellular growth for the selected cancerous cell-lines. For example, E. royleana and A. grandidentata extracts reduced HepG-2 cellular growth with IC50 of 0.42 and 0.53μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, A. grandidentata and C. fistula reduced cellular growth of MCF-7 with IC50 of 0.37 and 0.67 μg/mL, respectively.
Conclusion: E. royleana, A. grandidentata and C. fistula showed significant anti-proliferative activity against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cell-lines with non-cytotoxic nature. This suggests their potential role as anticancer agents against these types of cancer. The presence of flavonoids, sterols and anthraquinones may suggest their enhanced anti-proliferative activities. Therefore, this study has shed light on the possible use of these extracts as potential sources of natural products-based therapy for cancer
MANAGEMENT OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) – IS THERE A ROLE FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND HERBAL MEDICINAL PRODUCTS?
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TOOTHBRUSH AND TOWEL HANDLING AND THEIR MICROBIAL QUALITY: THE CASE OF STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, NYANKPALA CAMPUS, GHANA
Full text linksought to assess how students of the University for Development Studies handle their toothbrushes and towels and the consequence of that with regards to the microbial quality of these personnel hygiene materials.
Materials and Methods: A total of 100 swap samples were collected (50 toothbrushes and 50 towels) for microbial analysis. Questionnaires were administered to students from whom samples were collected to ascertain information on how they handle toothbrushes and towels. MacConkey agar and Mannitol Salt agar were used to isolate E. coli and S. aureus respectively, and cefoxitin used to identify the methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains.
Results: E. coli was present in all sampled towels, while 98% of the sampled toothbrushes contained E. coli. It was found that 2% of the respondents kept their toothbrushes in bathhouses, 44% kept them unenclosed in rooms and 54% kept them enclosed in rooms (54%). Also, 48% of the respondents washed their towels once a week, 24% washed once every two weeks, 20% once every month and 8% once a trimester. Moreover, 52% dried their towels in rooms while 48% dried them outside rooms. The occurrence of S. aureus was 96% and 94% respectively for the towels and toothbrushes. Of the S. aureus isolated, 33.3% of sampled towels and 12.8% of the toothbrushes contained methicillin-resistant S. aureus.
Conclusion: This study found that, students are at risk of contracting infectious disease if their personal hygiene behaviours do not changed.
 
INCIDENCE OF RIFAMPICIN-RESISTANCE PRESUMPTIVE M. TUBERCULOSIS CASES AMONG OUTPATIENTS IN KEBBI STATE, NIGERIA
Full text linkBackground: The present study determined the incidence of rifampicin resistance M. tuberculosis among outpatients at the General Hospital Yauri, Kebbi State, Nigeria.
Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional study conducted from February 2018 to October 2019. Sociodemographic data were collected from hospital registration books. Rifampicin resistance M. tuberculosis was detected using GeneXpert Model GX-IV following manufacturers' instruction. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were computed using SPSS version 20. The results were presented as odds ratios with associated 95% confidence intervals, and P-value at 0.05.
Result: Of the 837 samples, 65.8% (551/837) were males, and 34.2% (286/837) females, 11.4% (95/837) HIV-seropositive. M. tuberculosis was detected in 15.5% (130/837), of which 116/130 (89.23%) were males and 14/130 (10.77%) females. M. tuberculosis-HIV coinfection was detected in 9.47% (9/95) of HIV positive. Rifampicin resistance was observed in 1.3% (11/837), 7.7% (10/130) in M. tuberculosis patients and 1.05% (1/94) in HIV seropositive. In logistic regression, the odds ratio for having a rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis was 0.49 (0.15-1.54) for > 30 years; taking <30 years as the reference value, 1.02 (1.00-1.03) for male; taking female as the reference value, and 0.78 (0.09-6.15) for HIV positive, taking negative as the reference value.
Conclusion: This study reported the current incidence rate of rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis at the General Hospital Yelwa Yauri, Kebbi State, Nigeria, among presumptive TB patients. Patients diagnosed with rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis were predominantly male adults. Thus, frequent screening is vital for surveillance and reduces the risk of transmission and spread of M. tuberculosis 
EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF MEDICINAL PLANT EXTRACTS AGAINST CLINICAL ISOLATES OF PATHOGENS FROM CHILDREN WITH ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS AT KATUTURA STATE HOSPITAL¸ WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA
Full text linkBackground: Diarrhea is a major health concern in Namibia with an estimate of 17000 cases in 2015 in Omusati and Kunene regions. The aims of this study were to isolate and identify gastrointestinal pathogens from stool samples of children admitted with acute gastroenteritis, and to determine the efficacy of selected medicinal plants used to treat gastroenteritis in Namibia. Materials and Methods: Stool samples were collected from children under five admitted to Katutura state hospital with acute diarrhea. Seeplex12 automated DNA extractor was used to extract bacterial DNA from the samples. PCR was used for bacteria identification. Medicinal plants Boscia albitrunca, Ziziphus mucronata, Combretum apiculatum, Solanum linnaeanum and Terminalia. sericea were collected, dried, ground and extracted using distilled water and ethanol. Plant extracts were screened for the presence of bioactive phytochemicals using TLC. Disc diffusion method was used to determine antibacterial activity of the plant extracts against the clinical bacteria isolates. Results: A total of 18 stool samples were collected and 12 samples were successfully identified by PCR. 33.3% were positive for Salmonella spp., 11.1% for E. coli 157:H7 VTEC and 22.2% for E.coli H7. C. apiculatum organic extracts exhibited potent antibacterial activity of (16± 0.57mm) at 1000 µg/ml against Shigella and Salmonella with a moderate minimum inhibitory concentration of 250 µg/ml against Salmonella. Salmonella and Shigella showed resistance to 10µg/ml of ampicillin. Conclusion: Plant extracts showed antibacterial activity against ampicillin resistant strains and E. coli 157:H7 VTEC, further tests to determine the toxicology and in vivo efficacy should be conducted
ERRATUM PROAPOPTOTIC, ANTI-CELL PROLIFERATIVE, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-ANGIOGENIC POTENTIAL OF CARNOSIC ACID DURING 7,12 DIMETHYLBENZ[A]ANTHRACENE-INDUCED HAMSTER BUCCAL POUCH CARCINOGENESIS
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SEVERITY OF TB CLASSIFIED BY MODIFIED BANDIM TB SCORING ASSOCIATES WITH THE SPECIFIC SEQUENCE OF ESXA GENES IN MDR-TB PATIENTS
Full text linkBackground: The severity of pulmonary TB and detection of multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) TB strains as potential causative agents could be crucial for the determination of treatment success. This study aimed to analyze the association between the specific sequences of the full esxA gene from MDR-TB sputum isolates and the severity class of MDR-TB patients.
Material and Methods: A total of 98 sputum samples that were suspected to be MDR-TB were collected from Dr. Soetomo, Surabaya, Indonesia, from September until December 2016. A total of 24 isolates from the 98 patients were confirmed to have positive MDR-TB based on the GeneXpert test. MDR-TB isolates were tested using PCR targeting 580 bp encompassing the full esxA gene, and the resulting amplicon was sequenced. The severity class of the pulmonary TB patients was assessed using modified Bandim TB scoring.
Results: The patient severity classification resulted in a moderate and severe degree of TB in 38% and a mild degree of TB in 63% of patients. Visualization of the PCR results showed that all MDR-TB samples were positive for the 580 bp band, and the sequence results showed 100% homology with that of the virulent wild-type M. tuberculosis H37Rv (NC_000962.3).
Conclusions: In the current study, an association between the characteristics of the full esxA gene and the severity class of MDR-TB patients has yet to be found. However, the homologous sequence of all samples, associated with various degrees of disease severity, possess 100% identity with that of wild-type M. tuberculosis H37Rv.
 
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HIV INFECTION AMONG CLIENTS ACCESSING HIV COUNSELING AND TESTING SERVICES IN A SECONDARY REFERRAL HOSPITAL IN LAGOS, NIGERIA: Factors associated with HIV infection
No full textBackground: HIV counselling and testing (HCT) provides an opportunity for people to learn more about HIV. This study assessed the knowledge of and factors associated with of HIV infections among clients assessing HCT in a referral hospital in Lagos Nigeria.
Methods: Retrospective review of records of clients who assessed HCT service at Mainland Hospital Lagos Nigeria between July 1 2016 and December 31 2017 was done. Adjusted odd ratios outcome variables were determined.
Results: A total of 4273 clients were screened for HIV within the study period. The mean age of clients was 38.5±14.4. Male:Female ratio was 1:0.87. The prevalence of HIV infection was 19%. Factors associated with HIV infection were; age above 24 years, being female (AOR 1.6 95%CI 1.4 – 2.0, p <0.001), previous marriage (divorced, widowed, separated) (AOR 2.3 95% CI 1.7 – 3.3, p <0.001) and poor knowledge of HIV (AOR 2.9 95% CI 2.2 – 3.6, p <0.001). Males were about 15 times likely to have good knowledge of HIV than females (AOR 14.5 95% CI 10.5 – 20.0, p <0.001). In addition clients who were single (AOD 3.6 95% CI 2.4 – 5.4, p <0.001) and married (AOR 3.9 95%CI 2.9 – 5.3, p <0.001) were four times likely to have good knowledge of HIV than clients who were previously married.
Conclusion: A more proactive measures are required to educate the public especially women who were previously married on the HIV transmission and preventio