Brucellosis as an Emerging Threat in Developing Economies:Lessons from Nigeria

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, has a large proportion of the world's poor livestock keepers, and is a hotspot for neglected zoonoses. A review of the 127 accessible publications on brucellosis in Nigeria reveals only scant and fragmented evidence on its spatial and temporal distribution in different epidemiological contexts. The few bacteriological studies conducted demonstrate the existence of Brucella abortus in cattle and sheep, but evidence for B. melitensis in small ruminants is dated and unclear. The bulk of the evidence consists of seroprevalence studies, but test standardization and validation are not always adequately described, and misinterpretations exist with regard to sensitivity and/or specificity and ability to identify the infecting Brucella species. Despite this, early studies suggest that although brucellosis was endemic in extensive nomadic systems, seroprevalence was low, and brucellosis was not perceived as a real burden; recent studies, however, may reflect a changing trend. Concerning human brucellosis, no studies have identified the Brucella species and most reports provide only serological evidence of contact with Brucella in the classical risk groups; some suggest brucellosis misdiagnoses as malaria or other febrile conditions. The investigation of a severe outbreak that occurred in the late 1970s describes the emergence of animal and human disease caused by the settling of previously nomadic populations during the Sahelian drought. There appears to be an increasing risk of re-emergence of brucellosis in sub-Saharan Africa, as a result of the co-existence of pastoralist movements and the increase of intensive management resulting from growing urbanization and food demand. Highly contagious zoonoses like brucellosis pose a threat with far-reaching social and political consequences

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyl along the course of the Buffalo River, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and possible health risks

Humans and wildlife are vulnerable to the toxicity of semi-volatile and persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Neither the distribution of these pollutants nor their seasonal variation has ever been determined in the Buffalo River. Thus, the occurrence and concentration of 19 PCBs was assessed in King William’s Town (KWT), Izele (IZ), Zwelitsha (ZW), Maden (MD), Mdantsane (MSN) and Buffalo River estuary (BRE), all on the Buffalo River in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Water samples were subjected to liquid-liquid extraction for PCBs, after which the compounds were separated and quantified on gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The PCBs differ in concentration from below detection limit (BDL) to 482 ng·L−1 in summer and BDL to 2 383 ng·L−1 in autumn. While the order of congeners increases during the summer from KWT > IZ > ZW > MD > MSN > BRE, the distribution in autumn followed the order BRE > IZ > ZW > KWT > MSN > MD. The total levels of PCBs at all the sites during summer were below the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible level of 500 ng·L−1 recommended for humans, but were exceeded at all the sampling sites in autumn except at MD. The evaluated risk with respect to cancer was lower than the acceptable threshold (10-6), whereas hazard quotients were slightly higher than the maximum threshold (of 1) stated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The compounds are known to be toxic to humans and animals. The results appear to show that the exposure levels of the compounds were safe for humans and animals. Further studies are recommended in order to make a definitive conclusion

Antioxidant activities of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil obtained by hydro-distillation and solvent free microwave extraction

The essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis L. growing in a rural area within the Nkonkobe Municipality of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, were extracted using the solvent free microwave extractor (SFME) and hydro-distillation (HD) methods. The antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of the obtained oils were tested by means of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH+) assay and β- carotene bleaching test. In the DPPH+ assay, while the free radical scavenging activity of the oil obtained by SFME method showed percentage inhibitions of 48.80, 61.60 and 67.00%, the HD oil showed inhibitions of 52.20, 55.00 and 65.30% at 0.33, 0.5 and 1.00 mg/ml, respectively. In the β- carotene bleaching assay, the percentage inhibition increased with increasing concentration of both oils, with a high antioxidant activity of the oil obtained through the SFME than through the HD method. The significance of this observation is discussed with respect to the properties of essential oils obtained using different methods.Key words: Essential oil, antioxidant, hydrodistillation, solvent free microwave extraction; Rosmarinus officinalis

In Vivo Anti-Plasmodial Activity and the Effect of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Rauvolfia Vomitoria on Hematological and Lipid Parameters in Swiss Mice Infected with Plasmodium Berghei NK 65

Rauvolfia vomitoria is a medicinal plant used locally in Nigeria for the management of malaria and other ailments. The study was conducted to determine the effect of ethanolic leaf extract of R. vomitoria on  hematological and lipid parameters in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65. Swiss mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with P.berghei NK65. The mice were grouped into six groups, of five per group. Only Group A were not infected with P.berghei, Groups B and C served as both positive and negative control while Groups D, E, and F were treated with 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg body weight of R. vomitoria extract. The phytochemical constituents of the extract showed the presence of secondary metabolites like tannin, flavonoids, steroids and saponin. The extract of R.vomitoria showed marked anti-malaria effects in dose seeming fashion from the percentage parasitaemia computed after carrying out suppressive and curative test. The hematological parameters showed that R. vomitoria had a significant increase in HCT, RBC, HGB, and platelet values when compared to negative control. There was a significant increase in plasma TC, TG, VLDL, HDL-C and LDL-C in the infected untreated group compared to other groups. This study showed that R. vomitoria extract suppressed the growth of P. berghei NK65 and it had antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effect on animals infected with P. berghei NK65.Keywords: Rauvolfia vomitoria, Anti-plasmodial, Swiss albino mice, Plasmodium berghei NK 65 and Biochemical parameters