African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 2736-173X Vol. 12 (3), pp. 001-007, March, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Epidemiological Survey of Blood and Gastrointestinal Parasites in Edo State

R. M. Mordi* and Paul Obele Acha Ngwodo

University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Department of Medical Microbiology, P. M. B 1111, Benin City, Nigeria.

Accepted 16 October, 2023

A four-year study to determine the prevalence of both blood and gastro-intestinal parasites of man was done in all the eighteen local government areas of Edo State, Nigeria. The study, which commenced in January of 2000, ended in December of 2004. Of the 136,360 samples examined, 1000 that is 0.7% had parasites. A total of eleven parasites species were identified. A seasonal pattern of parasitic infection was noted with a high prevalence in the rainy (wet) season months of April to November and a low prevalence in the dry season months of December to March. The prevalence was significantly higher in September, October and November at 22, 10 and 10% respectively (P<0.05); than other months of the year. February had the least prevalence of 10%. The local government areas in the rain-forest zone, south of the state had significantly higher prevalence than the local government areas in the grassland, north of the state (P<0.05). Of the eleven parasite species observed in the study, Ascaris lumbricoides and Plasmodium falciparum had the highest prevalence of 30 and 35%, respectively. Hookworm parasites, Trichuris triciura and Strongyloides stercoralis had the prevalence of 10, 7 and 1%, respectively. The protozoans, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia lamblia had prevalence of 6, 4 and 3% respectively. Schistosoma haematobium , Loa loa and Enterobius vermicularis had the least prevalence of 2, 1 and 1%, respectively. With the exception of S. haematobium, E. vermicularis, and L. loa, which occurred in few local government areas, the other eight parasite species were encountered in all the local government areas. There was a higher prevalence of parasitic infections in this study than in the hospital records in the state.

Key words: Blood, gastro-intestinal, parasites, and infection in Edo state.

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 2736-173X Vol. 12 (3), pp. 001-004, March, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

In Vitro Comparison of Plasmodium falciparum Susceptibility to Chloroquine and Amodiaquine

OYEDEJI, Segun Isaac1, BASSI, Peter Usman2*, AWOBODE, Henrietta Oluwatoyin3 and OLUMESE Peter Ehibizue1

1University College Hospital Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
2University of Maiduguri teaching hospital Maiduguri, Borno state Nigeria.
3Department of Zoology University of Ibadan Nigeria.

Accepted 2 September, 2023

The in vitro sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum isolates to chloroquine and amodiaquine were assessed in children with symptomatic uncomplicated malaria in Ibadan, Nigeria. The WHO standard in vitro micro-test method was employed for the study. A total of one hundred and two children were admitted into the study. Inhibition of schizont maturation at varying concentration of the study drugs was used as an index for drug activity. Effective concentrations by probit analysis of log dose/response for 50, 90 and 99% (EC50, EC 90and EC 99) inhibition were 0.37, 2.38 and 5.76 mol/l, respectively, for chloroquine and 0.06, 0.26 and 0.59 mol/l, respectively, for amodiaquine. Forty isolates of P. falciparum were tested for chloroquine sensitivity. Eighty percent (32/40) showed schizont maturation at 1.6 mol/l and were classified as resistant, while 39% (14/36) of isolates tested for amodiaquine matured at 0.4 mol/l and were also classified as resistant. This shows that amodiaquine is significantly more effective than chloroquine. While this data provides no absolute demonstration of chloroquine resistance, it underlies the need for continuous monitoring of the susceptibility of P. falciparum to chloroquine in southwest Nigeria.

Key words: Plasmodium falciparum, chloroquine, amodiaquine, in vitro, resistance.
 

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 2736-173X Vol. 12 (2), pp. 001-007, February, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Gastrointestinal and Haemoparasites in Edo State: An Epidemiological Investigation

R. M. Mordi* and Paul Obele Acha Ngwodo

University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Department of Medical Microbiology, P. M. B 1111, Benin City, Nigeria.

Accepted 16 July, 2023

A four-year study to determine the prevalence of both blood and gastro-intestinal parasites of man was done in all the eighteen local government areas of Edo State, Nigeria. The study, which commenced in January of 2000, ended in December of 2004. Of the 136,360 samples examined, 1000 that is 0.7% had parasites. A total of eleven parasites species were identified. A seasonal pattern of parasitic infection was noted with a high prevalence in the rainy (wet) season months of April to November and a low prevalence in the dry season months of December to March. The prevalence was significantly higher in September, October and November at 22, 10 and 10% respectively (P<0.05); than other months of the year. February had the least prevalence of 10%. The local government areas in the rain-forest zone, south of the state had significantly higher prevalence than the local government areas in the grassland, north of the state (P<0.05). Of the eleven parasite species observed in the study, Ascaris lumbricoides and Plasmodium falciparum had the highest prevalence of 30 and 35%, respectively. Hookworm parasites, Trichuris triciura and Strongyloides stercoralis had the prevalence of 10, 7 and 1%, respectively. The protozoans, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia lamblia had prevalence of 6, 4 and 3% respectively. Schistosoma haematobium , Loa loa and Enterobius vermicularis had the least prevalence of 2, 1 and 1%, respectively. With the exception of S. haematobium, E. vermicularis, and L. loa, which occurred in few local government areas, the other eight parasite species were encountered in all the local government areas. There was a higher prevalence of parasitic infections in this study than in the hospital records in the state.

Key words: Blood, gastro-intestinal, parasites, and infection in Edo state.
 

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 2736-173X Vol. 12 (2), pp. 001-006, February, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Review

Exploring Marine Sponges for Malaria Treatment: A Review of Bioactive Compounds

S. Ravichandran1*, K. Kathiresan1 and Hemalatha Balaram2

1Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology (Annamalai University),Parangipettai – 608 502, India.
2Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore- 560 064, India.

Accepted 1 November, 2023

Malaria, which is caused by multiplication of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum in erythrocytes, is a major health problem in many southern countries. There is an urgent need to discover new antimalarials, due to the spread of chloroquinine resistance and the limited number of available drugs. Among marine invertebrates, Porifera (sponges) are potential source of novel bioactive compounds to provide future drugs against malaria, cancer and a range of viral diseases. A number of sponge-derived antimalarials have been discovered during the last decade. The compounds are mostly nitrogen containing ones (proteins, pyridines, tyrosine-based metabolites, alkaloids, indoles and amides) and also non-nitrogenous compounds (terpenes, polyketides and polysaccharides).

Key words: Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, porifera, marine sponges, bioactive compounds, antimalarial compounds.
 

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 2736-173X Vol. 12 (2), pp. 001-006, February, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

Malaria's Impact on Essential Micronutrients in Children: A Study from Douala, Cameroon

Gouado Inocent1*, Lehman Leopold Gustave2, Some Issa T.3, Mbouyap Yolande1, Pankoui Mfonkeu Joel Bertand 1, Ejoh Aba Richard4 and Tchouanguep Mbiapo Felicité5

1Department of Biochemistry, University of Douala; P.O. Box: 24157 Douala, Cameroon.
2Department of Animal Biology, University of Douala; P.O. Box: 24157 Douala, Cameroon.
3Laboratory of Analytic Chemistry and Toxicology, Teaching and Research Unit in Health Sciences, University of
Ouagadougou - Burkina Faso.
4Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, University of Ngaoundére, Ngaoundéré – Cameroon.
5Department of biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang – Cameroon.

Accepted 12 October, 2023

Malaria is an endemic parasitic disease that prevails particularly in warm tropical regions of the world. Micronutrient malnutrition such as vitamin A and iron deficiencies which is a public health problem in Cameroon is usually highly prevalent in malaria endemic areas. Characterizing the relationship between micronutrient status (vitamin A, zinc and calcium) and malaria infection among children in Douala town (Cameroon), serum levels of zinc, calcium and vitamin A, were assayed in a total of 116 Cameroonian children (62 controls and 54 malaria patients infected by Plasmodium falciparum) less than six years old by colorimetric and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques respectively showed a significantly lower vitamin A and calcium concentrations (P < 0.01) among malaria patients (0.8 ± 0.4 µmol/l and 81.3 ± 23.7 mg/l) as compared to the controls (1.1 ± 0.6 µmol/l and 96.3 ± 16.7 mg/ml). Vitamin A, calcium and zinc status were lower in 51.85%, 51.85% and 27.27% of malaria patients respectively. Significant correlations (P<0.01) were observed when the following parameters were coupled: Vitamin A/zinc among infected children (r = 0.01), and vitamin A and zinc among uninfected children (r = 0.415). This study suggests that P. falciparum use vitamin A and calcium of its host for its proper metabolism, leading to a decrease in serum levels of these nutrients.

Key words: Malaria, vitamin A, zinc, calcium, parasitaemia.
 

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 2736-173X Vol. 12 (1), pp. 001-010, January, 2024. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Enhancing vector control strategies for wuchereria bancrofti through community-based implementation of collection methods

Simon P. Sawadogo^1*, Achille S. Nikièma¹, Sanata Coulibaly¹, Lassane Koala¹, Abdoulaye Niang¹, Clarisse Bougouma², Roland W. Bougma², Olivier Gnankine³, Frances M. Hawkes⁴, Daniel Boakye⁵ and Roch K. Dabiré¹

¹Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé//Direction Régionale de l'Ouest, Bobo-Dioulasso BP 545, Burkina Faso.

²Programme National de lutte contre les Maladies Tropicales Négligées, Ministère de la Santé, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

³Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Life and Earth Sciences, Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.

⁴Department of Agriculture, Health and Environment, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich at Medway, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK.

⁵Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Accepted 19 November, 2023

Abstract

In the drive towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis, enhanced surveillance of vector mosquitoes requires sound sampling methods which can be easily implemented and accepted by communities. Several tools have been validated as alternatives to human landing catches (HLC) for this purpose, but little is known about their effectiveness compared to HLC in terms of the vector density patterns. This study aimed at assessing the efficiency of four mosquitoes collecting tools (HLC, Center for Diseases Control (CDC) light trap, Double Net trap, Window Exit trap). These four sampling tools were evaluated in three different villages (Bapla, Ouessa and Koudjo) in Burkina Faso, when mosquito collection was managed by local people in each community. The results showed that HLC remained the most effective collection method in terms of vector abundance in all villages, followed by double net traps. Except in Bapla, the double net trap collected more Anopheles than CDC light traps. Across the study, the prevalence of Wuchereria bancrofti infection was estimated to be 0.6% and observed only in Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. The Double Net trap is the least expensive of all three methods and was well accepted by the community. In conclusion, double net traps can be recommended for communities to use for lymphatic filariasis (LF) vector surveillance program for xeno-monitoring of post transmission assessment survey evaluation. Based on prevalence the mass drug administration (MDA) could be stopped in these villages without risk of resurgence of the disease, according to the current recommendations of World Health Organization (WHO). Set up surveillance and continue to use vector control tools.

Key words: Lymphatic filariasis, Wuchereria bancrofti, mosquitoes, community surveillance, Burkina Faso.