Chorioretinitis among Immigrant and Travellers. Comment on Mansour et al. Presumed Onchocerciasis Chorioretinitis Spilling over into North America, Europe and Middle East. Diagnostics 2023, 13, 3626

Comment on Mansour et al. Presumed Onchocerciasis Chorioretinitis Spilling over into North America, Europe and Middle East. Diagnostics 2023, 13, 362

Diverse RNA viruses of parasitic nematodes can elicit antibody responses in vertebrate hosts

Parasitic nematodes have an intimate, chronic and lifelong exposure to vertebrate tissues. Here we mined 41 published parasitic nematode transcriptomes from vertebrate hosts and identified 91 RNA viruses across 13 virus orders from 24 families in ~70% (28 out of 41) of parasitic nematode species, which include only 5 previously reported viruses. We observe widespread distribution of virus–nematode associations across multiple continents, suggesting an ancestral acquisition event and host–virus co-evolution. Characterization of viruses of Brugia malayi (BMRV1) and Onchocerca volvulus (OVRV1) shows that these viruses are abundant in reproductive tissues of adult parasites. Importantly, the presence of BMRV1 RNA in B. malayi parasites mounts an RNA interference response against BMRV1 suggesting active viral replication. Finally, BMRV1 and OVRV1 were found to elicit antibody responses in serum samples from infected jirds and infected or exposed humans, indicating direct exposure to the immune system

Diverse RNA viruses of parasitic nematodes can elicit antibody responses in vertebrate hosts

Parasitic nematodes have an intimate, chronic and lifelong exposure to vertebrate tissues. Here we mined 41 published parasitic nematode transcriptomes from vertebrate hosts and identified 91 RNA viruses across 13 virus orders from 24 families in ~70% (28 out of 41) of parasitic nematode species, which include only 5 previously reported viruses. We observe widespread distribution of virus–nematode associations across multiple continents, suggesting an ancestral acquisition event and host–virus co-evolution. Characterization of viruses of Brugia malayi (BMRV1) and Onchocerca volvulus (OVRV1) shows that these viruses are abundant in reproductive tissues of adult parasites. Importantly, the presence of BMRV1 RNA in B. malayi parasites mounts an RNA interference response against BMRV1 suggesting active viral replication. Finally, BMRV1 and OVRV1 were found to elicit antibody responses in serum samples from infected jirds and infected or exposed humans, indicating direct exposure to the immune system

Prevalence of glaucoma in an eye clinic in Ghana

Background — Glaucoma is an important eye disease that causes blindness with a frequency second only to blindness due to cataracts. Early detection of the condition is critical to preventing irreversible blindness in those affected. Objective — The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the prevalence of glaucoma in an eye clinic in Ghana, West Africa and help raise awareness of the situation on the ground. Methods and Results — The study is a retrospective study of the Out-Patient Department morbidity of glaucoma at the Emmavick Eye Clinic in Sunyani, Ghana spanning a period of 35 months. The study included patients visiting the clinic for the first time. The diagnostics tools used included tonometry, ophthalmoscopy (examination of optic disc) and perimetry. Out of a total of 5828 patients seen over the study period, 460 (7.89%) subjects presented with glaucoma. The prevalence of glaucoma in female Adults was 9.52% whilst that of male adults was 8.77%. The prevalence of glaucoma in children was 1.41%. Conclusion — The result of the present study affirms the fact that glaucoma is more prevalent in the adult population than in the younger population. This situation has a huge toll on the economy of developing countries like Ghana where there is need of much human resource to drive the advance toward high-income status. Mass education and screening is needed to identify affected individuals for early treatment and inform the populace about the insidious nature of glaucoma and its potential to irreversibly impair vision in affected individuals

A Perspective Analysis of Dams and Water Quality: The Bui Power Project on the Black Volta, Ghana

Large dams play an important role in promoting economic and social development in many countries. However, the construction of such dams can have a detrimental effect on the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate perceptions of drinking water quality among inhabitants of selected communities within the Bui Dam environs. With the help of questionnaires, 100 respondents from communities “near to the dam” were randomly selected and interviewed. Their responses were compared with another 100 respondents selected from “far from the dam” communities. These were augmented with in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and personal observation. Analysis of the results showed that, there were greater proportions (31%) of the participants who lived in “near communities” within the age category 20–25 compared to 19% of their “far communities” counterparts. There were significantly greater proportions of female respondents in the “near to the dam” (57%) compared to respondents in the “far from the dam” communities (52%). The study further showed that the perception of risk of consuming contaminated drinking water was more common among “far from the dam” communities (odds ratio = 4.57). The perception of the quality of water based on some physical properties was investigated as part of our study. Analysis of the results showed that significantly greater proportion of the “far from the dam” communities (35%) perceived their water had an objectionable smell compared to 7% of inhabitants of their other counterparts (p value = 0.001). The study further showed that significantly greater proportion of the study participants in the far from the communities perceived that their water had colour (65%) and they did not drink water from any other source (63%) apart from their stream. The study demonstrated that generally, inhabitants within the study communities perceived the construction of the Bui Power Project has negatively affected their drinking water quality

Medical Waste-Sorting and Management Practices in Five Hospitals in Ghana

Hospital waste management in Ghana faces the risk of cross-contamination from the lack of thorough sorting of the waste at the points of generation, codisposal of hazardous and nonhazardous waste types, and use of open-fire pits and substandard incinerators for burning infectious waste. This has increased the potential for the spread of infections and chemical pollutants. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five hospitals in Ghana to assess behavioral patterns on waste sorting and the effectiveness of hospital waste management in Ghana. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed purposively to some staff of the five hospitals to assess workers’ perceptions on medical waste sorting and handling. Additionally, focused group discussions and transect walks were adopted to examine the current collection, storage, treatment, and disposal methods used in the health facilities. Chi-square analyses showed significant differences in waste-sorting behavior based only on occupation (p<0.0001, n=180) and not on gender, education, or experience in the health sector. Even though contaminated sharps were separated into brown safety boxes, color coding for other infectious waste containers was inconsistent across the health facilities. The study revealed that incineration is still the modal method of treatment in Ghanaian hospitals and therefore new approaches such as an engineering approach were required to minimize its environmental effects. It is recommended that periodic in-service training workshops be held for healthcare staff on the right source-segregation of medical waste, in order to facilitate the effective and safe handling, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste from health facilities

Chorioretinitis among Immigrant and Travellers. Comment on Mansour et al. Presumed Onchocerciasis Chorioretinitis Spilling over into North America, Europe and Middle East. <i>Diagnostics</i> 2023, <i>13</i>, 3626

We read, with interest, the paper by Mansour et al [...

Prevalence of onchocerciasis and associated clinical manifestations in selected hypoendemic communities in Ghana following long-term administration of ivermectin

Background: Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease which is still of immense major public health concern in several areas of Africa and the Americas. The disease manifests either as ocular or as dermal onchocerciasis with several symptoms including itching, nodules, skin thickening, visual impairment and blindness. Ivermectin has been an efficient microfilaricide against the causative agent of the disease (Onchocerca volvulus) but reports from some areas in Africa suggest the development of resistance to this drug. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of onchocerciasis and associated clinical conditions frequently associated with the disease in three endemic communities in Ghana which have been subjected to 18 to 20 rounds of mass drug administration of ivermectin. This was to help determine whether or not onchocerciasis persists in these communities. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Three communities (Tanfiano, Senya and Kokompe) in the Nkoranza North District of Ghana where mass drug administration of ivermectin had been ongoing for more than two decades were selected for the study. The population was randomly sampled and 114 participants recruited for the study based on the eligibility criteria. The study participants were examined for the presence of parasites and clinical manifestations of onchocerciasis following established protocols. Results: The study showed that the prevalence of microfilaria in the Tanfiano, Senya, Kokompe communities were 13.2, 2.4, and 2.9%, with nodule prevalence being 5.3, 4.9 and 14.3% respectively. Females in the study communities had a higher prevalence of microfilaria carriers (5.17%) relative to males (2.44%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.2800, unpaired t test). The most frequent clinical manifestation observed in this study among all participants was dermatitis (25.4%), followed by visual impairment & nodules (7.9% each) and then by blindness (4.4%). Conclusion: The study showed that despite several years of mass drug administration with ivermectin, infection with onchocerciasis and the commonly associated clinical manifestations of the disease still persist in the study communities. This calls for a greater urgency for research and development aimed at discovering new or repurposed anti-filarial agents which will augment ivermectin if global onchocerciasis eradication targets are to be achieved