Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis and associated risk factors in pregnant women at the Protestant Hospital, Mbouo-Bandjoun, Cameroon

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a common worldwide infection caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. In Cameroon, several recent studies have reported high seroprevalence of this parasitosis in various hospitals (Douala, Limbe, Njinikom and Yaoundé). The aim of this study was to determine whether this high prevalence of toxoplasmosis might occur in other regions of the country.Methodology: Serological tests by the indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for IgG and IgM were carried out on 200 pregnant women (36 HIV-positive and 164 HIV-negative) at the Protestant Hospital of Mbouo-Bandjoun in western Cameroon to determine the presence of Toxoplasma gondii infection and to identify the risk factors associated with seropositivity of the subjects.Results: The overall seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies was 45.5%. The prevalence rate was 80.5% in the HIV-positive group (47.2% IgG, 22.2% IgM and 11.1% IgG + IgM) and 37.8% in the HIV-negative group (25.6%, 9.7% and 2.4% respectively). Using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the secondary level of educational, presence of HIV infection, and frequency of close contacts with cats were significantly associated with the prevalence of IgG and/or IgM antibodies.Conclusion: Compared with previous reports of human toxoplasmosis in Cameroon, the prevalence in our study showed a decrease in the disease occurrence. Further studies are needed to determine whether this decrease is localised to our study or a general phenomenon currently affecting the country.Keywords: Cameroon, IgG, IgM, pregnant women, seroprevalence, Toxoplasma gondi

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry5B Protein Is Highly Efficacious as a Single-Dose Therapy against an Intestinal Roundworm Infection in Mice

Intestinal parasitic nematode diseases infect over one billion people and cause significant disease burden in children (growth and cognitive stunting, malnutrition), in pregnant women, and via their dampening of the immune system in infected individuals. In over thirty years, no new classes of anti-roundworm drugs (anthelmintics) for treating humans have been developed. Because of limitations of the current drugs and the threat of parasite resistance, new anthelmintics are needed. The soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces crystal (Cry) proteins that specifically target and kill insects and nematodes and is used around the world as a safe insecticide. Here we test the effects of the Bt Cry protein Cry5B on a chronic, natural intestinal roundworm infection in mice, namely the helminth parasite Heligmosomoides bakeri. We find that a single dose of Cry5B can eliminate 70% of the parasites and can almost completely block the ability of the parasites to produce progeny. Comparisons of Cry5B's efficacy with known anthelmintics suggest its activity is as good as or perhaps even better than those currently used. Furthermore, this protein is rapidly digested by simulated stomach juices, suggesting that protecting it from these juices would reveal a superior anthelmintic

In vitro Activity of Ethanol, Cold Water and Hot Water Extracts of the Bark of Canthium mannii (Rubiaceae) Stem on Ancylostoma caninum Eggs

An in vitro evaluation was performed to determine the efficacy of ethanol, cold water and hot water extracts of the stem bark of Canthium mannii (Rubiaceae) on un-embryonated and embryonated eggs of Ancylostoma caninum obtained from the faeces of naturally infected local dogs. The extracts were diluted in distilled water to obtain five concentrations namely 125, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 µg/ml. Mebendazole, similarly diluted, distilled water and 0.02 % ethanol were used in the bioassay as the standard reference drug, placebo and ethanol control respectively. One milliliter portions of the extracts and controls at the different concentrations were added to 1 ml solutions containing 30 to 40 of the parasite eggs distributed in different Petri dishes followed by incubation at 24 °C for 48 h in the case of un-embryonated eggs and 6 h for the embryonated eggs, after which first stage larvae and eggs were counted. The 1000 µg/ml ethanol extract produced a 90 % reduction in the number of eggs that hatched after treatment for 48 h. This effect was similar to that produced by mebendazole. The cold water and hot water extracts showed lower eclodibility inhibition (< 50 %) at all the concentrations tested. These results support the possible use of the ethanol extract of C. mannii in the control of gastrointestinal helminthiasis. These effects remain to be studied under in vivo conditions. Keywords: Canthium mannii, anthelmintic action, Ancylostoma caninum, Cameroon. The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 8 (3) 2005: pp 14-1