Monitoring of CD4+ T-cell counts in HIV infected patients on Arthrospira platensis supplement in Kisumu, Kenya

Consumption of natural products with high nutritional value can improve nutritional and immune status of HIV patients. Arthrospira platensis, is an alga that grows naturally in some tropical lakes. It is rich in nutritional contents and anti-oxidants. This study investigated whether use of Arthrospira platensis by HIV positive adults affected their CD4+ T-cell counts. This was a prospective paired study design with two independent groups: the study group and a control group. The findings of individual patients before and after intervention were also paired. Patients with CD4+ T-cell counts above 250 cells/1l were enrolled in Nyanza Provincial Hospital, Kenya. Patients in the study group used A. platensis while those in the control group used the standard multi-vitamin supplements. Fifty-eight patients completed the study [28 in A. platensis (study) group and 30 in multivitamin (control) group]. The mean CD4+ T-cell counts among patients in the study group increased from 485 ± 163 to 516 ± 181 cells/1l (p = 0.110) while in the multivitamin group they declined from 555 ± 221 to 472 ± 174 cells/1l (p = 0.001). It was concluded that A. platensis increased CD4+ T-cell counts in HIV infected adults and it was well tolerated at a maximum dry dose of 2g/day when used for 1-6 months

Seroprevalence of HAV, HBV, HCV, and HEV among acute hepatitis patients at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Acute viral hepatitis is most frequently caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV).Objectives: To determine seroprevalence of HAV, HBV, HCV and HEV among patients with acute hepatitis in Nairobi, Kenya, elucidate various risk factors for hepatitis viral infection and determine the co-infection rates with these viruses in the acute hepatitis patients.Design: Across sectional descriptive study.Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital, from November 2007 to April 2008.Subjects: One hundred patients were recruited by purposive sampling method and comprised of 57 males and 43 females.Results: Among the enrolled patients, twenty three tested positive for one or more markers of acute viral hepatitis, that is, HAV, HBV, HCV and HEV. No markers were detected in 77 patients, 2% tested positive for IgM anti-HAV; 11% for IgM anti-HBc; 3% for HBsAg; 5% for HCV RNA and 7% for IgM anti-HEV.Various risk factors associated with acute viral hepatitis were identified; poor sanitation, source of water, occupation, place of residence, level of education,household size, drug abuse and sexual behaviours. Co-infection rate with hepatitis Viruses was at 4%, IgM anti-HAV and IgM anti-HEV 1 % (n=1); IgM anti-HBc and IgM anti-HEV 1% (n=1); IgM anti-HBc and anti-HCV 2% (n=2).Three patients were positive for HBsAg; among this two were negative for IgM anti-HBc and this accounted for HBV carriage (2 %).Conclusion: Hepatitis viruses’ infections are common cause of hepatitis among patients with acute hepatitis at Kenyatta National Hospital. Co-infection with these viruses was also identified among these patients

Determinants of Effective Women Entrepreneurship in Kenya: A Survey of Trans-Nzoia County

The purpose of this study was to assess the determinants of effective women entrepreneurship in Trans-Nzoia County. The study was guided by the following specific objective: to determine the influence of environmental factors on the effectiveness of women entrepreneurship in Trans-Nzoia County. Descriptive survey design was used in the study. The target population for this study was women entrepreneurship in Trans-Nzoia County. A total of 700 women entrepreneurs were randomly sampled across the County. Questionnaires were as instruments for data collection. Piloting was done to test on the validity and reliability of the instruments. Primary data from the field was edited first to eliminate mistakes may be made by respondents during data collection. Coding was then done to translate question responses into specific categories. Coding was expected to organize and reduce research data into manageable summaries. The quantitative data was entered into Epi Info and SPSS software for analysis. Factor analysis was then used to reduce the data which was finally be used for analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques were used. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, means was used to analyze the data while inferential statistics such as correlation and regression analysis was used to test on the relationship between the variables. Keywords: Environmental Factors, Enterprises

Survey of Nematode-Destroying Fungi from Selected Vegetable-Growing Areas in Kenya

Plant-parasitic nematodes cause severe damage to a wide range of economic crops, causing upto 5% yield losses globally. In Kenya, vegetables are affected, among other pests, by parasitic nematodes, causing upto 80% loss in yield. Nematode control is very difficult and relies heavily on use of chemical nematicides. Use of these chemical nematicides leads to biological magnification, and elimination of natural enemies of other pathogens, thus creating a need for greater application of pesticides, increased production costs, and development of insecticide-resistance. These factors have led to a growing interest in search for alternate management strategies. The objective of this study was, therefore, to document nematode-destroying fungi in selected, major vegetable-growing areas in Kenya as a step towards developing a self-sustaining system for management of plant-parasitic nematodes. Soil samples were collected from five vegetable-production zones, viz., Kinare, Kabete, Athi-river, Machakos and Kibwezi, and transported to the laboratory for extraction of nematode-destroying fungi. The soil-sprinkle technique described by Jaffee et al (1996) was used for isolating the nematode-destroying fungi from soil, while, their identification was done using identification keys described by Soto Barrientos et al (2001). From this study, a total of 171 fungal isolates were identified as nematodedestroying. The highest population was recorded in Kabete, at 33.9% of the total, followed by Machakos, Kibwezi, Athi-river, with the least in Kinare, at 24.6, 22.2, 11.7 and 7.6% of the total population, in that order. Arthrobotrys was the most frequent genus, with mean occurrence of 7.3, followed by Monacrosporium with 6 and Stylophage with 5.2. A. dactyloides was significantly (P=0.002) affected by the agro-ecological zone, with the highest occurrence recorded in Kabete, and the least in Athi-river. Kibwezi recorded highest diversity index, with a mean of 1.017, while, Athi-river recorded the least, with a mean of 0.333. Kibwezi had the highest species richness, recording a mean of 3.4, while, the least mean of 1.6 was recorded in Athi-river. Mean species richness of 2.2 was recorded for both Kabete and Machakos, and 1.8 for Kinare. From the three genera recorded, Arthrobotrys was more effective at trapping nematodes compared to Monocrosporium and Stylopage. The genus Arthrobotrys had the highest number of trapped nematodes, with a total population of 57, followed by Monacrosporium, the least being Stylopage, with 45 and 36, respectively, in a period of 104 hours. From the study, it is evident that agricultural practices affect occurrence and diversity of nematodedestroying fungi, and, Arthrobotrys can be used as a bio-control agent for managing plant-parasitic nematodes

Characterization of Pathogenic Fungi Infecting Citrullus lanatus in Different Agroecological Regions of Embu County, Kenya

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit is nutritious and a profitable cash crop. Its production in Kenya however has dropped from 379.36K metric tonnes to 173.70K metric tonnes in the last five years; attributed to pests, diseases and unpredictable climatic conditions. Study done between July and November, 2018 isolated and characterized fungi associated with watermelon determining their diversity and occurence frequency in Embu County, Kenya. Necrotic fruits and leaves (n=160) were sampled from random farms (n=16). Fungi isolated and  cultured on PDA.; characterized by morphological and molecular method. ANOVA was used to detect fungal prevalence differences among sites. Fusarium oxysporum was most prevelent with 73% frequency, Aspergillus niger (32%). Penicilliun crustosum and Fusarium brachygibbosum at 31%  each. Least prevalent was Trichoderma asperellum (1%). Significant differences (F= 23.365, p=0.05, df=13), were observed among agroecological sites except for Fusarium oxysporium and F. brachygibbosum. Majority of fungi identified were of significant economic importance

Systematic improvements in humanitarian WASH services: Uganda refugee settlements

Provision of appropriate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is important in reducing morbidity and mortality that are caused by communicable diseases. However, there are a mix of challenges in accessing WASH services in humanitarian situations including vulnerability by age and disability. World Vison Uganda systematically implemented a three-one year inclusive WASH project in refugee settlements in Uganda to improve access for people with disabilities. The project involved engagement of key stakeholders to identify and discuss challenges and reflect on any past experience on similar projects, actual construction of inclusive facilities and conducting participatory accessibility audit of constructed WASH facilities. Lessons learnt in the accessibility audit of one project were keenly integrated in subsequent projects to increasingly improve design, implementation and access to people with disabilities in refugee settlements. Communities increasingly noted improvement in access to WASH and increased enrolment of children with disabilities in primary and secondary schools

Evaluation of nutrient content in red kidney beans, amaranth leaves, sweet potato roots and carrots cultivated in Rwanda

No data exist on the nutrient composition of some important Rwandan staples. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutrient content of red kidney beans, sweet potato roots, amaranth leaves and carrot roots. About 6 kg of each raw material were cleaned and conditioned prior to mechanical drying, ground and sieved [60-mesh] into flour and then subjected to quantitative analysis for proximate content, energy, calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), vitamin A and vitamin C. Proximate composition determination was done using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), carbohydrates were determined by difference, energy was calculated, mineral analysis was done by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and vitamin analysis was performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods. The results showed that red kidney beans, sweet potato roots, amaranth leaves and carrots contain 21.48, 6.66, 29.46 and 13.8% of protein; 2.58, 1.68, 7.89 and 2.08% of fat; 60.86, 79.13, 19.29 and 57.38% of carbohydrate; 2.33, 2.68, 8.98 and 9.63% of fiber; 8.82, 8.74, 10.08 and 8.88% of moisture content; 3.94, 1.11, 24.30 and 5.16% of ash; 357.2, 363.7, 284.0, 322.9 kcal/100 g of energy; and 146.4, 182.7, 26,290 and 1,247 mg/kg of calcium, respectively. Red kidney beans, amaranth leaves and carrots contained 8.54, 30.48, and 15.55 mg/kg of zinc; and 21.36, 219.1 and 8.81 mg/kg of iron, respectively. Zinc and iron were, however, not detected in sweet potato samples analysed. Red kidney beans, sweet potato roots, amaranth leaves and carrot contained 768.0, 10,880, 399.4, and 6,413 IU/100 g of vitamin A; and 2.67, 30.99, 330.3 and 6.76 mg/100g of vitamin C, respectively. In conclusion, the staples analysed contained appreciable amounts of nutrients and could be used to overcome malnutrition and allow dietary diversity. It could be recommended to prepare a Rwandan food composition database in order to improve awareness on local grown crops’ quality