Guillain-Barre syndrome associated with COVID-19 infection:A case series

In this communication, we reported a series of six patients presented with Guillain-Barré syndrome that associated with COVID-19 infection, which was confirmed with RT-PCR. Here we discuss the laboratory investigation and case management, as well as clinical presentation and outcome of each case. The current report demonstrated the first case series of COVID-19-associated GBS-cases in Sudan.</p

Forest Degradation in Dryland Ecosystems of Sudan: Review of the Causes, Consequences, Assessment Methods, and Potential Solutions

Dryland forests are ecologically and socioeconomically important. They contribute to livelihood diversification, food security, animal feed and shelter, and environmental conservation in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Sudan. Despite their importance, current findings show that multiple ecological, human, socio-economic, and policy factors have damaged these resources. As a result, undesirable consequences have been observed, such as food famine, land and water resource degradation, decline/loss of biodiversity, and contribution to global warming that affect the welfare of humans, plants, animals, and micro-organisms. This chapter briefly reviews the forest degradation in drylands Sudan with emphasis on its common causes, impacts, assessment methods, management intervention efforts, and potential future solutions. Given the current situation, there must be urgent combating efforts to manage Sudan’s dryland forest resources properly. On the one hand, following prevention measures to essentially deal with the current causes thus prevent any further degradation of forest resources in dryland Sudan. On the other hand, there is an urgent need to address current degradation following appropriate and timely rehabilitation interventions. We also recommend adopting a serious monitoring and evaluation system within these combating efforts by applying the five common indicators for measuring forest degradation: biodiversity, productive functions, carbon storage, forest health, and protective functions

The nutritional status of mycetoma affected patients seen at the Mycetoma Research Center, Sudan.

Nutrition plays a critical and crucial role in addressing neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and their complications, as they often contribute to malnutrition, which can worsen the impact of these conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the nutritional status of mycetoma patients, which has not been explored previously. This descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted at the Mycetoma Research Center (MRC), University of Khartoum, Sudan. The study included 179 confirmed mycetoma patients and an equal number of age- and sex-matched normal controls. The nutritional status of the mycetoma patients was assessed and compared with that of the control group. The majority of the patients were young adults with varying educational levels, predominantly from Central Sudan. The foot was the most commonly affected part; most patients had lesions more than 10 cm in diameter. The Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated for both study groups, revealing that 43.5% of the patients and 53.6% of controls had a normal BMI. Furthermore, 36% of patients were underweight, contrasting with only 11% in the control group. Correlation analyses indicated no significant associations between BMI and age groups, educational levels, daily meals, food quantity, and appetite in the study population (p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant differences were observed in BMI concerning disease duration and affected sites (p = 0.0577). The Kruskal-Wallis test did not reveal significant differences in BMI means among the groups. The study revealed that most participants consumed three meals daily, and the control group showed a more robust appetite and consumed more food than the patient group (p = 0.005). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the consumption of different food types between the patient and control groups and among different BMI categories (p = 0.025 and 0.040, respectively)

Broncho-pleuro-cutaneous fistula and pneumothorax: Rare challenging complications of chest wall eumycetoma - Fig 3

<p>Chest computed tomography (CT) scan showing (A) left lower chest wall thickening with a wall defect and (B) left side hydropneumothorax with lower lobe collapse and consolidation of the lingual.</p

Photograph of the patient showing the chest wall lesion with the sinus.

<p>Photograph of the patient showing the chest wall lesion with the sinus.</p

Eumycetoma Medical Treatment: Past, Current Practice, Latest Advances and Perspectives

Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease that is associated with poor communities and socioeconomically impaired individuals in the tropical and sub-tropical areas. Interestingly, the disease is caused by either bacteria (actinomycetoma) or fungus (eumycetoma). The latter form of the disease, eumycetoma, is the most common type in Africa. Eumycetoma is characterized by a prolonged disease duration and low cure rate. The effective case management of eumycetoma largely depends on the accurate diagnosis and identification of the causative agent to the species level and evaluating its susceptibility to the available drugs. This review summarizes the currently available and used antifungal agents for the treatment of eumycetoma and discusses optimizing the newly developed antifungals as a potential second line for eumycetoma treatment

COVID-19 in Sudan

The steadily growing COVID-19 pandemic is challenging health systems worldwide including Sudan. In Sudan, the first COVID-19 case was reported on 13th March 2020, and up to 11 November 2020 there were 14,401 confirmed cases of which 9,535 cases recovered and the rest 3,750 cases were under treatment. Additionally, 1,116 deaths were reported, indicating a relatively high case fatality rate of 7.7%. Several preventive and control measures were implemented by the government of Sudan and health partners, including the partial lockdown of the country, promoting social distancing, and suspending mass gathering such as festivals and performing religious practices in groups. However, new cases still emerging every day and this could be attributed to the noncompliance of the individuals to the advocated preventive measurements