scholarly journals Molecular Diagnosis of Abdominal Armillifer grandis Pentastomiasis in the Democratic Republic of Congo

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 2362-2364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Tappe ◽  
Mihály Sulyok ◽  
Lajos Rózsa ◽  
Birgit Muntau ◽  
Alexandra Haeupler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Molecular Diagnostics ◽  
Morphological Study ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
The Tropics

Pentastomiasis is an emerging snake-borne parasitic zoonosis in the tropics. We describe a molecular and morphological study to diagnose a cluster of asymptomatic abdominal human infections caused byArmillifer grandis.The findings may indicate a silent epidemic in a rural area where severe symptomatic ocular cases with the same parasite species have recently surfaced. Molecular diagnostics are of increasing importance when patient material from remote areas cannot be thoroughly examined locally for logistic reasons.

scholarly journals Malaria Parasite Species Composition of Plasmodium Infections Among Asymptomatic and Symptomatic School-Age Children in Rural and Urban Areas of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabin S. Nundu ◽  
Richard Culleton ◽  
Shirley V. Simpson ◽  
Hiroaki Arima ◽  
Jean-Jacques Muyembe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Rural Area ◽  
Malaria Parasite ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Asymptomatic Malaria ◽  
School Age ◽  
Republic Of Congo

Abstract Background. Malaria remains a major public health concern in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and school-age children are relatively neglected in malaria prevalence surveys and may constitute a significant reservoir of transmission. This study aimed to understand the burden of malaria infections in school-age children in Kinshasa/DRC.Methods. 634 (427 asymptomatic and 207 symptomatic) blood samples were collected from a cross-sectional survey of school-age children aged 6 to 14 years both without and with malaria symptoms. Nested-PCR was performed for malaria parasite species typing. Results. The overall prevalence of Plasmodium spp., Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale was 62.3, 58.1, 19.9 and 10.8% among asymptomatic whereas it was 94.4, 93.2, 12.6 and 15.9% in symptomatic children, respectively. All Plasmodium species infections were significantly more prevalent in the rural area compared to the urban area in asymptomatic infections (p<0.001). Living in a rural as opposed to an urban area was associated with a five-fold greater risk of asymptomatic malaria parasite carriage (p<0.001). Amongst asymptomatic malaria parasite carriers, 43% of children in the rural area were co-infected with two or more species with P. falciparum + P. malariae the most common (24%) whereas in the urban setting, fewer children carried co-infections (16%) with P. falciparum + P. malariae again the most common (9%). A fifth of rural-dwelling symptomatic children were co-infected with two or more species with P. falciparum + P. ovale the most common (14%), while a quarter of symptomatic children in the urban area carried multiple species, with co-infections of P. falciparum + P. malariae the most common (11%). Conclusion. School-age children are at significant risk from both asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria parasite infections. Continuous systematic screening and treatment of school-age children in high-transmission settings across the country may reinforce malaria intervention measures.

Doubts grow over reforms for Africa's fragile states

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
South Sudan ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
State Building ◽  
African Union ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Fragile States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals

Subject International state-building aid and interventions in Africa. Significance The five most 'fragile' states in the 2014 Fragile States Index are in Africa: South Sudan, Somalia, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan. Of these, South Sudan and Somalia in particular have been subject to major international efforts at 'state-building'. Meanwhile the DRC, Sudan and to some extent the CAR have for many years hosted high levels of humanitarian aid and large UN, African Union (AU) or sub-regional peace-keeping missions. Yet doubts are growing over the assumptions and effectiveness of international state-building aid and interventions. Impacts Countries in or emerging from long-running conflicts will remain vulnerable to fragmentation and perform worst on global development goals. Infrastructure development in the most conflict-affected countries will remain stunted, sometimes retarding regional linkage schemes. Despite generalised prescriptions for state-building, the specific context will be the decisive factor in success of any interventions.

scholarly journals Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in Mosango, a Rural Area in the Democratic Republic of Congo

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e94618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Kayomo Kaswa ◽  
Serge Bisuta ◽  
Georges Kabuya ◽  
Octavie Lunguya ◽  
André Ndongosieme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Drug Resistant Tuberculosis ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Resistant Tuberculosis ◽  
Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Congo-Kinshasa leader has more plans to prolong rule

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Presidential Elections ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Electoral Reform ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Downward Pressure ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Compulsory State

Subject Presidential politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Significance Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) parliamentarians on January 25 voted to remove a clause in an electoral reform bill requiring that a census be conducted before presidential elections take place -- which by delaying the poll would extend President Joseph Kabila's rule beyond 2016 (when his term ends). His allies, led by Interior Minister Evariste Boshab and intelligence chief Kalev Mutond, are now seeking alternative means to extend Kabila's tenure. Impacts The FDLR rebels' failure to disarm will trigger a counter-insurgency offensive -- led by South African, Congolese and Tanzanian forces. The global copper supply glut's downward pressure on prices will hurt export revenues and dampen mining prospects in Katanga province. Proposals to raise mining royalties and increase compulsory state stakes in new mining ventures could depress investor appetite.

Indices can mislead on Africa business costs

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Foreign Exchange Reserves ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Ease Of Doing Business ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Import Restrictions ◽  
Business Cost ◽  
Ssa Countries

Subject Outlook for business cost rankings in Africa. Significance The World Bank's 2015 Doing Business report identifies five sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries -- Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo -- as among the ten "top improvers" globally for ease of doing business. However, such assessments often suffer from data inaccuracies, overestimate the relevance of formal rules, and miss informal costs such as those caused by graft. Impacts Rankings on SSA cities' 'livability' could influence how employers determine hardship allowances for expatriate workers. First-mover advantages, such as French firms operating in West Africa, will partially help to offset burdensome regulations. Internet-based business will benefit from PayPal's entry into Nigeria, which may improve online payments security. Import restrictions by some states to help buttress foreign exchange reserves will cause shortages of some consumer goods.

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