Teething induced fever in a 9-month old child: a case report

The association between teething and fever has attracted considerable interest because studies have reported controversial results. These discordant results have posed a challenge in the management of fever occurring during teething.  The objective of this paper is to supplement previous studies which showed association between teeth eruption and fever and highlight mismanagement of teething induced fever. A 9-month old baby girl presented with fever during teeth eruption. Despite of no malaria parasites seen on blood slide and lack of features and laboratory investigations suggestive of urinary tract infection or bacteremia, the child was treated with antimalarial drugs and prescribed antibiotics. This case study demonstrates that unrecognized teething induced fever leads to unnecessary use of anti-malarial drugs and antibiotics.  We recommend paediatricians to consider teething as one of the causes of fever among children

Prevalent use of herbs for reduction of labour duration in Mwanza, Tanzania: are obstetricians aware?

Background: The use of herbs during pregnancy and labour is rapidly increasing because the herbs are considered to be natural and therefore free of risks.  Despite of this perception, a number of herbs have been reported to have negative effects to the new-borns and the mothers.  Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of herbs during labour among women in Mwanza, Tanzania.Methods: The study involved women who delivered at Bugando Medical Centre and Sekou Toure Hospital in Mwanza, north-western Tanzania. Data were collected using questionnaires.  Comparison of prevalence of herb use by various factors was done. Results: A total of 178 women were involved in the study. The mean age of participants was 26.6 ± 5.4 years. The prevalence of herb use was found to be 23.0%. The use of herbs was significantly associated with marital status (p = 0.011) and the use during previous deliveries (p = 0.000).Conclusion: The study findings signify that, about a quarter of women in Mwanza use herbs during childbirth and the use encourages recurrent use of these herbs in subsequent pregnancies. A large scale survey is recommended to determine the extent of use of traditional herbs during pregnancy and childbirth countrywide. Studies to determine the toxic profile of the herbs which are used are also needed so as to address the matter to the community.

Clinical presentation and precipitating factors of diabetic ketoacidosis among patients admitted to intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), one of the common emergencies in patient with diabetes mellitus is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality.  This study aimed to determine clinical presentation and precipitating factors of DKA among patients admitted at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) in north-western Tanzania.Methods: This study involved a retrospective review of hospital records of DKA patients admitted to intensive care unit at BMC during 2012. Data on demographics, precipitating factors, clinical presentation, duration of hospital admission and mortality were extracted and analysed.Results: Total records of 1,906 hospitalized patients in 2012 were reviewed. Of this, 29 (1.5%) had DKA. Of the 29 DKA patients, 18(62.1%) and 11 (37.9%) were males and females, respectively. Among them 21(72.4%) were known diabetics and 8(27.6%) were newly diagnosed to be diabetics. Twelve patients (41.1%) presented with polyuria, polydipsia and general body malaise. Eleven (37.9%) patients presented with loss of consciousness while 6(20.7%), 4(13.8%), 3(10.3%) and 1(3.4%) presented with vomiting, abdominal pain, Kussmaul’s breathing and coma, respectively. Nausea, weight loss and polyphagia each were presented by 2(6.9%) patients. The precipitating factors were infection 15 (51.7%), first presentation of diabetes mellitus 6 (20.7%), missed insulin injection 6 (20.7%) and co-morbid conditions 6 (20.7%). Four (13.8%), 1 (3.45%) and 1(3.45%) had stroke, chronic renal failure and hypertension, respectively. Among the DKA patients, 22 (75.9%) improved and were discharged, and 7 (24.1%) died.Conclusion: DKA occurred in about 1.5% of the patients admitted to ICU and it was a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The main precipitating factor was infection. Since the precipitating factors are preventable, health care providers should put emphasis in educating diabetic patients at the diabetes clinic to reduce morbidity and mortality in these patients

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of dog owners to rabies disease in Kahama town council, Shinyanga region, Tanzania.

BackgroundRabies is a fatal zoonotic disease of significant public health importance. Domestic dogs are the main reservoir and transmitter of this disease, particularly in developing countries. Community awareness about rabies is one of the key components of prevention. This study describes the knowledge, attitudes, and practices about rabies disease among dog owners at Kahama town council, Shinyanga Region, Tanzania.MethodologyThis was a cross sectional community-based study which was done in May 2021. Structured questionnaires were administered to collect the data among 422 dog owners. The information collected included demographic characteristics of the dog owners, as well as their knowledge, attitude and practice towards rabies. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 20.ResultsOut of 422 respondents, 421 (99.76%) knew that rabies can be transmitted by dogs, 384 (91%) knew that rabies can be prevented by vaccination of dogs, 269 (63.74%) knew the symptoms and signs, and 379 (89.81%) believed that it was necessary to vaccinate all owned dogs, but 227 (53.79%) had not vaccinated their dogs. Education level (p = 0.006) and occupation (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with a positive attitude, whereby those with a higher level of education and farmers were more likely to have a positive attitude. Also there was statistically significant association between gender (p = 0.038), marital status (p ConclusionThis study concludes that respondents had good knowledge, a relatively good attitude, and poor practice towards rabies prevention and control. Rabies awareness with an emphasis on the importance of vaccination as well as vaccination campaigns should, therefore, be intensified, especially among the least educated dog owners

Effect of Magnetic Field on the wall Permeable Channel Flow with Convective Cooling

This study aimed at making an investigation on the effect of the magnetic field on second law analysis for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) permeable channel flow with convective cooling. Specifically, the study intended to develop a flow model for a case of nanofluid in a channel, determining the effect of different parameters on velocity and temperature of nanofluid and to determine the effect of the magnetic field on the channel flow of nanofluid.  In this study, the appropriate mathematical model for the problem was derived from the laws of conservation, momentum and energy balance where both first and second laws of thermodynamics are utilized to analyze the model problem. Using the discretization finite difference method together with the Runge-Kutta Fehlberg integration scheme, the governing partial differential equations are solved numerically and implemented on the Computer using Matlab software. The findings showed that the alumina water nanofluid tended to flow quicker than copper water nanofluid and the velocity profile increased with Hartmann number but decreased with the quantity of nanoparticle volume fraction and magnetic field

Prevalence of Hypogonadism and Associated Risk Factors among Newly Diagnosed ART Naïve HIV-Infected Males in Mwanza, Tanzania

Background. Hypogonadism is frequent among HIV-infected males and might have significant clinical impact leading to sexual impairment and metabolic derangement. There is limited information about the magnitude of hypogonadism and its associated factors among people living with HIV in Tanzania. We aimed to determine the prevalence of hypogonadism and associated risk factors among newly diagnosed ART naïve HIV-infected men in Mwanza, Tanzania. Methods. Newly diagnosed ART naïve HIV-infected men were enrolled at Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centres of four selected hospitals in the Mwanza region and subjected to thorough clinical and general physical examination including anthropometric measurements. A prestructured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic characteristics and clinical data. Serum total testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol were estimated. Serum total testosterone 300 ng/dl with high LH and FSH (compensatory hypogonadism) was taken as markers of hypogonadism. Data were analyzed using STATA version 15. Results. Of the 388 enrolled participants, hypogonadism was found in 47.9%, with secondary hypogonadism (83.9%, 156/186) being the most frequent form. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between hypogonadism and CD4+ count (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1–3.6; p=0.022), decreased libido (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1–2.4; p=0.024), age of above 46 years (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.1–4.6; p=0.023), herbal medicine use (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.5–3.9; p<0.001), WHO clinical stage 3 (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.4–5.2; p=0.003), and weight loss (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1–3.0; p=0.016). Conclusion. Hypogonadism was found in nearly half (47.9%) of ART naïve HIV-infected men. The majority (83.9%) had secondary hypogonadism. There was a significant association of hypogonadism with older age, herbal medicine use, weight loss, advanced clinical stage, CD4+ count, and decreased libido

Effect of Spacing Regimes on Growth, Yield, and Wood Properties of Tectona grandis at Longuza Forest Plantation, Tanzania

This study examined the effects of planting spacing on growth, yield, and wood properties of teak planted at square spacing regimes of 2 m, 3 m, and 4 m at Longuza Forest Plantation, Tanzania. To achieve this, tree, stand, and wood properties were studied at age of 14 years. Results showed that diameter at breast height and total height increased with increasing spacing. Mean annual increment increased significantly with increasing spacing while spacing did not have significant effect on total volume production and basal area. Basic density is also not affected by spacing while heartwood proportion increases as planting spacing increases. All studied wood properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, compression strength tangential to grain, and shear tangential to the grain) except cleavage tangential to grain were not significantly affected by increasing spacing. It is recommended to use the spacing of 3 × 3 m, but if thinning can be done before onset of competition at 5 years, the currently used spacing of 2.5 × 2.5 m can still be used. However, the use of a spacing of 4 × 4 m can give at least 50% heartwood at shorter rotation age of 30 years

In vitro susceptibility of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and extendedspectrum β-lactamase–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens at Bugando Medical Centre, Tanzania to Piperacillin-Tazobactam

Pseudomonas spp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae are common causes of serious health care associated infections (HCAIs) worldwide. The treatment options for infections caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms are limited to tigecycline and carbapenems. A total of 172 isolates of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas spp and extended-spectrum β- (ESBL) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens at the Bugando Medical Centre were tested for their in vitro susceptibility to piperacillin-tazobactam 100/10μg using disc diffusion test as recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI). Out of 59 multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas spp, 54 (92.0%) were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam while of 113 ESBL producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, 55 (48.7%) were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam 100/10μg. Also, 20 (34.0%) of the Pseudomonas spp were both ESBL producers and susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam 100/10μg. A significant proportion of Pseudomonas spp isolates from clinical specimens in our setting are susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam. This study shows that piperacillin-tazobactam offer a better option to clinicians for the treatment of health care associated infections due to Pseudomonas spp. and ESBL producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in our setting and other health facilities where these organisms are of significance

Draft genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant caprine isolate of Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. urealyticus from Tanzania encoding ermB, tet(K), dfrG, fusF and fosD.

OBJECTIVES: Coagulase-negative staphylococci such as Staphylococcus cohnii are opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. A multidrug-resistant isolate of S. cohnii subsp. urealyticus (073AN) was isolated from the nasal cavity of a healthy goat in Tanzania. This study produced and analysed a draft genome sequence of strain 073AN to investigate the genetic basis for antimicrobial resistance in this isolate. METHODS: Strain 073AN was sequenced using HiSeq 2000 technology, sequencing reads were assembled using Velvet, and the genome was annotated using Prokka. RESULTS: The draft genome of strain 073AN is 2677652bp in size with a GC content of 32.5%. The isolate was resistant to several classes of antimicrobials, which correlated with the presence of known antimicrobial resistance genes. Of particular note, the draft genome sequence of strain 073AN represents the first report of fosD in S. cohnii and the first descriptions of fosD and fusF in Africa. CONCLUSION: The draft genome sequence of S. cohnii subsp. urealyticus 073AN released here provides an insight into the antimicrobial resistance determinants found in this species and in Tanzania and offers a valuable resource for further studies on staphylococcal genomics and antimicrobial resistance