Evaluation of pesticide safety measures adopted by potato farmers in Chebiemit division, Elgeyo/Marakwet county, Kenya

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the second most important food crop after maize in Kenya. It is popular among smallholder farmers because it has short cropping cycles and large production volumes per area which fulfil both households’ food demands as well as generating income. In order to increase productivity and quality, farmers use pesticides and other agrochemicals. These pesticides if improperly handled impact negatively on the health of the users. The objective of the study was to evaluate the pesticide safety measures adopted by potato farmers in Chebiemit Division of Elgeyo/Marakwet County. Data was collected through stratified simple sampling where 323 potato farmers were administered with structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The study found out that 96% of the farmers were aware of pesticide safety labels and the level of awareness was influenced positively by education (χ2 = 4.08, p < 0.05, df = 2) and training (χ2 = 3.05, p < 0.05, df = 1). The study established that 64.7% of the farmers had cultivated the crop for more than ten years and had been using pesticides for the entire period at least thrice in every cropping cycle. The commonly used pesticides were the fungicides Ridomil and Tatamaster which have mancozeb and metalaxyl as the active ingredients. Most farmers rarely practiced safety precautions when handling, mixing and spraying chemicals and none of them wore the recommended personal protective clothing. Most of the mixing was done either in knapsacks or in basins that were also used for bathing hence increasing exposures. The study show that 58.5% of the pesticide applicators were males, 16.1% were female and children under the 14 were involved in pesticide application. The study further reported that post‐spraying safety practices among the farmers were poor since only 36.2% of the applicators bathed after spraying as compared to 69% who only washed hands and face. Females practiced better hygiene practices than males (χ2 = 31.5, p < 0.05, df = 6). Most farmers stored pesticides either in stores together with cereals or in living rooms. This study also found that 35% of the farmers disposed used pesticide containers by discarding them on the farm as compared to only 6% who disposed them by burying. The mode of disposal was influenced positively by training (χ2 = 70.2, p < 0.05, df = 3). The study found that 85.8% of the farmers who had handled pesticides had experienced pesticide poisoning but only 7.4% of them visited a health facility but the majority took milk/pain relievers or rested after spraying. The study results indicated that most potato farmers and their families were highly exposed to pesticide contamination nd poisoning due to poor pesticide safety measures. Since there is a gap in terms of training and education on pesticide safety measures, there is an urgent need to mplement training programmes to improve the knowledge, perceptions and practices of potato farmers in the study area with regard to safe handling, storage and use of pesticides.Key words: farmers, pesticide, safety, potato, Chebiemi

Voluntary medical male circumcision: Safety and satisfacion at Migori County Hospital

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) as an HIV prevention option for men based on evidence showing a reduction in HIV acquisition of 50% to 60%. Based in this evidence, the rapid expansion of VMMC in sub Saharan Africa has raised concerns on the capacity of VMMC programs to provide sustainable high quality and safe VMMC services.Objective: To determine the rates and correlates of adverse events following VMMC among clients attending Migori County Hospital.Design: Descriptive cross sectional study Setting: Migori County Referral Hospital, Kenya.Subjects: Between November and December 2015, 138 men receiving VMMC services at Migori County hospital were interviewed during their follow up visits within 7 days following the procedure. We systematically sampled every third participant attending their follow up visit. Face to face interviews were conducted to obtain data on demographics and levels of satisfaction, and physical examination to determine any adverse events after circumcision. Fishers exact was used to test for correlates of adverse events among participants.Results: The mean age of participants was 22 years, Standard Deviation (SD) ±5) .About two-thirds (63.8%) had reached secondary level education, 26(18.8%) tertiary level, 23(16.7%) primary level and only 1(0.7%) had no education. The majority 100(72.5%) reported being aware of possible adverse events following male circumcision and almost all 135 (97.8%) participants reported having adhered to wound care instructions. The rate of mild and moderate adverse events was 58.7% and 2.9%, respectively. There was no severe adverse event reported. Bathing and not changing underpants was associated with adverse events. The Majority 137 (99.3%) of participants were highly satisfied with the circumcision procedure and the post-operative care services they received.Conclusion: These results imply that VMMC in this setting can be delivered safely and effectively with high client satisfaction

Population immunity to pneumococcal serotypes in Kilifi, Kenya, before and 6 years after the introduction of PCV10 with a catch-up campaign: an observational study of cross-sectional serosurveys

BACKGROUND: In Kilifi (Kenya), a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) was introduced in 2011 in infants (aged <1 year, 3 + 0 schedule) with a catch-up campaign in children aged 1-4 years. We aimed to measure the effect of PCV10 on population immunity. METHODS: In this observational study, repeated cross-sectional serosurveys were conducted in independent random samples of 500 children younger than 15 years every 2 years between 2009 and 2017. During these surveys, blood samples were collected by venesection. Concentrations of anti-capsular IgGs against vaccine serotypes (VTs) 1, 4, 5, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F, and against serotypes 6A and 19A, were assayed by ELISA. We plotted the geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) by birth year to visualise age-specific antibody profiles. In infants, IgG concentrations of 0·35 μg/mL or higher were considered protective. FINDINGS: Of 3673 volunteers approached, 2152 submitted samples for analysis across the five surveys. Vaccine introduction resulted in an increase in the proportion of young children with protective IgG concentrations, compared with before vaccine introduction (from 0-33% of infants with VT-specific levels over the correlate of protection in 2009, to 60-94% of infants in 2011). However, among those vaccinated in infancy, GMCs of all ten VTs had waned rapidly by the age of 1, but rose again later in childhood. GMCs among children aged 10-14 years were consistently high over time (eg, the range of GMCs across survey rounds were between 0·45 μg/mL and 1·00 μg/mL for VT 23F and between 2·00 μg/mL and 3·11 μg/mL for VT 19F). INTERPRETATION: PCV10 in a 3 + 0 schedule elicited protective IgG levels during infancy, when disease risk is high. The high antibody levels in children aged 10-14 years might indicate continued exposure to vaccine serotypes due to residual carriage or to memory responses to cross-reactive antigens. Despite rapid waning of IgG after vaccination, disease incidence among young children in this setting remains low, suggesting that lower thresholds of antibody, or other markers of immunity (eg, memory B cells), may be needed to assess population protection among children who have aged past infancy. FUNDING: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Wellcome Trust

Returns to research and outreach for integrated pest management of western flower thrips infesting French bean and tomato in Kenya

Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a major invasive pest that causes extensive yield losses in French bean and tomato in Kenya. Thrips management is based on the application of pesticides. In addition to increased environmental risks associated with pesticides, frequent use of these chemicals increases production costs and pesticide resistance. Furthermore, exports are restricted due to non-compliance to maximum residue levels in important consumer export markets, especially the European Union (EU). This study was conducted to estimate the potential benefits of the effectiveness of the icipe-developed strategy for control of western flower thrips before dissemination of the technology in Kenya, using the economic surplus model. We calculated the benefit–cost ratio, the Net Present Value (NPV) and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) using Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA). Assuming a maximum conservative adoption rate of 1% and a 10% discount rate for the base deterministic scenario, the NPV of the research was estimated at US$2.2 million, with an IRR of 23% and a BCR of 2.46. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the NPV, IRR and BCR increased at an increasing rate as adoption rates increased. However, as elasticities of supply and demand increased, the NPV, IRR and BCR increased at a decreasing rate. The findings demonstrate that farmers from developing countries can gain when they obtain access to suitable pest management innovations such as integrated pest management technologies. Consequently, investment in IPM technologies for suppression of western flower thrips should be enhanced

Application of Novel Low-Fouling Membranes for Fish Processing Wastewater Treatment and Comparison to PES Commercial Membranes in a Lab Scale Membrane Bioreactor

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The first genome sequence of Anopheles squamous from Macha, Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Despite efforts to minimize the impacts of malaria and reduce the number of primary vectors, malaria has yet to be eliminated in Zambia. Understudied vector species may perpetuate malaria transmission in pre-elimination settings. Anopheles squamosus is one of the most abundantly caught mosquito species in southern Zambia and has previously been found with Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites, a causal agent of human malaria. This species may be a critical vector of malaria transmission, however, there is a lack of genetic information available for An. squamosus. We report the first genome data and the first complete mitogenome (Mt) sequence of An. squamosus. The sequence was extracted from one individual mosquito from the Chidakwa area in Macha, Zambia. The raw reads were obtained using Illumina Novaseq 6000 and assembled through NOVOplasty alignment with related species. The length of the An. squamosus Mt was 15,351 bp, with 77.9 % AT content. The closest match to the whole mitochondrial genome in the phylogenetic tree is the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Its genome data is available through National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Sequencing Reads Archive (SRA) with accession number SRR22114392. The mitochondrial genome was deposited in NCBI GenBank with the accession number OP776919. The ITS2 containing contig sequence was deposited in GenBank with the accession number OQ241725. Mitogenome annotation and a phylogenetic tree with related Anopheles mosquito species are provided

dyschronic, a Drosophila Homolog of a Deaf-Blindness Gene, Regulates Circadian Output and Slowpoke Channels

Many aspects of behavior and physiology are under circadian control. In Drosophila, the molecular clock that regulates rhythmic patterns of behavior has been extensively characterized. In contrast, genetic loci involved in linking the clock to alterations in motor activity have remained elusive. In a forward-genetic screen, we uncovered a new component of the circadian output pathway, which we have termed dyschronic (dysc). dysc mutants exhibit arrhythmic locomotor behavior, yet their eclosion rhythms are normal and clock protein cycling remains intact. Intriguingly, dysc is the closest Drosophila homolog of whirlin, a gene linked to type II Usher syndrome, the leading cause of deaf-blindness in humans. Whirlin and other Usher proteins are expressed in the mammalian central nervous system, yet their function in the CNS has not been investigated. We show that DYSC is expressed in major neuronal tracts and regulates expression of the calcium-activated potassium channel SLOWPOKE (SLO), an ion channel also required in the circadian output pathway. SLO and DYSC are co-localized in the brain and control each other's expression post-transcriptionally. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate they form a complex, suggesting they regulate each other through protein–protein interaction. Furthermore, electrophysiological recordings of neurons in the adult brain show that SLO-dependent currents are greatly reduced in dysc mutants. Our work identifies a Drosophila homolog of a deaf-blindness gene as a new component of the circadian output pathway and an important regulator of ion channel expression, and suggests novel roles for Usher proteins in the mammalian nervous system

Joint management of shared resources as an alternative approach for addressing maritime boundary disputes : the Kenya-Somalia maritime boundary dispute

Socio-economic security has motivated African states to explore natural resources in areas of overlapping maritime claims. However, Africa’s maritime boundaries are characterized by unresolved disputes. Resolution of these disputes is time-consuming, expensive and can undermine the state’s ability to exploit natural resources. The Somalia and Kenya maritime dispute under litigation with the International Court of Justice demonstrates the continental commitment to peaceful resolution. Citing cases from across Africa, we discuss outright delimitation or Joint Management Zones (JMZs) as means to address disputes over shared resources, particularly transboundary fisheries, which have received little attention. Reframing the Kenya-Somalia maritime dispute resolution process as cooperation over fisheries management will have spill-over effects into greater diplomatic relations. Fish do not abide by maritime boundaries. As such, we posit that the peaceful resolution of maritime boundary disputes lies in Africa’s ability to consider settlements by way of JMZs to motivate sustainable use of natural resources.PostprintPeer reviewe

EuroGuiDerm Guideline on the systemic treatment of Psoriasis vulgaris – : Part 1: treatment and monitoring recommendations

Peer reviewe