Public health significance of viral contamination of drinking water

Water-borne enteric viruses pose a threat to both human and animal life causing a wide range of illnesses. Groundwater is the commonest transmission route for these viruses. About 50% of groundwater related disease outbreaks are attributable to viruses. Recent studies in developed countries have focused on public water systems, unfortunately, without much attention to private household wells and storage facilities. This paper reviews disease outbreaks attributed to water-borne viruses, the public health significance of enteric viral diseases and problems encountered in the development of diagnostic assays. The objective of this review is to confer the rationale for more research to provide reliable baseline information on the significance of water-borne viruses in the developing world. Since the virological quality of drinking water can no longer be compromised, rapid and sensitive methods for detecting enteric viruses in drinking water, recreational water and their sources is a necessity. As a preventive measure, ground, surface and treated drinking water must be protected from viral contamination. Enforcement of legislative measures for regular viral monitoring of drinking water in the industry will ensure safety of consumers

A pilot microbial assessment of beef sold in the Ashaiman market, a suburb of Accra, Ghana

Food safety is a matter of great public health concern worldwide and particularly crucial if the environment in which the food is handled is heavily contaminated. Most fresh foods particularly that of animal origin like beef is highly susceptible to microbial invasion and food poisoning. In poorly managed market environment particularly in Ghana, unhygienic practice is the major cause for food contamination. This study observed the hygienic practices and microbiological food safety standards of butchers who specifically sold beef in the Ashaiman market in Accra, Ghana. Hygienic practices of sixteen (16) butchers were randomly selected in a cross sectional study using an eight point scale checklist weekly over a period of four weeks. The microbial quality of one hundred and twenty-eight (128) fresh beef samples were aseptically collected and analysed using standard microbiological techniques. It was observed that majority of the butchers did not practice safe hygiene standards as recommended by the Ghana Food and Drugs Board and the Ghana Standards Board. The beef samples were contaminated with Aerobic mesophiles (189-23000 cfu/g), Staphylococcus aureus (22-59 cfu/g), Bacillus cereus (17-41 cfu/g), Clostridium perfringens (21-48 cfu/g) and Escherichia coli (31-2200 cfu/g). The pH of the beef samples were between 6.50 and 6.90. The butchers in Ashaiman market supplied fairly contaminated beef to the general public. Escherichia coli , which is a sign of faecal contamination, was the predominant microbial contaminant in the samples examined. The result of unhygienic practices and poor handling of beef by butchers in the Ashaiman market is the major cause of contaminated beef. There are chances that other meat sold by virtually the same group of persons could equally or even more be contaminated by food borne pathogens. Hence food industry and consumers should be made aware of the potential risk of food borne pathogens in beef sold by butchers in Ashaiman market

MITOCHONDRIA AS PHARMACOLOGICAL TARGETS: THE DISCOVERY OF NOVEL ANTI-OBESITY MITOCHONDRIAL UNCOUPLERS FROM AFRICA’S MEDICINAL PLANTS

Obesity results from prolonged positive imbalance between energy in take and expenditure. When food intake chronically exceeds the body’s energy need, an efficient metabolism results in the storage of the excess energy as fat. Mitochondria are the main centre for energy production in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondrial proton cycling is responsible for a significant proportion of basal or standard metabolic rate, therefore, further uncoupling of mitochondria may be a good way to increase energy expenditure and hence represent a good pharmacological target for the treatment of obesity. This implies that, any chemical agent or photochemical compound that further uncouples the mitochondria in vivo without having any effect on mitochondria activity could be a potential target in finding treatment for obesity. In the past, uncoupling by 2, 4-dinitrophenol has been used this way with notable success. This paper discusses the mitochondria as targets in the discovery of potential plant natural anti-obesity products from Africa’s rich rainforest

Functional Significance of the E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Disease and Therapeutics

E3 ubiquitin ligases of which there are >600 putative in humans, constitute a family of highly heterogeneous proteins and protein complexes that are the ultimate enzymes responsible for the recruitment of an ubiquitin loaded E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, recognise the appropriate protein substrate and directly or indirectly transfer the ubiquitin load onto the substrate. The aftermath of an E3 ligase activity is usually the formation of an isopeptide bond between the free carboxylate group of ubiquitin’s C-terminal Gly76 and an ε-amino group of the substrate’s Lys, even though non-canonical ubiquitylation on non-amine groups of target proteins have been observed. E3 ligases are grouped into four distinct families: HECT, RING-finger/U-box, RBR and PHD-finger. E3 ubiquitin ligases play critical roles in subcellular signalling cascades in eukaryotes. Dysfunctional E3 ubiquitin ligases therefore tend to inflict dramatic effects on human health and may result in the development of various diseases including Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, cancer, etc. Being regulators of numerous cellular processes, some E3 ubiquitin ligases have become potential targets for therapy. This chapter will present a comprehensive review of up-to-date findings in E3 ligases, their role in the pathology of disease and therapeutic potential for future drug development

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among blood donors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana (2009)

Background: Despite education and availability of drugs and vaccines, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still the most common severe liver infection in the world accounting for >1 million annual deaths worldwide. Transfusion of infected blood, unprotected sex and mother to child transmission are 3 key transmission routes of HBV in Ghana. There is high incidence of blood demanding health situations in northern Ghana resulting from anemia, accidents, malnutrition, etc. The higher the demand, the higher the possibility of transmitting HBV through infected blood. The aim of the investigation was to estimate the prevalence of HBV in blood donors which will provide justification for interventions that will help minimize or eliminate HBV infection in Ghana. Findings. We investigated the prevalence of HBV infection among blood donors at Tamale Teaching Hospital. The Wondfo HBsAg test kit was used to determine the concentration of HBsAg in 6,462 (576 voluntary and 5,878 replacement) donors as being 1 ng/ml. 10.79% of voluntary donors and 11.59% of replacement donors were HBsAg+. The 20-29 year group of voluntary donors was >2 times more likely to be HBsAg + than 40-60. Also the 20-29 year category of replacement donors was >4 times as likely to be HBsAg + than 50-69. Conclusions: Risk of infection was age, sex and donor type dependent. The 20-29 year category had the highest prevalence of HBsAg + cases, mostly males residing within the metropolis. © 2012 Dongdem et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Chemical Composition and Microbial Contaminants of Poha Beer: A Local Nonalcoholic Beverage in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Ghana

Microbial and physicochemical analysis was performed on randomly sampled Poha Beer manufactured and vended in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Ghana. Poha Beer as it is referred to in Dagbani, is a Tamarindus indica fruit extract, a local nonalcoholic beverage originally processed and sold by rural women of the Dagomba ethnic descend. Morphological examination of bacterial cultures, Gram staining, and biochemical confirmatory tests were used to detect the presence of microbial pathogens in 45 samples of Poha Beer. A refractometer, a flame photometer and an atomic absorption spectrometer were used for the elemental analysis. All Poha Beer samples obtained from the Bolgatanga Municipality were positive for yeast, E. coli, Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus cereus. Pb was not detected in any of the samples. Chemical components detected include Zn2+ (average, 0.154 mg/L), Cd2+ (0.056 mg/L), Na+ (1.723 mg/L), Ca2+ (2.262 mg/L) and K+ (3.96 mg/L). All samples were acidic with an average pH value of 3.55. The Brix value of samples, however, was between 9.0 and 11.4 % per 40 mL of Poha Beer. Therefore, Poha Beer processed and sold in the Bolgatanga Municipality is acidic and contains detrimental amounts of Cd2+ and bacterial pathogens which may render it unwholesome for human consumption

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among blood donors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana (2009)

Abstract Background Despite education and availability of drugs and vaccines, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still the most common severe liver infection in the world accounting for >1 million annual deaths worldwide. Transfusion of infected blood, unprotected sex and mother to child transmission are 3 key transmission routes of HBV in Ghana. There is high incidence of blood demanding health situations in northern Ghana resulting from anemia, accidents, malnutrition, etc. The higher the demand, the higher the possibility of transmitting HBV through infected blood. The aim of the investigation was to estimate the prevalence of HBV in blood donors which will provide justification for interventions that will help minimize or eliminate HBV infection in Ghana. Findings We investigated the prevalence of HBV infection among blood donors at Tamale Teaching Hospital. The Wondfo HBsAg test kit was used to determine the concentration of HBsAg in 6,462 (576 voluntary and 5,878 replacement) donors as being ≥1 ng/ml. 10.79% of voluntary donors and 11.59% of replacement donors were HBsAg+. The 20-29 year group of voluntary donors was >2 times more likely to be HBsAg + than 40-60. Also the 20-29 year category of replacement donors was >4 times as likely to be HBsAg + than 50-69. Conclusions Risk of infection was age, sex and donor type dependent. The 20-29 year category had the highest prevalence of HBsAg + cases, mostly males residing within the metropolis.</p