Morphological and molecular identification of pathogenic fungi of Monodora myristica Dunal kernels and their response to different phytoextracts

Identification of fungi from calabash nutmeg kernels was based on their morphological characteristics and analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of their genomic DNA. Antifungal activity of aqueous,methanolic and ethanolic extracts of four plants species (Azadirachta indica, Citrus sinensis, Moringa oleifera and Tithonia diversifolia) was tested in vitro at 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg/ml for aqueous extracts and 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg/ml for methanolic and ethanolic extracts. Mancozeb (1 mg/ml) and distilled water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. The most frequently isolated fungi were Cercospora purpurea (34.28%), Fusarium oxysporum (23.81%) and Aspergillus flavus (17.14%). C. purpurea and F. oxysporum isolates were more aggressive after inoculation on healthy kernels. All the extracts tested, inhibited the growth of the fungi compared to the negative control, except the aqueous extract of T. diversifolia against C. purpurea and F. oxysporum and the methanolic extract of M. oleifera against F. oxysporum at 75 mg/ml. The efficiency of aqueous extracts of M. oleifera and C. sinensis was significantly lower (P<0.05) as compared to the reference fungicide on growth of A. niger at 125 mg/ml. Antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of A. indica, C. sinensis and T. diversifolia as well as ethanolic extracts of A. indica and M. oleifera was significantly equal to mancozeb at 100 mg/ml on A. flavus. Aqueous extracts of M. oleifera and methanolic extracts of A. indica and C. sinensis could be used for protection of Monodora myristica kernels against post-harvest fungi

High levels of resistance to nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors in newly diagnosed antiretroviral treatment-naive children in sub-Saharan Africa.

: Exposure of infants to antiretroviral drugs for prevention of mother-to-child transmission can induce resistance to nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Data from nine national surveys of pretreatment drug resistance in children newly diagnosed with HIV show high levels of resistance to NRTIs included in first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) regimens (dual abacavir-lamivudine/emtricitabine resistance). Additional research is needed to determine the impact of NRTI resistance on treatment response and optimize infant ART

Delayed entry into HIV care after diagnosis in two specialized care and treatment centres in Cameroon: the influence of CD4 count and WHO staging

Abstract Background Delayed entry into HIV care has complicated the challenges faced in sub-Saharan Africa due to the high HIV burden. A clear knowledge of the factors affecting delayed entry will be essential in directing interventions towards reducing delayed entry into HIV care. There exist very limited data on delayed entry in Cameroon despite its relevance; hence this study was conducted to determine the rate of delayed entry and its associated factors in HIV programmes in Cameroon. Methods Data used for this study was routine data obtained from the files of HIV patients who were diagnosed between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015 at Limbe and Buea regional hospital HIV centers in the South West region of Cameroon. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Results Of the 223 patients included in the study, nearly one-quarter of patients (22.4 %) delayed to enter HIV care within 3 months. Those who delayed to enter care were less likely to present at first diagnosis (using HIV rapid test) with symptoms such as fever > 1 month (5 % versus 30 %, p = 0.01) and weight loss > 10 % (13 % versus 48 %, p < 0.001). Alcohol consumption, WHO stage and CD4 count levels were also associated with delayed entry in bivariate analysis. In multivariate analysis only CD4 count greater than 500cells/μl and WHO stages I and II were independently associated with delayed entry into HIV care within 3 months. Conclusion In the South West region of Cameroon, approximately 1 out of 4 patients delay to enter HIV care. This high proportion of patients who delay to enter care correlates to the findings recorded by other studies in sub Saharan Africa. Interventions tackling delayed entry into HIV care might need to be favorably directed towards patients that have high CD4 counts and are at very early WHO clinical stages

Ready-to-Eat Foods: A Potential Vehicle for the Spread of Coagulase-Positive Staphylococci and Antimicrobial-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Buea Municipality, South West Cameroon

The consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods contaminated with coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) and especially Staphylococcus aureus puts consumers at a potential risk of food-borne disease or colonization and subsequent infection. This cross-sectional study determined the levels of CoPS and the presence of S. aureus in RTE foods sold in Buea municipality. A total of 420 RTE food samples, comprising 70 each of cake, bread, fruit salad, meat hot-pot, suya, and boiled rice were randomly purchased from February to August 2020. The CoPS counts were determined by culturing on Baird-Parker agar, and S. aureus was identified by amplification of the nuc gene using the polymerase chain reaction. All S. aureus isolates were screened for the presence of classical staphylococcal enterotoxin genes. To determine antimicrobial resistance profiles, each isolate was tested against 11 antimicrobials. Oxacillin-resistant S. aureus strains were analyzed for the presence of the mecA gene. Overall, 161 (38.3%) samples had detectable levels of CoPS ranging from 2.0 to 5.81 log10 CFU/g. Based on CoPS levels, 37 (8.81%) of the 420 RTE food samples–only fruit salad and meat hot-pot, had unsatisfactory microbiological quality. A total of 72 S. aureus isolates, comprising 52.78% from fruit salad, 16.67% from meat hot-pot, 12.5% from boiled rice, 9.72% from suya, 5.56% from bread, and 4.17% from cake, were recovered. None of the S. aureus isolates possessed any of the classical enterotoxin genes. All the isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and ofloxacin, while 68 (94.44%) and 66 (91.67%) were susceptible to oxacillin and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Resistance to penicillin (93.06%) was highest, followed by amoxicillin (91.67%) and erythromycin (79.17%). Four isolates were identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus, all of which carried the mecA gene. A total of 24 antibiotypes were identified. Our findings showed that RTE foods sold in the Buea municipality are likely vehicles for the transmission of CoPS and antimicrobial-resistant S. aureus

Legislative Documents

Also, variously referred to as: House bills; House documents; House legislative documents; legislative documents; General Court documents

Validation of land evaluation methods for performance assessment of traditional agroforestry systems in South West Cameroon

International audienceKleinbäuerliche Landwirtschaft in den Tropen bestehen zumeist aus einem komplexen Gemisch ein- und mehrjähriger Kulturen mit dem Ziel, den Raum zwischen den mehrjährigen Kulturen bei gegebenen klimatischen und pedologischen Bedingungen möglichst optimal zu nutzen, und das ökonomische Anbaurisiko zu minimieren. Ziel der Untersuchungen dieser Arbeit war es, die Eignung traditioneller Landbewertungssysteme für derartig komplexe Situationen zu überprüfen und mit den Klassifizierungsergebnissen multivariater statistischer Methoden zu vergleichen. Bedingt durch die Vielzahl der in die Bewertung bzw. multivariate Analyse aufgenommenen Parameter wurde im Ergebnis eine relativ hohe Übereinstimmung beider Ansätze erreicht. Multivariate statistische Verfahren erscheinen demnach geeignet, die erheblich arbeitsaufwändigeren klassischen Methoden der Landbewertung wenn nicht ganz zu ersetzen, doch wirksam zu unterstützen.Smallholder farms in humid tropics often display complex associations of perennial and annual crops as farmers tend to valorise between-row spaces of the perennials by intercropping with shorter cycle crops, all in a bid to better absorb climatic and associated economic risks. To better understand the functioning and performance of such systems, the flow of farm inputs and production should be properly monitored. This study was conducted to assess the suitability of traditional land evaluation and multivariate statistical analysis to define relatively homogeneous entities or farm section units (FSU). Data obtained from several perennial crop-based farms were analysed using a traditional land evaluation technique and multivariate statistical analysis. Irrespective of the evaluation method, all parameters varied considerably for the plots surveyed. The zones differed with respect to their altitudes, farm holding size, annual rainfall, and slope of fields. Although both evaluation systems seemed complementary, results obtained did not always converge owing to differences in the nature and magnitude of criteria considered. These results demonstrate the feasibility of complementing traditional land evaluation with some multi-variate statistical analysis to classify perennial crop based farming systems

Definition of key analysis terms and measures.

<p>Definition of key analysis terms and measures.</p

Profile of uptake of laboratory monitoring of viral load testing among HIV patients in 2017 who initiated ART in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in four regions hospitals of Cameroon (n = 830).

<p>Profile of uptake of laboratory monitoring of viral load testing among HIV patients in 2017 who initiated ART in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in four regions hospitals of Cameroon (n = 830).</p

Use of viral load test results for clinical decision making among patients who initiated ART in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in three regional hospitals in Cameroon.

<p>Use of viral load test results for clinical decision making among patients who initiated ART in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in three regional hospitals in Cameroon.</p