Case Report: A case of?dipylidiasis in a?first-trimester pregnant woman attending a routine antenatal clinic at?Elmina health centre, Ghana

Dipylidiasis is a zoonotic parasitosis caused by a canine and feline tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum which rarely infects humans, usually infants and young children. The accidental ingestion of cysticercoid infected flea Ctenocephalides felis is the cause of this cestode infection in humans. Here we report the first and a rare case of adult dipylidiasis in a first-trimester pregnant woman in Ghana. She reported at the health facility for a routine antenatal check-up with apparently no symptoms or signs of the infection at the time of the visit. Her routine stool examination revealed a single egg packet of Dipylidium caninum and was treated with a single dose of praziquantel. It is important for pathologists and laboratory technicians to be aware of the emergence of human dipylidiasis in Ghana. A conscious effort should be aimed at the creation of awareness among pet owners and the general population of the public health importance of zoonotic parasites that infect pets and domestic animals

Determination of aflatoxin levels in bokina beverage

Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate levels of total aflatoxin and aflatoxin M1 in bokina, a homemade non-alcoholic beverage prepared from dairy milk, millet and sugar.Methods: Bokina, dairy milk and millet were purchased monthly over a period of 7 months from bokina producers at Ashaiman and Nima, in Ghana. Total aflatoxin and aflatoxin M1 levels in these samples were measured using a fluorometric procedure and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.Results: Aflatoxin levels in bokina samples ranged from 1.0 to 21.0 ppb for Ashaiman samples and 1.0 to 23.0 ppb for Nima samples. Out of 21 samples from each site 1 from Ashiaman and 2 from Nima had levels total aflatoxin above the acceptable limit of 20 ppb. Similarly, total aflatoxin levels millet samples ranged from 1.0 to 55.0 ppb for Ashaiman and 5.0 to 53.0 ppb for Nima samples, with 2 samples from Ashiaman and 6 from Nima having levels above 20ppb. The levels of Aflatoxin M1 in milk ranged from 0.09 to 6.20 ppb for Ashaiman samples and 0.13 to 12.55 ppb for Nima samples. Out of the samples, 12 from Ashiaman and 10 from Nima (n=21) had levels of Aflatoxin M1 above the acceptable limit of 0.5 ppb.Conclusion: Bokina samples tested were contaminated with aflatoxin. All doses of aflatoxin have a cumulative effect on the risk of cancer. Therefore, farmers and bokina producers must be educated on good storage practices and monitored to protect the public from aflatoxin exposure and toxicity

Case Report: A case of dipylidiasis in a first-trimester pregnant woman attending a routine antenatal clinic at Elmina health centre, Ghana

Dipylidiasis is a zoonotic parasitosis caused by a canine and feline tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum which rarely infects humans, usually infants and young children. The accidental ingestion of cysticercoid infected flea Ctenocephalides felis is the cause of this cestode infection in humans. Here we report the first and a rare case of adult dipylidiasis in a first-trimester pregnant woman in Ghana. She reported at the health facility for a routine antenatal check-up with apparently no symptoms or signs of the infection at the time of the visit. Her routine stool examination revealed a single egg packet of Dipylidium caninum and was treated with a single dose of praziquantel. It is important for pathologists and laboratory technicians to be aware of the emergence of human dipylidiasis in Ghana. A conscious effort should be aimed at the creation of awareness among pet owners and the general population of the public health importance of zoonotic parasites that infect pets and domestic animals

Antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacterial isolates from patients attending the outpatient department of university of Cape Coast hospital, Ghana: A retrospective study between 2013-2015.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) is an important urinary tract infection (UTI) that has been associated with both complicated and uncomplicated disease conditions. The global emergence of multiple drug-resistant (MDR) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) is of public health concern as the resistance limits the current treatment options. The objective of this study was to analyze the antibiotic-resistant patterns among the uropathogenic E. coli isolates at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) hospital between 2013 and 2015 as baseline data to understand the current antibiotic resistance situation within UCC and its environs. A retrospective cross-sectional study of bacteria isolates at UCC hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 were analyzed. A standard biochemical and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using Kirby-Bauer NCCLs modified disc diffusion technique. The network of interaction between pathogenic isolates and antibiotic resistance was performed using Cytoscape software. Statistical significance was tested using ANOVA and one-sample Wilcoxon test. The overall E. coli prevalence was 15.76% (32/203); females had the highest infection of 17.33% (26/150) compared to male subjects who had 11.32% (6/53) out of all the pathogenic infections. The E. coli prevalence among the age categories were 2/21 (9.52%), 27/154 (17.53%) and 4/21 (19.05%) among ≤20 years, 21-40 years and 41-60 years respectively. The isolated resistant pathogens exhibited different antibiotic resistance patterns. An interaction network of nodes connecting to other nodes indicating positive correlations between the pathogens and antibiotic resistance was established. Escherichia coli, Citrobacter spp, Klebsiella spp among other isolated pathogens formed higher centrality in the network of interaction with antibiotic resistance. The individual E. coli isolates showed a significant difference in the mean ± SD (95% CI) pattern of antibiotic resistance, 2.409±1.205 (1.828-2.990), χ2 = 36.68, p<0.0001. In conclusion, the study reports the interaction of E. coli isolates at UCC hospital and its antibiotic-resistant status between 2013 and 2015. This data forms the baseline information for assessing the current antibiotic status in UCC and its environs