Studies on antimalarial drug susceptibility in Colombia, in relation to Pfmdr1 and Pfcrt

Parasitology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 135 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. RESTREPO-PINEDA ◽  
E. ARANGO ◽  
A. MAESTRE ◽  
V. E. DO ROSÁRIO ◽  
P. CRAVO

SUMMARYIn Colombia, Plasmodium resistance to antimalarials such as chloroquine and antifolates is a serious problem. As a result, the national Colombian health authorities are monitoring the efficacy of alternative drugs and schemes. The study of genetic polymorphisms related with drug resistance is required in the region. In vitro responses to chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine, amodiaquine, desethylamodiaquine, artesunate and dihydroartesunate were carried out by HRP ELISA. SNP analysis in Pfcrt and Pfmdr1 genes was performed by PCR-RFLP in 77 samples from the North West region of Colombia. In vitro resistance to chloroquine was high (74%), followed by mefloquine (30%) and desethylamodiaquine (30%). A positive correlation between the IC50 of paired drugs was also detected. The allele Pfmdr1 N86 (wild) was present in 100% of the samples and 1246Y (mutant) in 92%. However, their presence did not correlate with in vitro drug resistance. Presence of the mutations K76T and N75E in Pfcrt was confirmed in all samples. Analysis of 4 codons (72, 74, 75 and 76) in pfcrt confirmed the presence of the haplotypes CMET in 91% and SMET in 9% of the samples.

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena N. Naumova ◽  
John Christodouleas ◽  
Paul R. Hunter ◽  
Qutub Syed

The goal of this study was to examine temporal and spatial variability of reported cryptosporidiosis in 15 health authorities in the North West of England using regression modelling. We also examined the role of precipitation as a driving factor for seasonal variation. We separated the time series of the reported cryptosporidiosis into two processes: an endemic process and an epidemic process, and examined the spatial variability of each of these processes. In the North West region of England we observed a strong seasonal pattern that consists of two waves, spring and autumn, during which the weekly rates exceeded the endemic level 3.5 and 3 times, respectively. Health authorities with the high endemic cryptosporidiosis incidence and well-pronounced seasonal patterns exhibited a significant increase in rates of cryptosporidiosis associated with increased precipitation. The endemic level and the magnitude of epidemic peaks were inversely related, which might be indicative of multiple exposures to the pathogen in these localities and the development of some partial immunity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-441
Author(s):  
Monique Aziza

This article argues that the number of unprosecuted human traffickers is growing in Cameroon. This article aims to examine Cameroonian government officials, prosecutors and judiciary attitudes to human trafficking laws, which endanger Cameroonians. This article is an empirical study of victims of human trafficking. It takes an objective look at Cameroon's anti-trafficking law that criminalises the trafficking of adults and children. It is evident that societal discrimination towards the North West region, lack of opportunities for free education or to a trade post-primary school and the lack of enforcement of the anti-trafficking law are making combating human trafficking an arduous task.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5964
Author(s):  
Louis Atamja ◽  
Sungjoon Yoo

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the rural household’s head and household characteristics on credit accessibility. This study also seeks to investigate how credit constraint affects rural household welfare in the Mezam division of the North-West region of Cameroon. Using data from a household survey questionnaire, we found that 36.88% of the households were credit-constrained, while 63.13% were unconstrained. A probit regression model was used to examine the determinants of households’ credit access, while an endogenous switching regression model was used to analyze the impact of credit constraint on household welfare. The results from the probit regression model indicate the importance of the farmer’s or trader’s organization membership, occupation, and savings to the household’s likelihood of being credit-constrained. On the other hand, a prediction from the endogenous switching regression model confirms that households with access to credit have a better standard of welfare than a constrained household. From the results, it is necessary for the government to subsidize microfinance institutions, so that they can take on the risk of offering credit to rural households.


2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 3343-3349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halima Kaddouri ◽  
Serge Nakache ◽  
Sandrine Houzé ◽  
France Mentré ◽  
Jacques Le Bras

ABSTRACT The extension of drug resistance among malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasites in Africa necessitates implementation of new combined therapeutic strategies. Drug susceptibility phenotyping requires precise measurements. Until recently, schizont maturation and isotopic in vitro assays were the only methods available, but their use was limited by technical constraints. This explains the revived interest in the development of replacement methods, such as the Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) immunodetection assay. We evaluated a commercially controlled pLDH enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; the ELISA-Malaria antigen test; DiaMed AG, Cressier s/Morat, Switzerland) to assess drug susceptibility in a standard in vitro assay using fairly basic laboratory equipment to study the in vitro resistance of malaria parasites to major antimalarials. Five Plasmodium falciparum clones and 121 clinical African isolates collected during 2003 and 2004 were studied by the pLDH ELISA and the [8-3H]hypoxanthine isotopic assay as a reference with four antimalarials. Nonlinear regression with a maximum effect model was used to estimate the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) and its confidence intervals. The two methods were observed to have similar reproducibilities, but the pLDH ELISA demonstrated a higher sensitivity. The high correlation (r = 0.98) and the high phenotypic agreement (κ = 0.88) between the two methods allowed comparison by determination of the IC50s. Recently collected Plasmodium falciparum African isolates were tested by pLDH ELISA and showed drug resistance or decreased susceptibilities of 62% to chloroquine and 11.5% to the active metabolite of amodiaquine. No decreased susceptibility to lumefantrine or the active metabolite of artemisinin was detected. The availability of this simple and highly sensitive pLDH immunodetection assay will provide an easier method for drug susceptibility testing of malaria parasites.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-213
Author(s):  
Ransom Tanyu Ngenge

Political deception is inherently ‘conflictual’ not only in the Western Democracies but also and even more so in Africa. Conflicts of political nature have often resulted from national and local elections in Africa and Cameroon. Prominently, such conflicts sometimes take an ethnic twist with far-reaching consequences. From this background, this article investigates into the forms and nature of intra-ethnic conflicts in the Nkambe Central Subdivision of Cameroon during the 2013 legislative election. With a combination of interviews and personal observations, including a good number of secondary/tertiary source-material, the article which is analyzed in thematic synthesis reveals that during the 2013 legislative election in the Nkambe Central Subdivision of the North West region of Cameroon, conflicts of clan-based, family and age-set nature emanated with far-reaching consequences on ethnic relations and development.


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