Using weight-for-age for predicting wasted children in Cameroon

Introduction: The equipment for taking body weights (scales) are more frequently used in Cameroon health centres than measuring boards for heights. Even when the later exist there are some difficulties inherent in their qualities; thus the height measurement is not always available or accurate. Our objective for this study was to construct statistical models for predicting wasting from weight-for-age. Methods: 3742 children aged 0 to 59 months were enrolled in a cross-sectional household survey (2004 Cameroon Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)) covering the entire Cameroon national territory. Results: There were highly significant association between underweight and wasting. For all discriminant statistical methods used, the test error rates (using an independent testing sample) were less than 5%; the Area Under Curve (AUC) using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was 0.86. Conclusion: The study showed that weight-for-age can be used for accurately classifying a child whose wasting status is unknown. The result is useful in Cameroon as too often the height measurements may not be feasible, thus the need for estimating wasted children. This study provides baseline information that will help to design a preliminary pivotal study on an immediate nutrition intervention for acute undernutrition. Its complications that could lead to morbidity and mortality can be greatly reduced or set up a management control strategy that will go a long way in reducing the cost of health care in Cameroon.Pan African Medical Journal 2013; 14: 9

Epidémiologie moléculaire du rotavirus du groupe A associé aux gastroentérites chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans dans la ville de Yaoundé (Cameroun)

Le rotavirus est la première cause de gastroentérites grave chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans. La gravité et la mortalité de la maladie sont majorées dans les pays à revenus faibles d’Asie du sud et d’Afrique subsaharienne. Au Cameroun, la forte prévalence des rotaviroses, associées aux spécificités génotypiques locales du virus, soulignent l’importance de disposer de données épidémiologiques sur le virus. Cette étude visait à contribuer à une meilleure connaissance des principales souches de rotavirus responsables des gastroentérites chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans dans la ville de Yaoundé. Il s’agit d’une étude descriptive transversale d’une durée de 4 mois, dans 8 formations sanitaires de la ville de Yaoundé. Les échantillons de selles d’enfants de moins de 5 ans, hospitalisés pour gastroentérite ont été prélevés. La recherche du rotavirus s’est faite avec le kit ELISA Oxoid ProSpec TTM, et la détermination des génotypes du virus s’est faite par RT - PCR. Cent trente échantillons de selles d’enfants souffrant de gastroentérite ont été collectés. 66,1% de ces échantillons provenaient des hôpitaux FCB/CME, du CHE et de HDE. Le rotavirus a été isolé chez 30% des enfants, dont 40% avait entre 6 et 11 mois. Le CHE (6,9%) et l’HGY (0%) avaient respectivement la prévalence la plus élevée et la plus basse de la ville. Un nombre élevé de combinaisons génotypiques a été isolé, parmi lesquels prédominaient G1P[8] (31%) suivit de G3P[6] (28%) et de G4P[6] (13 %). Les génotypes mixtes G1P[6][8], G2P[6][8], et G1G3P[8] représentaient 22% des isolats. Un type G (3%) est resté indéterminé durant cette étude.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Mots clés: Epidémiologie moléculaire, rotavirus, génotypes, gastroentérite, enfants, YaoundéEnglish Title:  Molecular epidemiology of group A rotavirus associated to gastroenteritis in children less than 5 years in Yaoundé (Cameroon)English AbstractRotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in children less than 5 years. Severity and mortality of this disease are majored in low-income countries of South - Asia and sub - Saharan Africa. In Cameroon, the high prevalence of rotaviruses associated to local genotypic specificities of virus enhances the importance of epidemiological database on the virus. This study aimed at contributing to a better knowledge of the main rotavirus strains responsible for gastroenteritis in children less than 5 years in Yaoundé. We carried out a descriptive and cross sectional study during 4 months, in 8 health centers in Yaoundé. Stool specimens were collected from children less than 5 years old, hospitalized for gastroenteritis. Rotavirus was detected with ELISA kit Oxoid ProSpecTTM, and genotypes determined by RT - PCR. One hundred and twenty seven stool specimens were collected during the study. FCB/CME, CHE, HDE provided 66.1% of specimens collected. Rotavirus was isolated in 30% of children, and 40% of these children were between 6 to 11 months old. The CHE (6. 9%) and the HGY (0%) had respectively the highest and the lowest prevalence of the town. A large number of genotype has been isolated and G1P[8] (31%) were predominant, followed by G3P[6] (28%) and G4P[6] (13%). Mixt genotypes G1P[6][8], G2P[6][8], and G1G3P[8] represented 22% of isolates. One G - type remained untypable.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Molecular epidemiology, rotavirus, genotypes, gastroenteritis, children, Yaound

Effectiveness of essential oils from Ngaoundere, against post-harvest insect and fungal pests of maize: Poster

Successful storage of harvest is a matter of utmost importance in the Sudano-Guinean agro-ecological zone where intense cultivation takes place only once a year. Poor and rudimentary drying/storage methods, high relative humidity as well as inaccessibility to the chemical pesticides leave stored maize at the mercy of insect and fungal attack. Insect attack favours secondary attack by fungi; both leading to a fall in the nutritional, sanitary and organoleptic qualities of the stored maize. Thus, poor peasant farmers are left with the choice of locally available botanicals as alternatives to chemical pesticides. It is against this backdrop that this study seeks to determine the insecticidal efficacy of essential oils from the leaves of Chenopodium ambrosioides and Cupressus sempervirens together with their 50/50 binary combination against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, and the fungi: Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus flavus on stored maize. Insect mortality and progeny inhibition and the inhibition of fungal invasion were evaluated. Pesticidal activities of both essential oils increased with ascending dose of application. 200 µL/kg of the binary combination caused 100% mortality within 14 days and it completely inhibited progeny production in the weevil. The mixture of the two oils showed additive effects against the weevils and fungi. The two essential oils in isolation significantly inhibited fungal spore invasion in 21 days of storage although A. flavus was less susceptible than R. stolonifer. Therefore both plants could provide active botanical pesticides against S. zeamais and fungal pests in stored maize.Successful storage of harvest is a matter of utmost importance in the Sudano-Guinean agro-ecological zone where intense cultivation takes place only once a year. Poor and rudimentary drying/storage methods, high relative humidity as well as inaccessibility to the chemical pesticides leave stored maize at the mercy of insect and fungal attack. Insect attack favours secondary attack by fungi; both leading to a fall in the nutritional, sanitary and organoleptic qualities of the stored maize. Thus, poor peasant farmers are left with the choice of locally available botanicals as alternatives to chemical pesticides. It is against this backdrop that this study seeks to determine the insecticidal efficacy of essential oils from the leaves of Chenopodium ambrosioides and Cupressus sempervirens together with their 50/50 binary combination against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, and the fungi: Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus flavus on stored maize. Insect mortality and progeny inhibition and the inhibition of fungal invasion were evaluated. Pesticidal activities of both essential oils increased with ascending dose of application. 200 µL/kg of the binary combination caused 100% mortality within 14 days and it completely inhibited progeny production in the weevil. The mixture of the two oils showed additive effects against the weevils and fungi. The two essential oils in isolation significantly inhibited fungal spore invasion in 21 days of storage although A. flavus was less susceptible than R. stolonifer. Therefore both plants could provide active botanical pesticides against S. zeamais and fungal pests in stored maize

Forensic Toxicology Concepts and Applications in Pharmaceutical Medicine

International audienc