Contamination of Sachet Water in Nigeria: Assessment and Health Impact

Adequate supply of fresh and clean drinking water is a basic need for all human beings. Water consumers are frequently unaware of the potential health risks associated with exposure to water borne contaminants which have often led to diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, legionnaire’s disease and parasitic diseases. The inadequacy of pipe borne water-supply in Nigeria is a growing problem; as a result people resort to buying water from vendors, and sachet or bottled water became a major source of drinking water. Although, portable and affordable, the problems of its purity and other health concerns have begun to manifest. Sachet water have been reported to contain bacteria such as Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus sp., and oocysts of Cryptosporidia sp. Apart from environmental contaminants, improper storage and handling by vendors also poses a serious threat to the health of the ignorant consumers. This paper tends to review the quality of these ‘pure water’; its physical examination, microbial assessments, its impacts on health, and the various strategies adopted by the concerned authorities to regulate this thriving industry

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV patients in Benin City, Nigeria

This study was carried out to determine the presence of intestinal parasites and their correlation with CD4+ T-cell counts and demographics among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients in Benin City, Nigeria. Stool specimens from 2,000 HIV-positive patients and 500 controls (HIV-negative individuals) were examined for ova, cysts, or parasites, using standard procedures. In addition, patient's blood samples were analyzed for CD4 counts by flow cytometry. An overall prevalence rate of 15.3% was observed among HIV-positive patients while 6.2% was noted among non-HIV subjects. HIV status was a significant (P<0.0001) risk factor for acquiring intestinal parasitic infections. Male gender, CD4 count <200cell/µl, and diarrhea were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV-positive patients. The level of education, occupation, and source of water among HIV patients significantly (P<0.0001) affected the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most predominant parasite in both HIV-positive patients and controls. A CD4 count <200 cells/µl was significantly associated with only Isospora belli and Cryptosporidium infections. The presence of pathogenic intestinal parasites such as A. lumbricoides, hookworm, Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Trichuris trichiura, and Taenia species among HIV-infected persons should not be neglected. Cryptosporidium species and I. belli were the opportunistic parasites observed in this study. Routine screening for intestinal parasites in HIV-positive patients is advocated

Cryptosporidium species and cattle: Implication for public health and water - Short Communication

This paper presents a brief summary of the ecology of Cryptosporidium species in Calves and humans and the existing scientific evidence that addresses the claim that calves put humans at significant risk for water&ndash;borne infection of Cryptosporidium species. Cryptosporidium species is a tiny protozoon that can cause gastrointestinal illness in a variety of mammals, including humans, Cattle, Sheep, goats, pigs, and horses. The infection in Calves and humans is primarily transmitted by fecal-oral route. The evidence supporting the claim that Cattle are a significant source of C. parvum for surface water and human infection is incomplete and contradictory in some cases. It would be premature at this time to claim that Cattle production is the leading source of C. parvum in surface waters. It is necessary therefore to identify in addition to Cattle, the primary quantitative source(s) of this parasite in the environment, be it companion animals, human associated sewage effluent, livestock, or humans.Key words: Cryptosporidium, gastrointestinal illness, contamination, oocysts, shedding, cattle, human

Immune responsiveness associated with experimental Encephalitozoon intestinalis infection in immunocompetent rats

Purpose: Microsporidial infections have been recognized as an increasingly important infection in immuncompromised patients, particularly those infected with HIV/AIDS. This study was designed to study immune responses associated with experimental Encephalitozoon intestinalis infection in immunocompetent rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty-four Rats in 3 groups, A (Control), B (Intraperitoneal) and C (Oral) were given injections of 0.5 ml of 2 x 10 6 of purified spores of Encephalitotozoon intestinalis spores and were observed for serum specific IgG for 21 days using both direct and indirect ELISA. Results: In indirect ELISA, specific lgG were detected on days 7, 14 and 21 for the group B rats and on day 21 for group C and in direct ELISA method, specific lgG were detected in-group B rats on days 7 and 21, for group C rats on day 21 only, while in the control rats, specific lgG were not detected. There was no significant difference between the direct and indirect methods (df=1, X 2 , P>0.05). E. intestinalis was observed in stool samples of rats in 1/12 (08.33%) on days 14 and 21 in group B, and in 4/10 (33.33%), 3/10 (25.00%) and 2/10 (16.67%) on days 7, 14 and 21 respectively in group C. In group A, which is the control rats, no microsporidia were observed on days 0, 7, 14 and 21. Conclusions: There were no changes in the T-lymphocyte counts of rats prior to and after inoculation with spores. Extensive lesions were observed along the intestinal walls especially on the middle and lower sections of group C rats only

An Overview of Application of Nanotechnology in Malaria Control

Infectious diseases caused by parasites are of immense global significance as about 30% of world’s population experiences parasitic infections. malaria is the most life threatening disease and accounts for one to two million deaths round the globe every year. Currently, there is no available effective vaccine against malaria. The shortcomings of malaria preventive and curative drug treatments have become a major reason for the failure to eradicate the disease. There is an urgent need for an effective antimalarial agent due to increasing drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum. Nanotechnology has been identified as the new frontier in the fight against this disease. Nanomedicine is a new technology utilizing nanometer scale drug delivery systems as therapeutics, able to confer advantages which include improved drug pharmacokinetic profiles, organ, cell and parasite targeted drug delivery, reduce doses and reduction in drug toxicity. Nanomedicine can address the challenges associated with current anti-malarial drugs by reformulating the drugs in nanomedicine drug delivery systems (NMDDS). The development of these particulate carriers as vehicles for delivery of active compounds is a novel area of research that provides a new hope in malarial chemotherapy

Prevalence of geohelminth in soil and primary school children in Panda Development Area, Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

A study of geohelminthes infections among primary school children aged 8 to 13 years was conducted in four selected primary schools in Panda Development Area, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Out of four hundred and eighty (480) soil samples collected from the four schools, 314 (82.63) were found to be positive for eggs of four species of geohelminthes. The geohelminthes eggs/larvae encountered during the study include; Ascaris lumbricoides with 128 (26.67%), hookworm 84 (17.50%), Strongyloides  stercoralis 63 (13.13%), and Trichuris trichiura 39 (8.13%).The highest prevalence of geohelminth eggs in soil samples was recorded in Panda Primary School 100 (83.33%), followed by Gitata Primary School with 97 (80.83%), while the least prevalence rate was recorded in Tattara Primary School with infection rate of 39 (32.50%). There was a significant difference in the distribution of geohelminthes in the  study-areas (p&lt;0.05).However, out of the total of 480 stool samples analyzed, 260 (54.17%) obtained  from males and 220 (45.83%) from females, 322 of the children were positive for one or more helminthes infections. The overall prevalence recorded was 67.08%. The study revealed the presence of only four  geohelminthes in the infected stool samples analyzed; these include A. lumbricoides 127 (26.46%),  Hookworm 108 (22.50), S. stercoralis 46 (9.58%) and T. trichiura 41 (8.54%). With respect to  age-group, children under 5-7 years had the highest rate of infection with 149 (78.42%), while the least infection rate was recorded among 11-13 age-group with 66 (55.0%). Males had the highest infection rate of 167 (64.33%) while 155 (70.45) was recorded in females (p&gt;0.05).The study concludes that provision of modern toilet facilities, school based health programme and regular early deworming of pupils will go a long way in reducing infection.Keywords: geohelminthes infection, primary school, parasites, children, Panda

The Role of GIS And Remote Sensing in the Control of Malaria

Effective control of mosquito requires adequate knowledge of not just the breeding sites but also the habitats and all other environmental factors relating to the Anopheline vector’s life. This is not just to avoid the nuisance they cause but most importantly to curtail the spread of the diseases they transmit. This paper identified environmental factors being chiefly responsible for the proliferation of the vector with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) as viable tools in the control of the diseases they transmit. Effective application and utilization of the spatial technologies also forms a major aspect in the Malaria Early Warning System (MEWS). GIS and RS technology explore all minute details related to the environment, thus it remains a vibrant tool in the epidemiological studies of vector borne diseases