Assessment of Rainwater and Groundwater Quality in Izombe Town, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State

Rainwater and groundwater quality in Izombe were assessed. Five water samples were collected from five (5) different locations, with at least one location from one of the four autonomous communities in Izombe, Oguta L.G.A of Imo State. The physicochemical and microbial parameters of rainwater and groundwater samples from Umuakpa, Ndeuloukwu, Ugbele, Ndioko, and Orsu were assessed using Varian Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The study was aimed to assess the physicochemical and microbial qualities of groundwater and rainwater in Izombe and how these affect their health as individual members of the community, and their environment when compared to WHO standards. The water samples were collected from five different locations, with at least one location from each of the four autonomous communities, and were assessed. The result indicated that rainwater and groundwater pollutants in the community were turbidities, ammonia, copper and temperatures 7.59±0.02 ph, 6.42±0.28 nitrate, 59.56±0.50 ammonia, 0.29±0.07 phosphate, 0.88±0.03 iron, copper, lead, nickel, aluminum, mercury, manganese, cadmium, bacteria count, coliform count, and E-coli. Also, all the pollutant parameters were identified, only iron, copper, aluminum, and bacteria count were not identified as being associated with petroleum products and exploratory activities. This research has broadened the understanding of the suitability of Izombe water sources for both consumption and other purposes. The findings show that the rain and groundwater sources of the community are not fit for human consumption, due to the contaminants inherent in them, attributed majorly to the oil production activities in the area which corroborates other research studies

Identification of Major Subclinical Symptoms of Malaria among Carriers in Owerri, Nigeria

Malaria remains a life-threatening disease with significant public health implications, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria can be detected early, which can lead to earlier care and a reduction in morbidity and disease burden. Researchers in Owerri, Nigeria, decided to learn more about subclinical malaria symptoms. The study took place in two communities: Naze and Ikenegbu, both of which are suburbs of Owerri metropolis, between September and December.ated early

Formal and Informal Financing Decisions of Small Businesses

This study investigates small businesses’ financing decisions. Drawing upon asymmetric information theory, institutional theory and relevant literature on cognitive financial constraints, human capital and social capital, we propose a theoretical framework in which financing determinants come from three dimensions: entrepreneurs’ individual factors, organisational (firm-level) factors and contextual (institutional) factors. We employ this model to distinguish four types of firms: (1) firms that use no external finance, (2) firms that use informal finance only, (3) firms that use formal finance only and (4) firms that use both formal and informal finance. An empirical test on Vietnamese small businesses shows that factors from all three dimensions are important in understanding small businesses’ financing decisions

Mothers' perception and management of childhood malaria in Umuahia South Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria

The survey was designed to study mothers' perception and management of childhood malaria in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria, due to the observation that malaria associated childhood morbidity and mortality continued to be on the increase in the area despite availability of new drugs and techniques for malaria control. One thousand, seven hundred and twenty-eight (1,728) mothers of different socio-economic background and between the ages of 30-59 years were randomly selected from the local government area and interviewed on the etiology, symptoms, management and treatment of childhood malaria in the area. Results obtained showed that both knowledge of the etiology and symptoms as well as management of malaria in children by mothers were still poor. About 30% neither knew the cause of the disease nor its major symptoms. Management practices were majorly based on self-medication with modern drugs obtained from mostly sub-standard chemist stores. When the home treatment failed, as many as 47.2% of the mothers did not take their wards to the hospital but continued the same treatment or sent them to prayer-houses and herbalists. While occupation, educational level and age of the mother affected correct knowledge of the etiology at 5% significant level, they had no significant (p>0.05) impact on recognition of the correct symptoms and choosing of first line treatment by mothers. Control of mosquitoes was mainly by use of sprays or burning of herbs, only about 13.4% used bed nets. Aside from enhanced awareness campaign in the area, there may be need for the Roll Back Malaria Implementation Committee and other stakeholders to consider other options like subsidizing the prices of effective malaria drugs or giving them free to mothers for their sick children, as is the case with other deadly childhood diseases. Keywords: childhood malaria, morbidity, mortality, etiology and symptoms, self-medication, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 28 (2) 2007: pp. 55-6

ANTINOCICEPTIVE, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITIES OF PENTACLETHRA MACROPHYLLA AQUEOUS EXTRACTS IN MICE.

The aqueous leaf, stem – bark, seed and fruit pericarp extracts of Pentaclethra macrophylla were examined for their cytotoxicity, while only the leaves and seeds were tested for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities using in-vivo and in-vitro experimental models. Cytotoxicity haemagglutination assay revealed the following order of toxicity among the plant parts: fruit pericarp > stem - bark > seed > leaf with 71.4, 25.6, 5.3, and 0.5 haemagglutination titre values respectively. The extracts at 30 and 60 mg/kg exhibited analgesic activity and anti-inflammatory property using the flick and hot plate tests, acetic acid induced writhing test; and leucocyte counts, pulmonary oedema and oedema paw of mice in a dose-dependent manner. These findings therefore explain and justify ethnomedical uses of Pentaclethra macrophylla in the treatment of itching (inflammatory response) and pain in animals and in man

Nigeria Anopheles vector database: an overview of 100 years' research.

Anopheles mosquitoes are important vectors of malaria and lymphatic filariasis (LF), which are major public health diseases in Nigeria. Malaria is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium and LF by the parasitic worm Wuchereria bancrofti. Updating our knowledge of the Anopheles species is vital in planning and implementing evidence based vector control programs. To present a comprehensive report on the spatial distribution and composition of these vectors, all published data available were collated into a database. Details recorded for each source were the locality, latitude/longitude, time/period of study, species, abundance, sampling/collection methods, morphological and molecular species identification methods, insecticide resistance status, including evidence of the kdr allele, and P. falciparum sporozoite rate and W. bancrofti microfilaria prevalence. This collation resulted in a total of 110 publications, encompassing 484,747 Anopheles mosquitoes in 632 spatially unique descriptions at 142 georeferenced locations being identified across Nigeria from 1900 to 2010. Overall, the highest number of vector species reported included An. gambiae complex (65.2%), An. funestus complex (17.3%), An. gambiae s.s. (6.5%). An. arabiensis (5.0%) and An. funestus s.s. (2.5%), with the molecular forms An. gambiae M and S identified at 120 locations. A variety of sampling/collection and species identification methods were used with an increase in molecular techniques in recent decades. Insecticide resistance to pyrethroids and organochlorines was found in the main Anopheles species across 45 locations. Presence of P. falciparum and W. bancrofti varied between species with the highest sporozoite rates found in An. gambiae s.s, An. funestus s.s. and An. moucheti, and the highest microfilaria prevalence in An. gambiae s.l., An. arabiensis, and An. gambiae s.s. This comprehensive geo-referenced database provides an essential baseline on Anopheles vectors and will be an important resource for malaria and LF vector control programmes in Nigeria