Alterations in fruit and vegetable β-carotene and vitamin C content caused by open-sun drying, visqueen-covered and polyethylene-covered solar-dryers

This study investigated the effects of three drying methods (open sun drying, visqueen-covered solar dryer and polyethylene-covered solar dryer) on β-carotene and vitamin C content of edible portions of mango fruit (Mangifera indica) and cowpea leaves (Vigna unguiculata). Commercial samples were analysed for vitamin C by titrimetry and β-carotene by spectrophotometery at 450nm. Differences in vitamin retention and loss associated with the three drying methods were assessed by analysis of variance and least significant difference (LSD) at (

Production and utilization of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) in Uganda

Jackfruit originated from East Asia, known to be the largest tree born fruit weighs up to 30kg and yields 50-80 tons per hectare annually. The fruit has large potential in Uganda and has been used in value added products on a small and rudimentary scale. This work assessed the production and utilization patterns of jackfruit with a view of determining its capacity to sustain industrial scale processing. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in jackfruit producing regions from April to June 2016. The study variables were household farm size, number of jackfruit trees, types, utilization methods and constraints associated with jackfruit production. A purposive sampling design was used to select districts, sub-counties, parishes and villages to participate in the survey. A total of 400 household heads from the study area were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire. Responses and observations were recorded; secondary data was also reviewed for information on the total number of households in a district. The results showed that 32% of the respondents worked on 1-2 acres of farmland on which they have at least 2-7 jackfruit trees. About 57% of jackfruit trees were planted while the remaining 43% were inherited. The study area was estimated to have about 1.7 million fruiting jackfruit trees with the number of fruits per tree varying between 20-120 fruits and weighing11 kg, on average. Jackfruit harvest season in Uganda has two peaks in March to April and November to December, with the latter season yielding more fruit. Jackfruit is categorized into white, orange and yellow types based on the pulp color, hard or soft according to pulp texture. About 78% of households produced jack fruit mainly for home consumption, 16% of the households sold the fruit, and 6% fed it to animals while 1% of the household processed them into dried chips or jackfruit wine. The estimated jackfruit production per district in the study area was 0.3 million metric tons/annum. Although the study area has a potential of producing jackfruit for industrial processing, there is need to grow more jackfruit in an organized manner to meet the increasing and competing demands for both home consumption and industrial processing.Keywords: Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus, production, categorization, utilization, household, consumption, flake

Journal of African Christian Biography: v. 2, no. 3

A publication of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography with U.S. offices located at the Center for Global Christianity and Mission at Boston University. This issue focuses on: 1. Agnes Okoh. 2. Self-Sacrificial Christian Pioneers of Uganda. 3. Apolo Kivebulaya. 4. Njangalia. 5. Spetume Florence. 6. Luwum. 7. Janani Jakaliya. 8. Anglican Church in Uganda. 9. Lamin Sanneh

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of samples from pediatric febrile illness in Tororo, Uganda.

Febrile illness is a major burden in African children, and non-malarial causes of fever are uncertain. In this retrospective exploratory study, we used metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to evaluate serum, nasopharyngeal, and stool specimens from 94 children (aged 2-54 months) with febrile illness admitted to Tororo District Hospital, Uganda. The most common microbes identified were Plasmodium falciparum (51.1% of samples) and parvovirus B19 (4.4%) from serum; human rhinoviruses A and C (40%), respiratory syncytial virus (10%), and human herpesvirus 5 (10%) from nasopharyngeal swabs; and rotavirus A (50% of those with diarrhea) from stool. We also report the near complete genome of a highly divergent orthobunyavirus, tentatively named Nyangole virus, identified from the serum of a child diagnosed with malaria and pneumonia, a Bwamba orthobunyavirus in the nasopharynx of a child with rash and sepsis, and the genomes of two novel human rhinovirus C species. In this retrospective exploratory study, mNGS identified multiple potential pathogens, including 3 new viral species, associated with fever in Ugandan children

Prevalence of subclinical mastitis, its associated bacterial isolates and risk factors among cattle in Africa : a systematic review and meta-analysis

DATA AVAILABILITY : The datasets on which the findings and conclusions of this article are based can be availed upon request from the corresponding author.BACKGROUND : Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is one of the most economically important diseases affecting the dairy industry. The SCM does not cause visible changes in the udder or physical changes of the milk as compared to clinical mastitis, and a clear overview of the prevalence and risk factors in the different regions of Africa is still lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of SCM and assess the associated risk factors and dominant bacterial pathogens among cattle in Africa. MATERIALS AND METHODS : We gathered and systematically reviewed literature concerning SCM, published in English from January 2010 through December 2020 in two databases (PubMed and Web of Science), and meta-analysis was conducted using the ‘meta’ and ‘metafor’ packages in the R statistical software. RESULTS : A total of 258 studies were retrieved and at the end of the screening, 82 full-texts were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of SCM was reported in 11 countries in five regions of Africa, and the randomeffects model showed that the weighted pooled prevalence estimate (PPE) was 48.2% (95% CI: 43.6–52.8%). Heterogeneity was high and statistically significant as I2 (proportion of observed variation) was 98.1% (95% CI: 98.0-98.3%), τ2 (true between-study variance) was 0.0433 (95% CI: 0.0322–0.0611), and the Cochran Q statistic was 4362.8 (p < 0.0001). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses showed that East Africa had significantly (p = 0.0092) the highest PPE of SCM (67.7%, 95% CI: 55.7–78.7) followed by West Africa (50.5%, 95%CI: 31.4–69.5), and the lowest was in North Africa (40.3%, 95%: 32.2–48.6). Other significant moderators for SCM were age (p < 0.0001), breed (p = 0.0002), lactation stage (p = 0.019) and parity (p = 0.0008) of cattle. Staphylococcus species (prevalence 43.7%) were the most predominant pathogens, followed by Streptococcus (18.2%) and Escherichia species (9.5%). CONCLUSION : The present study showed a high variation of SCM prevalence in various parts of Africa, although there is a need for more data in some regions. The reported prevalence is a clear sign of inappropriate management practices among cattle herds and an indicator of the threat that SCM poses to the dairy industry. The information about the predisposing factors may guide effective management and control strategies to reduce transmission of the disease.The Central university of Technology, through the UCDP M&D Grant, and the National Research Foundation.https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.comam2024Veterinary Tropical DiseasesSDG-02:Zero Hunge

A case report: the first successful cochlear implant in Uganda.

Hearing impairment is a significant disability. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of the world\u2019s approximately 120 million people with hearing impairment live in developing countries. Cochlear implant is the only therapeutic intervention for those with severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss. We are reporting an interesting case of the very first cochlear implant operation carried out in Uganda. The patient was a 23 year old male whose presenting complaint was inability to hear in the left ear for three and a half years and in the right ear for one year. He had been treated for TB(Tuberculosis) mastoiditis . After the 8 months of treatment, the otorrhea persisted and he underwent a tympanomastoidectomy on the same ear. He reported no familial history of hearing loss. On examination, ENT examination revealed a small pars flaccida retration pocket of the right tympanic membrane with cholesteatoma. The left ear had an intact tympanic membrane. Pure tone audiometry revealed profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears( see attached PTA results), CT scan of the temporal bone showed normal inner ear anatomy bilaterally and mild sclerotic changes in both mastoid bones. He then had surgery on his right ear which included cochlear implantation. The cochlear implant (CI) was activated on the first postoperative day remotely via internet with the help of the cochlear implant team at New York University Cochlear Implant Center and the patient was immediately able to appreciate some sounds. He received a pneumococcal vaccine on the first postoperative day and was discharged the following day

Outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever among miners in Kamwenge and Ibanda Districts, Uganda, 2007

Marburg hemorrhagic fever was detected among 4 miners in Ibanda District, Uganda, from June through September, 2007. Infection was likely acquired through exposure to bats or bat secretions in a mine in Kamwenge District, Uganda, and possibly human-to-human transmission between some patients. We describe the epidemiologic investigation and the health education response

Arbovirus circulation, epidemiology and spatiotemporal distribution in Uganda

BackgroundArboviruses are endemic in Uganda; however, little is known about their epidemiology, seasonality, and spatiotemporal distribution. This study sought to provide information on arbovirus outbreaks from acute clinical presentations.MethodsA retrospective analysis of IgM and confirmatory Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT)and results for arbovirus diagnosis of samples collected from 2016 to 2019 was carried out. Demographic data were used to determine the epidemiology and spatiotemporal distribution of arboviruses using the SaTScan and SPSS software.ResultsArbovirus activity peaked consistently during March-May rainy seasons. The overall arbovirus seroprevalence was 9·5% (137/1441). Of the 137 IgM positives, 72 (52·6%) were confirmed by PRNT, of which the central region (53/72; 73·6%) and YFV (20/72; 27·8%) had the highest prevalence. The 5-14 age group were four times more likely to be infected with an arbovirus p=0·003, 4·1 (1·3- 12·3 CI). Significant arboviral activity was observed among indoor (p=0·003) and outdoor (p=0·05) patients. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated arboviral activity in 23 districts with five distinct clusters in 6 districts. Masaka, in the Central region, was the most affected among the districts, with a significant YFV cluster (p˂0·001) from March to May 2016.InterpretationThis study shows that arbovirus activity peak during the March-May rainy season and highlights the need for YFV mass vaccination to reduce the clinical burden of arboviruses transmitted within the region