Factors associated with major structural birth defects among newborns delivered at Muhimbili National Hospital and Municipal Hospitals in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania 2011 – 2012

Introduction: ninety-four percent of all birth defects and 95% of deaths due to the birth defects occur in low and middle income countries,Tanzania among them. In Tanzania there are currently limited birth defects prevention strategies in place due to limited information on factorsassociated with the occurrence of birth defects.Methods: we conducted a case control study that included newborns born from October, 2011through February, 2012 at 4 participating hospitals. A case was defined as any newborn of a Dar es salaam resident with a neural tube defect,orofacial clefts, limb reduction defects or musculo-skeletal defects (SBD) born during the study period. A control was defined as the next threenewborns (delivered after the case) without birth defects. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis were done using Epi Info version 3.5.1.Results: a total of 400 newborns participated in the study, 100 cases and 300 controls. Factors associated with higher odds of a SBD includedmaternal fever (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.99; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-3.52), maternal hypertension (AOR=3.99; 95% CI: 1.67-9.54), and low birth weight (AOR=3.48; 95% CI: 1.77-6.85). Antimalarial use during pregnancy was protective (AOR=0.48; 95% CI: 0.28-0.84).Folic acid supplementation was protective only in bivariate analysis (OR=0.56; 95% CI: 0.32-0.96). Conclusion: maternal fever, hypertension, and low birth weight are associated with higher odds of SBD. Antimalarial use during pregnancy was associated with lower odds of SBD. Early screening of pregnant mothers for hypertension and other causes of low birth weight may reduce SBD in Dar Es Salaam

Acaricide Residues in Laying Hens Naturally Infested by Red Mite Dermanyssus gallinae

In the poultry industry, control of the red mite D. gallinae primarily relies worldwide on acaricides registered for use in agriculture or for livestock, and those most widely used are carbamates, followed by amidines, pyrethroids and organophosphates. Due to the repeated use of acaricides - sometimes in high concentrations - to control infestation, red mites may become resistant, and acaricides may accumulate in chicken organs and tissues, and also in eggs. To highlight some situations of misuse/abuse of chemicals and of risk to human health, we investigated laying hens, destined to the slaughterhouse, for the presence of acaricide residues in their organs and tissues. We used 45 hens from which we collected a total of 225 samples from the following tissues and organs: skin, fat, liver, muscle, hearth, and kidney. In these samples we analyzed the residual contents of carbaryl and permethrin by LC-MS/MS

Additional file 1: of Genetic Characterization of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates from outbreaks between 2011 and 2015 in Tanzania

 Isolates for 7th Pandemic Tree. (XLSX 20 kb

Additional file 3: of Genetic Characterization of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates from outbreaks between 2011 and 2015 in Tanzania

Metadata, MLVA genotypes and whole genome sequence charateristics for isolates from Tanzania analyzed in this manuscript. (DOCX 19 kb