Prevalence of Cryptosporidiosis in Calves in Large Scale Dairy Farms in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Background: Studies were conducted on prevalence and distribution of Cryptosporidium parvum in calves aged below 3 months in University of Eldoret farm and other farms in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya for a period of six months in 2009.During the study period, 241 and 80 dung samples were collected from diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic calves respectively and microscopically examined.  Stool from the livestock was analysed for the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts by Zinc sulphate floatation technique followed by Ziel-Neelsen staining method. Results:   Prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in diarrhoeic calves was 75%, 70.6%, 62.5% and 38.5% for Kobilo, Sirikwa B, University of Eldoret and Sirikwa A farms respectively.  Prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in the non-diarrhoeic calves was 45%, 15%, 10% and 5% for the same farms respectively. Conclusions: Cryptosporidium parvum was positively related to the diarrhoeic status of the calves (p< 0.05).  The prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts was significantly higher in diarrhoeic animals than in non-diarrhoeic ones.  It was concluded that the overall prevalence and distribution of Cryptosporidium parvum was associated with diarrhoea in calves.  However, there is need for a long term study to elucidate the effect of other risk factors for Cryptosporidium parvum infection in calves, and the occurrence of diarrhoea in relation to cryptosporidiosis and other infections. Keywords: Cryptosporidium parvum, prevalence, diarrhoea, calve

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections among Food Handlers in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya

Intestinal parasitic infections remain an important public health problem in the tropics where poor hygiene and sanitation are a norm rather than an exception.  Food handlers play a significant role in the transmission of these parasites to consumers. The objective of this cross sectional study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of single and multiple species of intestinal parasitic infections among food handlers working in Eldoret Municipality between May to December 2007.  Stool samples from 335 food handlers of both sexes, aged between 16 and 58 years were analyzed using macroscopic and microscopic direct stool examination of wet and Lugol’s iodine preparations and Formal-Ether concentration techniques. Positive fecal samples were found in 79 (23.7%) food handlers. The results indicated that there was presence of intestinal protozoans and helminthes among food handlers with protozoans being the majority, infecting 14.1% food handlers and consisting of E. histolytica (7.2%), E. coli (5.7%) and G. lamblia (1.2%). The overall prevalence of helminthes was 6.6% in the order of T. saginata (2.4%), A. duodenale (2.1%), A. lumbricoides (1.5%), and H. nana (0.6%). Among the species of protozoans and helminthes, the genus Entamoeba had significantly (p < 0.05) the highest prevalence than all the others. High prevalence of the intestinal parasitic infections was recorded among the food handlers working in butcheries (51.0%), Supermarkets (31.6%) and slaughterhouses (30.3%). Temporal variation in the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was significant (p < 0.05) with prevalence of intestinal protozoans and T. saginata being the highest during the rainy period. The results of this study indicated improper hygiene and sanitation conditions. Interventions were therefore needed to address the root behavioural and occupational related causes of these parasitic infections to reduce the intolerable burden caused by these parasites. There is need to increase awareness of the food handlers and the responsible officials in various food establishments on the importance of personal hygiene and pre-employment and periodic stool examination for ova and cysts of the parasites to curtail transmission. Keywords: Intestinal parasites, prevalence, food handlers, Eldoret Municipalit

Antimicrobial activity of commercial organic honeys against clinical isolates of human pathogenic bacteria

Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).Extracts of five organic and one conventional honey sources, available in Finnish markets, were tested for antimicrobial activity and inhibitory concentrations against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, obtained from human specimens. Five (honeys A, B, D, E, F) of the six studied honeys were organic. All the studied honeys had inhibitory activity (zone of inhibition (ZI) > 9.4 ± 0.5 mm) compared to control artificial honey (ZI 13.3 mm against all the studied bacteria with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 12.5–50%. Against E. coli, the organic honeys E and F had activity index (AI) of 0.64 and 0.73, respectively, compared to the antibiotic AI of 1.0. Against S. Typhi, the organic honeys D and F had AI of 0.59 and 0.64, respectively. Against P. aeruginosa, the organic honeys D, E, and F had the highest AI of 0.71–0.80, and against S. epidermidis the honeys B, D, E, and F possessed relatively high AI of 0.60, 0.67, 0.73, and 0.78, respectively. Against K. pneumoniae and B. cereus, the detected AI of the organic honeys B, D, E, and F varied between AI of 0.48 and 0.58. The organic honey A and conventionally produced honey C possessed only minor activity with MIC values of 80%. Here, we show that commercially available culinary organic honeys possess remarkable antimicrobial activity against several important human bacterial pathogens.Peer reviewe

Antimalarial activities and toxicity levels of selected medicinal plants used in Kenya

Background: Resistance development to antimalarial drugs necessitates the look at traditional medicinal plants as sources of novel compounds that could have the otential to be developed into new antimalarial therapies. Four medicinal plants used in Kenya to treat malaria were investigated. Objective: To determine the in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity and safety of four medicinal plants used in Kenya to treat malaria. Materials and Methods: Ximenia americana, Sericocomopsis hilderbrandtii, Pentas lanceolata and Fuerstia africana were collected from their habitat, dried, and extracted with methanol and aqueous solvents. In vitro antiplasmodial activity carried out using Plasmodium falciparum, In vivo antimalarial activity using Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain in Swiss albino mice. Cytotoxicity was carried out using MTT assay on VeroE99 cell lines, acute toxicity was investigated in Swiss albino mice. Results: All extracts had good in vitro activity against D6 strain of Plasmodium falciparum with IC50<20µg/ml.  Aerial parts of Fuerstia africana methanol extract had the highest in vitro activity.  Seven extracts showed good in vivo activity with chemosuppresion >30% while three demonstrated low activity. Fuerstia africana was moderately cytotoxic. Except for Ximenia americana water extract, all the extracts were safe with LD50 > 5000mg/Kg. Conclusion: Results of this study support medicinal use of these plants and indicate that useful compounds can be isolated for further exploitation, formulation and use. Keywords: Medicinal plants, antiplasmodial activity, cytotoxicity, acute toxicit

Antimalarial Activity of Croton macrostachyus Stem Bark Extracts against Plasmodium berghei In Vivo

There is an increasing need for innovative drug and prophylaxis discovery against malaria. The aim of the present study was to test in vivo antiplasmodial activity of Croton macrostachyus H. (Euphorbiaceae) stem bark extracts from Kenyan folkloric medicine. Inbred Balb/c mice were inoculated with erythrocytes parasitized with Plasmodium berghei (ANKA). Different doses (500, 250, and 100mg/kg) of C. macrostachyus ethyl acetate, methanol, aqueous, and isobutanol extracts were administrated either after inoculation (Peters' 4-day suppressive test) or before inoculation (chemoprotective test) of the parasitized erythrocytes. All the extracts showed significant suppression of parasitemia compared to control (PPeer reviewe

Leishmania Parasite Infections and Blood Meal Source Apportionment in Sand Fly Vector Species in Mt. Elgon Habitats (Kenya)

Aim:The aim of the current study was therefore to determine the leishmania parasite infections and blood meal sources in Mt. Elgon, Kenya. Methodology: A total of 400 blood fed female sand flies were randomly selected from the study sites for blood meal source determination. Samples analyzed by ELISA method. Test for blood meal sources was done for bat, hyrax, cat, and human. Results: The results indicated that females constituted 71.7% of the flies collected, while males constituted 28.3%. There were significant differences in Leishmania infection between the vector species (F = 4.1671, df = 3, P = 0.022). The genus was dominated by Phleobotomus pedifer (81.54%), P. longipes (12.83%), P. elgonensis (4.40%) and Sergentmoyia schwetzi (1.23%). The temporal trends showed significant differences relative to sampling months (c2 = 7.1934, P = 0.013) where higher abundance of species occurred in dry months of February to April and November to April. A total of 5,688 sand flies were collected during the twenty four (24) month sampling period from the five study caves (for the period February 2017 to January 2019). There were significant spatial differences in species infection of vectors in the study area (χ2 = 14.9445, df = 12, P = 0.0012). Analysis by ELISA on 200 blood fed sand flies showed that 60% specimens fed on humans, 28% of blood fed sandflies fed on bats, 8% fed on hyraxes and 5% fed on cats. Conclusion: Transmission of Leishmania parasites involved three reservoir hosts (bats, hyraxes and cats) and one vector species (sandfly). Therefore disruption of the life cycle of the Leishmania parasites should be done targeting these animals. Keywords: Blood meal analysis; Leishmania parasites, Mt. Elgon, ELISA test. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-4-01 Publication date: February 28th 202

Experimental chemotherapy with Allium sativum (Liliaceae) methanolic extract in rodents infected with Leishmania major and Leishmania donovani

Background & objectives: Several plant products have been tested and found to possess antileishmanialactivity. The present study was undertaken to establish whether methanolic extract ofAllium sativum Linn has antileishmanial activity in comparison to standard drugs.Methods: Methanolic extract of A. sativum bulbs was screened for in vitro and in vivo antileishmanialactivity against Leishmania major strain (NLB 145) and L. donovani strain (NLB 065). Pentostam®and Amphotericin B® were used as standard drugs. BALB/c mice and golden hamsters(Mesocricetus auratus) were used in in vivo studies on L. major and L. donovani respectively.Results: The extract exhibited very low cytotoxicity (IC50 >450 μg/ml) against Vero cells. Theextract had significantly better (p <0.001) leishmanicidal activity against both species (IC50 34.22μg/ml to L. major, 37.41 μg/ml to L. donovani) than Pentostam. However, the activity wassignificantly lower (p <0.001) than that of Amphotericin B against both the species. At aconcentration of 250 μg/ml, the extract induced the production of 60 μM of nitric oxide, a ten-foldup-regulation in activated macrophages. The multiplication indices for L. major amastigotes treatedin 100 μg/ml were significantly different (p <0.05). Treatment with the extract, daily for 28 daysled to a significant reduction (p <0.05) in footpad swelling in BALB/c mice; similar activitynoticed in the treatment with standard drugs. The Leishman-Donovan Units (LDU) for the extracttreated animals were significantly higher (p <0.05) than those of standard drugs, but lower comparedto the negative control.Interpretation & conclusion: Since the mechanism of action for the methanolic extract is apparentlyimmunomodulatory, garlic compounds could be purified and tried as complementary medicine inthe management of leishmaniases