scholarly journals Genetic characterisation of Norovirus strains in outpatient children from rural communities of Vhembe district/South Africa, 2014–2015

2017 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
pp. 100-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Pierre Kabue ◽  
Emma Meader ◽  
Paul R. Hunter ◽  
Natasha Potgieter
Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 393
Author(s):  
Mpho Magwalivha ◽  
Jean-Pierre Kabue Ngandu ◽  
Afsatou Ndama Traore ◽  
Natasha Potgieter

Diarrhoeal disease is considered an important cause of morbidity and mortality in developing areas, and a large contributor to the burden of disease in children younger than five years of age. This study investigated the prevalence and genogroups of human sapovirus (SV) in children ≤5 years of age in rural communities of Vhembe district, South Africa. Between 2017 and 2020, a total of 284 stool samples were collected from children suffering with diarrhoea (n = 228) and from children without diarrhoea (n = 56). RNA extraction using Boom extraction method, and screening for SV using real-time PCR were done in the lab. Positive samples were subjected to conventional RT-PCR targeting the capsid fragment. Positive sample isolates were genotyped using Sanger sequencing. Overall SV were detected in 14.1% (40/284) of the stool samples (16.7% (38/228) of diarrhoeal and 3.6% (2/56) of non-diarrhoeal samples). Significant correlation between SV positive cases and water sources was noted. Genogroup-I was identified as the most prevalent strain comprising 81.3% (13/16), followed by SV-GII 12.5% (2/16) and SV-GIV 6.2% (1/16). This study provides valuable data on prevalence of SV amongst outpatients in rural and underdeveloped communities, and highlights the necessity for further monitoring of SV circulating strains as potential emerging strains.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel T. Lebese ◽  
Sonto M. Maputle ◽  
Dorah U. Ramathuba ◽  
Lunic B. Khoza

The aim of the study was to determine the factors that influence the uptake of contraception services by adolescents in the Vhembe district of Limpopo Province, South Africa. A qualitative research method which is explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was used to investigate the phenomenon from the adolescents’ perspective. The target population comprised of adolescents residing in one of the six villages of Vhembe District. Data was collected through six focus group discussions until data saturation was achieved. Data was analysed using an open coding method. The findings revealed that adolescents are aware of the availability of contraceptive services. However, they lack a comprehensive knowledge about contraception and contraceptives, which led to negative attitudes towards using the services. Cultural health beliefs and attitudes were also identified as a barrier to the uptake and use of contraceptives. Recommendations were made on interventions to increase the uptake of contraception services amongst adolescents.Die doel met die studie was om te bepaal watter faktore beïnvloed adolessente in die Vembe distrik van Limpopo Provinsie, Suid Afrika se besluit om voorbehoedmiddels te gebruik. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode wat eksploratief, beskrywend en kontekstueel van aard is, is gebruik om die fenomeen vanuit die perspektief van die adolessent te ondersoek. Data is ingewin deur ses fokusgroepbesprekings todat ’n punt van dataversadiging bereik is. Data is met behulp van oop kodeering geanaliseer. Bevindinge het getoon dat die adolessente wel bewus is van die beskikbaarheid van voorbehoeddienste, alhoewel hulle kennis van voorbehoeding en voorbehoedmiddels gebrekkig is, en dit het tot ’n negatiewe houding jeens die gebruik van die dienste gelei. Kulturele en kulturele gesondheidsgelowe gelowe en houdings is ook geidentifiseer as ’n hindernis tot die gebruik van voorbehoedmiddels. Aanbevelings is gemaak ten opsigte van intervensies om die gebruik van voorbehoeddienste onder adolessente te bevorder.


2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 683-698
Author(s):  
Zongho Kom ◽  
Nthaduleni S. Nethengwe ◽  
Sylvester Mpandeli ◽  
Hector Chikoore

In South Africa, the smallholding-farming system is a dominant economic activity in rural communities. This study examines smallholder-farmers’ perceptions in regards to climate changes, in comparison with evidence from meteorological data from 1980–2015, across Vhembe District; data from a questionnaire and recorded meteorological were used. The results reveal that, farmers’ perceptions of climatic conditions are consistent with meteorological details on climatic change. In other words, the study, showed that, farmers’ perceptions using climate indicators, mirror meteorological data. It was concluded that it is imperative for farmers to understand issues such as, temperature and rainfall patterns in order to identify adaptive strategies to the negative impacts of climate.


Author(s):  
A. A. Mufungizi ◽  
W. Musakwa ◽  
T. Gumbo

Abstract. Sustainable development goals (SDGs) 1 and 2 stand for “No poverty” and “Zero hunger” respectively. Achieving these goals cannot be separated from promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring livelihoods, especially for rural communities. This study sought to determine the suitability of land for the cultivation of maize and sorghum crops in Vhembe District, South Africa. The study applied the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Weighted Linear Combination (WLC), multi-criteria decision-making techniques, for criteria weights calculations and suitability maps calculations respectively within a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Six criteria were used; Soil pH, Soil Structure, Rainfall, Maximum Temperature, Minimum Temperature and Elevation. A consistency ratio (CR) of 0.035 was obtained for maize criteria weights and 0.036 for sorghum criteria weights. The results revealed that only limited portions of the whole district are highly suitable for the cultivation of Maize with 15.01% and Sorghum with 19.39 of the land arable for farming. This suggests lower maize and sorghum crops yields in the district and the paper recommends more cultivation of other drought resistant crops other than maize and sorghum.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azwindini Isaac Ramaano

PurposeThis study assesses the “possibilities of utilizing sustainable tourism to improve community sustenance in Musina Municipality, Limpopo, South Africa.”Design/methodology/approachTherefore, to competently discern the implications of tourism in Musina Municipality, data got accumulated by questionnaire surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, document reviews and field observations. Thus, Microsoft Excel, Spreadsheet and Cross-Tabulation Analysis provided both quantitative and qualitative data analyses.FindingsThe study identified immense tourism potentials attached to low tourism influences and privileges on the local community's advancement. The relationships and contributory factors pointing to the present and latent tourism situations in Musina Municipality got critiqued. The study inferred that the Musina Municipality is well enriched with tourism potentials and necessitates a fitting tourism plan to profits the locals.Originality/valueMusina Municipality is one of the driest districts in the remote North of Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is aggregated by meager livelihoods of rural communities, as do most rural communities abroad. However, the Municipality exemplifies some of the numerous tourism-based areas in the Vhembe District of Limpopo. The undertakings of tourism, community sustenance and sustainable promotion have been more proceeding to the lead. However, diverse investigations neglect to efficiently estimate the fundamental points and the complete functions of multiple forms of tourism in community development within many rural expanses.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azwindini Isaac Ramaano

PurposeThis study evaluates tourism implications and challenges around the Big Tree Nature Reserve with its adjacent tourism ventures and entities in Musina Municipality, Limpopo Province, in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachData got compiled by interviews and questionnaires in addition to focus group discussions and physical observation.FindingsThe study revealed many challenges associated with tourism undertakings around the Big Tree Nature Reserve and its nearby tourism entities. The benefits of tourism were not efficiently tapped into by the local communities within and around the study area. The factors contributing to the poor state of tourism running got delineated by the findings of the study. Hence, there was a potential obligation for a turnaround effective tourism strategy to improve tourism enterprises to benefits local communities within the area.Originality/valueMusina Municipality is one of the remote regions in the North of Limpopo Province, in South Africa. It also has impoverished rural communities akin to many rural areas within the continent. Despite the mentioned, it considerably covers a mostly tourism-orientated area within the Vhembe District.


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