Emergence and clonal dissemination of<i> Salmonella enterica</i> serovar Enteritidis causing salmonellosis in Mauritius

Introduction: For decades, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis has been among the most prevalent serovars reported worldwide. However, it was rarely encountered in Mauritius until 2007; since then the number of non-typhoidal Salmonella serogroup O:9 (including serovar Enteritidis) increased. A study was conducted to investigate the genetic relatedness between S. Enteritidis isolates recovered in Mauritius from food and clinical specimens (stool, blood, and exudate). Methodology: Forty-seven isolates of S. Enteritidis obtained in 2009 from human stools, blood cultures and exudates, and from food specimens were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and Multiple-Locus Variable-number tandem repeat Analysis (MLVA). Results: With the exception of a single isolate which demonstrated intermediate susceptibility to streptomycin, all isolates were pansusceptible to the 14 antimicrobials tested. Thirty seven out of the 47 isolates (78.7%) exhibited an indistinguishable MLVA profile which included isolates from ready-to-eat food products, chicken, and human clinical isolates from stool, blood and exudate. Conclusions: The presence of highly related strains in both humans and raw chicken, and the failure to isolate the serovar from other foods, suggests that poultry is the main reservoir of S. Enteritidis in Mauritius and that the majority of human cases are associated with chicken consumption which originated from one major producer. Stool isolates were indistinguishable or closely related to blood and exudate isolates, indicating that, besides gastroenteritis, the same strain caused invasive infections. Control of S.Enteritidis by poultry breeders would lower the financial burden associated with morbidity in humans caused by this organism in Mauritius.</jats:p

Dissemination of clonal Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates causing salmonellosis in Mauritius

Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium is one of the leading causes of salmonellosis in Mauritius, where it has also been associated with outbreaks of foodborne illness. However, little is known about its molecular epidemiology in the country. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate the clonality and source of Salmonella Typhimurium in Mauritius by studying human, food, and poultry isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and antibiotic minimum inhibitory concentration determination. Forty-nine isolates collected between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed, including 25 stool isolates from foodborne illness outbreaks and sporadic gastroenteritis cases, four blood isolates, one postmortem colon isolate, 14 food isolates, and five poultry isolates. All isolates were pansusceptible to the 16 antibiotics tested, except for two isolates that were resistant to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. Overall characterization of the isolates by PFGE digested with XbaI and BlnI resulted in eight different patterns. The largest of the clusters in the composite dataset consisted of 20 isolates, including two raw chicken isolates, four poultry isolates, and nine human stool isolates from two outbreaks. A second cluster consisted of 18 isolates, of which 12 originated from human blood and stool samples from both sporadic and outbreak cases. Six food isolates were also found in this cluster, including isolates from raw and grilled chicken, marlin mousse, and cooked pork. One poultry isolate had a closely related PFGE pattern. The results indicate that one clone of Salmonella Typhimurium found in poultry has been causing outbreaks of foodborne illness in Mauritius and another clone that has caused many cases of gastrointestinal illness and bacteremia in humans could also be linked to poultry. Thus, poultry appears to be a major reservoir for Salmonella Typhimurium in Mauritius. Initiating on-farm control strategies and measures against future dissemination may substantially reduce the number of cases of salmonellosis in the country

Factors Affecting IRS Audit Rate Probability: Empirical Evidence from RGV Region

IRS tax audits are intended to curb tax evasion; however, they are costly to conduct and have negative impacts on taxpayers. The purpose of this study is to find out factors that lead to high IRS audit rate in a region from the perspective of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Relationship between IRS tax audit rate and determinants of tax evasion identified by Davis, Cebula, & Boylan (2020) among others are studied. A regression analysis is conducted on the regions scores on poverty rate, demography, unemployment rate and general level of education with the IRS audit rate. The results suggest that poverty, unemployment, and the level of education among taxpayers have a significant effect on the IRS audit rate of a region. However, demography was found to have an insignificant effect on the IRS audit rate. The study thus recommends that the local government and other stakeholders affected by the negative impacts of tax evasion and IRS audits, address these underlying factors by for instance, trying to alleviate poverty in the region, create more employment opportunities or increase general awareness through education. As this would help increase tax compliance and reduce IRS audits

Information and Communications Technologies and Secondary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policies, Practices, Trends and Recommendations

The following report discusses the use of Information Communications Technologies (ICTs) to improve access to, quality of, and delivery of secondary education within sub-Saharan Africa. It discusses the policy environment for ICTs in sub-Saharan Africa, their successes, challenges, andlessons learned, and it concludes with a broad and detailed set of recommendations for policymakers, donors, the private sector, designers, and implementers of ICTs in education programs. The report seeks to generally answer the question of how sub-Saharan African (SSA) governments can best use technology to improve access to secondary education, improve learning, strengthen management of schools and the education system, and foster innovation

Hajj-Related Neisseria Meningitidis Serogroup W135 in Mauritius

Meningococcal disease is rare in Mauritius; only one case was reported from 1992 to 1999. However, since June 2000, four cases have occurred. Epidemiologic information and typing results indicate that these recent cases probably followed the introduction of Neisseria meningitidis W135 in Mauritius by pilgrims returning from the Hajj in 2000 and 2001

Culturally sensitive healthcare among registered nurses : a literature review

The growing cultural diversity in Finland requires nurses to receive training in culturally competent care delivery that addresses patient needs across various cultural backgrounds. Finland has implemented measures to provide equal healthcare access, yet language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and health outcome disparities continue to exist. The review seeks to determine effective strategies for Finnish registered nurses to improve their cultural competence through the evaluation of educational programs, healthcare policies, and organizational initiatives. The theoretical framework incorporates Leininger’s Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory and Giger and Davidhizar’s Transcultural Nursing Model, which focus on integrating cultural awareness into nursing practice. The research included a thorough examination of peer-reviewed articles from academic databases that covered the period from 2014 to 2024. The analysis used thematic and qualitative synthesis methods to determine the most effective practices. The analysis showed that communication barriers remain major challenges in healthcare delivery, yet effective solutions include interpreter services and modified communication methods. Cultural competence education was shown to improve nursing staff capabilities when working with patients who hold different health beliefs and to foster therapeutic connections across cultural backgrounds. Healthcare outcomes improve when institutions enforce cultural competence training requirements and foster workplace diversity through their policies. The analysis established that cultural competence development produces better patient results together with enhanced patient satisfaction and stronger treatment compliance. The recommendations include cultural competence integration into nursing education programs and the establishment of standardized diversity policies and digital tools for communication support. Future research should determine the most effective educational methods for nurses while developing healthcare policies that suit Finland’s expanding multicultural population.Suomen kasvava kulttuurinen monimuotoisuus edellyttää, että sairaanhoitajat saavat koulutusta kulttuurisesti osaavan hoidon toteuttamiseen, joka vastaa potilaiden tarpeisiin eri kulttuuritaustoissa. Suomi on ottanut käyttöön toimenpiteitä terveydenhuollon yhdenvertaisen saatavuuden turvaamiseksi, mutta kielimuurit, kulttuuriset väärinymmärrykset ja terveyserot ovat yhä olemassa. Katsauksen tavoitteena on selvittää tehokkaita keinoja, joilla suomalaiset laillistetut sairaanhoitajat voivat parantaa kulttuurista osaamistaan koulutusohjelmien, terveydenhuollon politiikkojen ja organisatoristen aloitteiden arvioinnin avulla. Teoreettisena viitekehyksenä käytetään Leiningerin Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory -teoriaa sekä Gigerin ja Davidhizarin Transcultural Nursing Model -mallia, jotka korostavat kulttuuritietoisuuden integroimista hoitotyöhön. Tutkimus sisälsi perusteellisen tarkastelun vertaisarvioiduista artikkeleista, jotka oli haettu akateemisista tietokannoista ja jotka kattoivat vuodet 2014–2024. Analyysissa käytettiin temaattisia ja kvalitatiivisia synteesimenetelmiä tehokkaimpien käytäntöjen tunnistamiseksi. Analyysi osoitti, että viestintäesteet ovat edelleen merkittäviä haasteita terveydenhuollon toteuttamisessa, mutta tehokkaita ratkaisuja ovat tulkkauspalvelut ja muokatut viestintämenetelmät. Kulttuuriosaamisen koulutuksen todettiin parantavan hoitohenkilöstön valmiuksia kohdattaessa potilaita, joilla on erilaisia terveysuskomuksia, sekä edistävän terapeuttisia yhteyksiä eri kulttuuritaustoista tulevien välillä. Terveydenhuollon tulokset paranevat, kun organisaatiot ottavat käyttöön kulttuuriosaamisen koulutusvaatimuksia ja edistävät työyhteisön monimuotoisuutta politiikkojensa avulla. Tulokset vahvistivat, että kulttuuriosaamisen kehittäminen tuottaa parempia potilastuloksia, lisää potilaiden tyytyväisyyttä ja vahvistaa hoitoon sitoutumista. Suosituksina esitetään kulttuuriosaamisen integroimista hoitotyön koulutusohjelmiin sekä standardoitujen monimuotoisuuspolitiikkojen ja digitaalisten viestintävälineiden käyttöönottoa. Jatkossa tutkimusten tulisi selvittää tehokkaimmat koulutusmenetelmät sairaanhoitajille sekä kehittää terveydenhuollon politiikkoja, jotka vastaavat Suomen kasvavan monikulttuurisen väestön tarpeisiin

Effects of Domestic Responsibilities on Career Growth among Women Journalists in Kenya

The purpose of this study is to investigate effects of domestic responsibilities career growth of women journalists in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to examine extent in which domestic duties affect women journalists’ thoughts on their career progression and explore how women journalists cope with inequalities in the media organizations in Kenya. The study used feminist theories to explain the study under study. Online questionnaire was administered to 358 journalists whose details were extracted from Media Council of Kenya Accreditation database. Descriptive research design was adopted by this study. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to analyze data from questionnaire and in-depth interview on women journalists. The study found that the working environment for women journalists presents unique issues attributed to domestic duties. The study found that 79% of the study participants strongly believed that newsrooms working environment favors male journalists as they can easily report to work after childbirth, balance family and work while climbing the corporate ladder. In conclusion, women journalists are likely to perform dismally due to domestic responsibilities. There is need for future studies to undertake a qualitative study to examine individual women journalists with young children to see how they are coping with them situation and how this affects their career progression. Women journalists requires space to progress in their career and to operate in an environment that is free from obstacles that hinders them from moving upwards in their organizations. This study is important because it investigates the domestic factors and their effects on women journalists’’ progression in Kenyan media industry

Creating demand for safe human excreta disposal in a nomadic community: a case study of Riba location, Wajir county

Wajir South Development Association (WASDA) as one of the WASH actors in Wajir county, with support from Amref Health Africa in Kenya, has been implementing the Kenya Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement Programme (K-SHIP) funded by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) through the Global sanitation Fund (GSF). The programme targeted the rural set ups in Wajir East, where communities majorly practice pastoralism. Though this lifestyle is viewed as maintaining the livelihood of communities, it presents significant health challenges and environmental pressures, especially where it is combined with nomadism. This paper presents the methods adopted to influence behaviour change to make the communities open defecation free (ODF) and lessons learnt during implementation of the program. The programme implementing team adopted several innovative approaches within the actual CLTS approach to overcome these barriers. Customizing the timing of triggering where CLTS activities are mainly intensified during the rainy seasons with post-triggering follow ups done at dawn and dusk targeting household heads, involvement of religious leaders and school children and empowering women played a big role in achieving several ODF villages