Comparative Study of Malaria Prevalence among Travellers in Nigeria (West Africa) Using Slide Microscopy and a Rapid Diagnosis Test

Malaria is a major disease in Africa and leads to various public health problems. A study was carried out at the Aviation Medical Clinic Laboratory, Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, in 2014. The work aimed to determine the prevalence of malaria among patients attending the laboratory. Blood samples were therefore collected from 51 patients and subjected to both blood smear microscopy and a rapid immunochromatographic diagnostic test (SD BIOLINE Malaria Ag) for detection of, respectively, malaria parasites and antigens. At the end of the study, 22% of the patients were detected positive by the microscopic examination while 9.8% were tested positive when using SD BIOLINE Malaria Ag. The outcomes of the study show a high prevalence of malaria at the airport. This represents a serious risk factor leading to a high likelihood of spread and occurrence of malaria in other countries including Western countries whereby the disease is nonendemic. It also pointed out that the blood smear microscopy seems to be better than Rapid Diagnosis Test (RDT) for malaria diagnosis

Microbiological Characterization of Grilled Meat “Tchatchanga” in Cotonou (Southern Benin): Enumeration, Isolation and Resistance Profile of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Collective food-borne diseases are the reason for a considerable number of deaths in developing countries. The contamination of meat is often noticed. The purpose of the present study was to enumerate, isolate and evaluate the resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in grilled meat consumed in Southern Benin. To achieve this goal, 30 thirty samples of grilled meat “Tchatchanga” were collected in three districts of the city of Cotonou. After collection, the samples were identified, stored in a cooler containing cold accumulator’s and sent to the laboratory for analysis. The resistance profile of the different isolated strains was then sought: 30% of the samples were contaminated with Escherichia coli and 100% with Staphylococci. In terms of hygienic quality, 70% of the samples were of unsatisfactory. Of the 30 staphylococcal strains, 11 were identified as Staphylococcus aureus. Regarding the strain resistance profile, 88.89% of the Escherichia coli strains were multi-resistant compared to 72.72% of Staphylococcus aureus. This study revealed the necessity of urgent actions to ensure food safety in Benin

Larval Cytotoxic and Subacute Toxicity of Gardenia ternifolia, Rourea coccinea, and Cassytha filiformis Used in Traditional Medicine of Benin (West Africa)

The use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine is a common practice in developing countries. However, this unregulated or irrational use may pose a risk of toxicity to humans in the short and/or long term. Recent studies reported interesting ethnopharmacological, antioxidant, and phytochemical data on some medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of male infertility in Benin. Unfortunately, very little data exist on the long-repeated dose toxicity of these medicinal plants. This study was aimed at evaluating the larval cytotoxicity and subacute toxicity of the hydroethanolic extract of Cassytha filiformis whole plant, Gardenia ternifolia roots, and Rourea coccinea leaves. The subacute toxicity of these plants was evaluated in male Wistar albino rats at three different doses (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) according to the OECD 407 guidelines. Hematological and biochemical examinations and the histological study of the liver and kidneys were carried out. Larval cytotoxicity was assessed by the sensitivity of Artemia salina larvae to different concentrations of the studied plants extracts. The mean lethal concentration (LC50) was determined by the probit method. Subacute toxicity data indicated that there was no mortality or structural alterations of the liver and kidneys in the lot of treated animals. However, significant alterations in certain hematological and biochemical parameters (hematocrit, ASAT, and uremia) were noted. These abnormalities were observed in the lot of rats treated with Rourea coccinea and Cassytha filiformis extracts. Larval cytotoxicity data indicate that the studied plants extracts are not cytotoxic (LC50 > 0.1 mg/mL). These data suggest that the use in traditional medicine of studied plants at high doses and repeated over a long period of time requires special attention

Tilapia lake virus threatens tilapines farming and food security: socio-economic challenges and preventive measures in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tanzania Veterinary Association Proceedings Vol. 35: 19-27Tilapiais a traditional and favorite dish in almost all countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the second most produced fish worldwide. A deadly viral disease caused by Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) currently threatens tilapia production. This study aimed to describe TiLV disease, discuss its related socio-economic impacts in SSA, and envisage preventive measures applicable in SSA countries. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and Research Gate were searched. Results reveal that TiLV is an RNA virus causing the disease of over 90% mortalities in tilapia. It attacks early developmental stages of tilapia, transmitted horizontally between fish, and is a potential trade-influencing transboundary animal disease. It is currently confirmed in six countries: Ecuador, Israel, Colombia, Egypt, Thailand and Taiwan. 10 SSA countries have likely imported TiLV infected tilapia fingerlings from hatcheries in Thailand and Tanzania, Burundi, Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia are suspected infected with TiLV. Approximately 6 Million jobs with subsequent 18 million livelihoods are expected to be affected. Food insecurity is likely to hit over 400 Million lives in the course of TiLV disease. An estimate of US$ 3 billion per year could be lost in SSA countries due to TiLV. In SSA, technologies to achieve effective control of TiLV based on measures suggested by OIE, and FOA do not exist. There is a crucial need for capacity building among farmers and technical personnel on prompt diagnostic procedures and effective remedial action and establishment of outbreak response systems

Antibacterial Activity of Chalcone and Dihydrochalcone Compounds from Uvaria chamae Roots against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

This study presents antimicrobial properties of Uvaria chamae roots, commonly used for the treatment of various infections in south Benin. Their constituents were extracted and then fractionated in order to isolate the active ingredients. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed against several multidrug-resistant bacteria using the Mueller Hilton well agar diffusion method. Results showed that ethanol extracts were highly active against Gram-positive cocci. This activity was more extensive than that measured from conventional broad-spectrum antibiotics. Indeed, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains were all sensitive to this root extract. The aim of this study was to link the antimicrobial activity of the root to chemical structures. The ion mobility mass spectrometry analysis revealed for the first time the presence of ten chalcone and dihydrochalcone structures responsible for the antimicrobial activity of Uvaria chamae ethanol extracts. Two structures were described here for the first time in these roots. These findings confirm and justify the medical properties of these roots used as a traditional medicine

Pharmaceutical pollution of the world’s rivers

Environmental exposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can have negative effects on the health of ecosystems and humans. While numerous studies have monitored APIs in rivers, these employ different analytical methods, measure different APIs, and have ignored many of the countries of the world. This makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem from a global perspective. Furthermore, comparison of the existing data, generated for different studies/regions/continents, is challenging due to the vast differences between the analytical methodologies employed. Here, we present a global-scale study of API pollution in 258 of the world’s rivers, representing the environmental influence of 471.4 million people across 137 geographic regions. Samples were obtained from 1,052 locations in 104 countries (representing all continents and 36 countries not previously studied for API contamination) and analyzed for 61 APIs. Highest cumulative API concentrations were observed in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and South America. The most contaminated sites were in low- to middle-income countries and were associated with areas with poor wastewater and waste management infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The most frequently detected APIs were carbamazepine, metformin, and caffeine (a compound also arising from lifestyle use), which were detected at over half of the sites monitored. Concentrations of at least one API at 25.7% of the sampling sites were greater than concentrations considered safe for aquatic organisms, or which are of concern in terms of selection for antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, pharmaceutical pollution poses a global threat to environmental and human health, as well as to delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Brno University of Technology, implementation of carcass substructure

The bachelor thesis deals with the processing of materials and documentation of the chosen stage of a carcass substructure of The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Brno University of Technology. The object of the thesis is a realization of a diaphragm wall and soil nailing in order to ensure the foundation pit. The project consists of the technical reports which focus on the chosen technological stage, technical regulations, control and test plans, organization of the construction plan, safety plan, proposal of the machinery and structural plans