Genomic analysis of group B Streptococcus from milk demonstrates the need for improved biosecurity: a cross-sectional study of pastoralist camels in Kenya

Abstract Background Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, (GBS)) is the leading cause of mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) among dairy camels in Sub-Saharan Africa, with negative implications for milk production and quality and animal welfare. Camel milk is often consumed raw and presence of GBS in milk may pose a public health threat. Little is known about the population structure or virulence factors of camel GBS. We investigated the molecular epidemiology of camel GBS and its implications for mastitis control and public health. Results Using whole genome sequencing, we analysed 65 camel milk GBS isolates from 19 herds in Isiolo, Kenya. Six sequence types (STs) were identified, mostly belonging to previously described camel-specific STs. One isolate belonged to ST1, a predominantly human-associated lineage, possibly as a result of interspecies transmission. Most (54/65) isolates belonged to ST616, indicative of contagious transmission. Phylogenetic analysis of GBS core genomes showed similar levels of heterogeneity within- and between herds, suggesting ongoing between-herd transmission. The lactose operon, a marker of GBS adaptation to the mammary niche, was found in 75 % of the isolates, and tetracycline resistance gene tet(M) in all but two isolates. Only the ST1 isolate harboured virulence genes scpB and lmb, which are associated with human host adaptation. Conclusions GBS in milk from Kenyan camel herds largely belongs to ST616 and shows signatures of adaptation to the udder. The finding of similar levels of within- and between herd heterogeneity of GBS in camel herds, as well as potential human-camel transmission highlights the need for improved internal as well as external biosecurity to curb disease transmission and increase milk production.

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MATERNAL HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AND UNDER-FIVE MORTALITY IN ZIMBABWE

Journal of Biosocial Science ◽

10.1017/s0021932016000298 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 408-421 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nyasha Chadoka-Mutanda ◽

Clifford O. Odimegwu

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Maternal Health ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Health Seeking Behaviour ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Under Five ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Regression

SummaryUnder-five mortality remains a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Zimbabwe is one of the countries in the region that failed to achieve Millennium Developmental Goal 4 in 2015. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which maternal health-seeking behaviour prior to and during pregnancy and post-delivery influences the likelihood of under-five mortality among Zimbabwean children. The study was cross-sectional and data were extracted from the 2010/11 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS). The study sample comprised 5155 children who were born five years preceding the 2010/11 ZDHS to a sample of 4128 women of reproductive age (15–49 years). Cox Proportional Hazard regression modelling was used to examine the relationship between maternal health-seeking behaviour and under-five mortality. The results showed that maternal health-seeking behaviour factors are associated with the risk of dying during childhood. Children born to mothers who had ever used contraceptives (HR: 0.38, CI 0.28–0.51) had a lower risk of dying during childhood compared with children born to mothers who had never used any contraceptive method. The risk of under-five mortality among children who had a postnatal check-up within two months after birth (HR: 0.36, CI 0.23–0.56) was lower than that of children who did not receive postnatal care. Small birth size (HR: 1.70, CI 1.20–2.41) and higher birth order (2+) increased the risk of under-five mortality. Good maternal health-seeking behaviour practices at the three critical stages around childbirth have the potential to reduce under-five mortality. Therefore, public health programmes should focus on influencing health-seeking behaviour among women and removing obstacles to effective maternal health-seeking behaviour in Zimbabwe.

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Seroprevalence of human Taenia solium cysticercosis in Haiti

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x09232330 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 83 (2) ◽

pp. 113-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

C.P. Raccurt ◽

P. Agnamey ◽

J. Boncy ◽

J.-H. Henrys ◽

A. Totet

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Latin American ◽

Taenia Solium ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Serum Samples ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Western Blots

AbstractHuman Taenia solium cysticercosis is common in developing countries due to poor sanitary conditions and economics based on breeding livestock, especially pigs, with low hygiene standards. Neurocysticercosis, caused by migration of the larvae of the tapeworm in the nervous system, is the leading cause of acquired epilepsy in adults in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and East and South Asia. This makes neurocysticercosis a large public health problem in developing countries. Two clinical cases of neurocysticercosis have been observed recently in Haiti. In order to evaluate the prevalence of human T. solium cysticercosis in this country, in 2007 we conducted a cross-sectional serological retrospective survey using a Western blotting test (LDBIO Diagnostics®) in Port-au-Prince, where sewage systems are rare and swine usually roam freely throughout the area. A total of 216 serum samples, obtained from healthy adults seen in the work setting of periodical medical visits, were tested after storage at − 20°C. The frequency of antibodies in serum samples of the study population was 2.8% (6/216). The immunodominant bands recognized in Western blots were 23–26 kDa (100%), 39 kDa (67%), 45 kDa and 6–8 kDa (50%), 50–55 kDa (33%). These results confirm for the first time an endemic situation of cysticercosis in humans in Haiti, with similar prevalence as that reported in other Latin American and African countries. It reinforces the urgent need for control and prevention measures to be taken by local public health services.

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Epidemiology, ecology and human perceptions of snakebites in a savanna community of northern Ghana

10.1101/543009 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Yahaya Musah ◽

Evans P. K. Ameade ◽

Daniel Korley Attuquayefio ◽

Lars Haubye Holbech

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

West Africa ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

World Health ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

General Situation ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Crisis

Background Worldwide, snakebite envenomations total ~2.7 million reported cases annually with ~100,000 fatalities. Since 2009, snakebite envenomation has been classified as a very important ‘neglected tropical disease’ by the World Health Organisation. Despite this emerging awareness, limited efforts have been geared towards addressing the serious public health implications of snakebites, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where baseline epidemiological data remain incomplete. Due to poverty as well as limited infrastructure and public health facilities, people in rural Africa, including Ghana, often have no other choice than to seek treatment from traditional medical practitioners (TMP). The African ‘snakebite crisis’ is highlighted here using extensive complementary data from a community-based epidemiological study conducted by snake ecologists in the savanna zone of northern Ghana. Methodology and findings Our cross-sectional study included 1,000 residents and 24 TMPs in the Savelugu-Nanton District in northern Ghana between December 2008 and May 2009, and a 10-year (1999-2008) retrospective snakebite data from the district hospital. Variables tested included demography, human activity patterns, seasonality, snake ecology and clinical reports. Complementary data showed higher snakebite prevalence during the rainy season, and a hump-shaped correlation between rainfall intensity and snakebite incidences. Almost 6% of respondents had experienced a personal snakebite, whereas ~60% of respondents had witnessed a total of 799 snakebite cases. Out of a total of 857 reported snakebite cases, 24 (~2.8%) died. Highest snakebite prevalence was recorded for males in the age group 15-44 years during farming activities, with most bites occurring in the leg/foot region. Highest snakebite rate was within farmlands, most frequently caused by the Carpet viper (Echis ocellatus). Conclusion The relatively high community-based prevalence rate of ~6%, and fatality rate of ~3%, indicate that snakebites represent an important public health risk in northern Ghana. Based on the high number of respondents and long recording period, we believe these data truly reflect the general situation in rural Ghana and West Africa at large. We recommend increased efforts from both local and international health authorities to address the current snakebite health crisis generally compromising livelihoods and productivity of rural farming communities in West Africa.

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COVID-19 Mortality in Women and Men in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross Sectional Study

10.1101/2021.07.31.21261422 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jyoti Dalal ◽

Isotta Triulzi ◽

Ananthu James ◽

Benedict Nguimbis ◽

Gabriela Guizzo Dri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Public Health Response ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Credible Intervals ◽

Sub Saharan

Objective: To investigate differences of COVID-19 related mortality among women and men across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from the beginning of the pandemic. Design: A cross sectional study. Setting: Data from 20 member nations of the WHO African region until September 1, 2020. Participants: 69,580 cases of COVID-19, stratified by sex (men, n=43071; women, n=26509) and age (0-39 years, n=41682; 40-59 years, n=20757; 60+ years, n=7141). Main outcome measures: We computed the SSA- and country-specific case fatality rates (CFRs) and sex-specific CFR differences across various age groups, using a Bayesian approach. Results: A total of 1,656 (2.4% of total cases reported; 1656/69580) deaths were reported, with men accounting for 1168/1656 (70.5%) of total deaths. In SSA, women had a lower CFR than men (mean CFR<diff> = -0.9%; 95% credible intervals -1.1% to -0.6%). The mean CFR estimates increased with age, with the sex-specific CFR differences being significant among those aged 40 or more (40-59 age-group: mean CFR<diff> = -0.7%; 95% credible intervals -1.1% to -0.2%; 60+ age-group: mean CFR<diff> = -3.9%; 95% credible intervals -5.3% to -2.4%). At the country level, seven of the twenty SSA countries reported significantly lower CFRs among women than men overall. Moreover, corresponding to the age-specific datasets, significantly lower CFRs in women than men were observed in the 60+ age-group in seven countries and 40-59 age-group in one country. Conclusions: Sex and age are important predictors of COVID-19 mortality. Countries should prioritize the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data to understand the evolution of the pandemic. This is essential to design public health interventions and ensure that policies promote a gender sensitive public health response.

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Knowledge of heat waves and practice of protective measures against it in a rural West African

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.077 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

A Gobir ◽

A Aliyu ◽

A Abubakar ◽

J Ibrahim ◽

C Esekhaigbe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Global Climate ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Public Health Response ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Protective Measures ◽

Poor Knowledge ◽

Household Heads

Abstract Background Heat wave has a direct linkage to global climate change and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Between March and May 2019, Nigeria experienced severe heat waves. Understanding heat waves provides an opportunity for individuals to proactively take measures to prevent its negative health impacts. However, illiteracy levels in rural Sub-Saharan Africa are higher than in urban areas.This study was therefore conducted to assess knowledge of heat waves and practice of protective measures against it in an affected rural community of Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional, community based descriptive study conducted among household heads in Nasarawan Buhari, a rural agrarian community in Nigeria. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 104 household heads, selected using systematic random sampling technique. Data was analyzed using SPSS (version 20). Results A majority of the respondents were males (79.8%) and most of them (89.4%) had poor knowledge of heat waves. Farming occupation was significantly associated with knowledge of heat waves (P = 0.025). Awareness of measures needed to protect against the negative health impacts of heat waves was also poor. Hence fluid intake and cold showers were the only protective measures used by majority of respondents to reduce effect of the extreme heat. Conclusions Both knowledge of heat waves and practice of protective measures against it were poor among respondents. A health education intervention on heat waves and how to prevent its negative health impacts was conducted in the community. Key messages Due to poor knowledge of heat waves and its negative health effects, practice of protective measures against it was poor among respondents. There is need for more public health response to address this rural public health challenge.

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CORRELATION BETWEEN ANXIETY AND BREAST MILK PRODUCTION AMONG BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER OF JAGIR, SURABAYA

Nurse and Health: Jurnal Keperawatan ◽

10.36720/nhjk.v9i1.151 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 50-56

Author(s):

Yurike Septianingrum ◽

Nety Mawarda Hatmanti ◽

Andikawati Fitriasari

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Breast Milk ◽

Health Center ◽

Milk Production ◽

State Anxiety ◽

The State ◽

Rank Test ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Health Center ◽

Breast Milk Production

Background: The low coverage of exclusive breastfeeding in Indonesia is caused by several factors, one of which is anxiety. The mother feels anxious because she is unable to provide enough milk for her baby.Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between anxiety and breast milk production among breastfeeding mother in Public Health Center of Jagir, Surabaya.Methods: The design of this study was observational analytic with the cross-sectional approach. The study population were all of breastfeeding mothers in Public Health Center of Jagir, Surabaya who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The sample of this study was recruited through purposive sampling as many as 67 mothers. Data were collected by using the State Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire and the breast milk production observational sheet. The results of Cronbach Alpha test for the State Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire was .619 and the breast milk production observational sheet was .711. Descriptive statistics and Spearmen Rank Test with significance value less than .05 were used to analyzed data.Results: The results showed: 1) most breastfeeding mothers experienced moderate anxiety (91.04%), 2) some breastfeeding mothers showed smooth milk production (61.19%), 3) There was a correlation between anxiety and breast production in breastfeeding mothers (p = 0.001).Conclusion: The more severe anxiety in nursing mothers, the production of breast milk becomes not smooth. Future studies are expected to analyze other factors that can affect breast milk production in breastfeeding mothers.Â Keywords: Anxiety, Breast Milk Production, Breastfeeding Mother

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The Association between Food Hygiene and the Escherichia Coli Contamination on School Snack at Elementary School in Cakung Subdistrict, East Jakarta

Childhood Stunting, Wasting, and Obesity, as the Critical Global Health Issues: Forging Cross-Sectoral Solutions ◽

10.26911/the7thicph.02.13 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hanifatun Nisa Ath Thoriqoh ◽

◽

Budi Haryanto ◽

Ela Laelasari ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Escherichia Coli ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

Food Hygiene ◽

Study Program ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

E Coli ◽

Cooked Food

Background: Unsafe food hygiene poses threats for becoming disease transmission. The most common of foodborne pathogenic bacteria is Escherichia coli. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between food hygiene and the contamination of escherichia coli bacteria on school snack. Subejcts and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Cakung, East Jakarta from December 2016 to January 2017. A sample of 60 food handlers from a total of 147 foods handlers’ population was selected by cluster sampling. The dependent variable was E. coli bateria. The independent variables were proper hand washing, food serving aids, proper equipment washing, types of selling facilities, sanitation facilities, the placement of cooked food, and food preparation. The data were collected by laboratory test result and questionnaire. The data were analyzed by multiple logistic regressions. Results: As many as 45% of the positive snacks were contaminated with E. coli bacteria. E. coli bacterial contamination on food was related to the practice of using food serving aids (OR= 5.00; 95% CI= 1.19 to 20.92; p= 0.044), a place to store cooked food (OR= 6.11; 95% CI = 1.73 to 21.59; p = 0.007) and method of presentation (OR = 7.14; 95% CI = 1.43 to 35.57; p = 0.002). Conclusion: The incidence of Escherichia coli contamination on food is related to the practice of using food serving aids, the placement of cooked food and food serving. Keywords: Escherichia coli, school snack Corresponden: Hanifatun Nisa Ath Thoriqoh. Public Health Postgraduate Study Program, Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia, Depok, West Java. Email: [email protected]. Mobile: 081808157745. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.02.13

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Examining Vaccine Hesitancy in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Survey of the Knowledge and Attitudes among Adults to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines in Ghana

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9080814 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 814

Author(s):

Theophilus Acheampong ◽

Eli A. Akorsikumah ◽

John Osae-Kwapong ◽

Musah Khalid ◽

Alfred Appiah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Transmission ◽

Online Survey ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Iterative Proportional Fitting ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

To Receive

The impact of COVID-19 vaccination programmes on disease transmission, morbidity and mortality relies heavily on the population’s willingness to accept the vaccine. We explore Ghanaian adult citizens’ vaccine hesitancy attitudes and identify the likelihood of participation or non-participation in the government’s effort to get citizens vaccinated. A fully anonymised cross-sectional online survey of 2345 adult Ghanaians was conducted from 23 to 28 February 2021. Differences in intentions regarding COVID-19 vaccination were explored using Pearson Chi-square tests. Additionally, multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse the factors associated with willingness to receive vaccines. Responses were weighted using the iterative proportional fitting technique to generate a representative sample. About half (51%) of mostly urban adult Ghanaians over 15 years are likely to take the COVID-19 vaccine if made generally available. Almost a fifth (21%) of the respondents were unlikely to take the vaccine, while another 28% were undecided. Additionally, we find differences in vaccine hesitancy among some socio-demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and primary sources of information. Attaining the proverbial 63% to 70% herd immunity threshold in Ghana is only possible if the preventive vaccination programmes are combined with an enhanced and coordinated public education campaign. Such a campaign should focus on promoting the individual and population-level benefits of vaccination and pre-emptive efforts towards addressing misinformation about vaccines.

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Assessment of the Effectiveness of Identity-Based Public Health Announcements in Increasing the Likelihood of Complying With COVID-19 Guidelines: Randomized Controlled Cross-sectional Web-Based Study

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance ◽

10.2196/25762 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. e25762 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alexander S Dennis ◽

Patricia L Moravec ◽

Antino Kim ◽

Alan R Dennis

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Data Quality ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽

Christian Identity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Identity Based

Background Public health campaigns aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 are important in reducing disease transmission, but traditional information-based campaigns have received unexpectedly extreme backlash. Objective This study aimed to investigate whether customizing of public service announcements (PSAs) providing health guidelines to match individuals’ identities increases their compliance. Methods We conducted a within- and between-subjects, randomized controlled cross-sectional, web-based study in July 2020. Participants viewed two PSAs: one advocating wearing a mask in public settings and one advocating staying at home. The control PSA only provided information, and the treatment PSAs were designed to appeal to the identities held by individuals; that is, either a Christian identity or an economically motivated identity. Participants were asked about their identity and then provided a control PSA and treatment PSA matching their identity, in random order. The PSAs were of approximately 100 words. Results We recruited 300 social media users from Amazon Mechanical Turk in accordance with usual protocols to ensure data quality. In total, 8 failed the data quality checks, and the remaining 292 were included in the analysis. In the identity-based PSA, the source of the PSA was changed, and a phrase of approximately 12 words relevant to the individual’s identity was inserted. A PSA tailored for Christians, when matched with a Christian identity, increased the likelihood of compliance by 12 percentage points. A PSA that focused on economic values, when shown to individuals who identified as economically motivated, increased the likelihood of compliance by 6 points. Conclusions Using social media to deliver COVID-19 public health announcements customized to individuals’ identities is a promising measure to increase compliance with public health guidelines. Trial Registration ISRCTN Registry 22331899; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN22331899.

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Oxytocin massage enhanced breast milk production in post-partum women

Majalah Obstetri & Ginekologi ◽

10.20473/mog.v25i22017.63-65 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 63 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lidia Widia ◽

Tuti Meihartati

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Breast Milk ◽

Milk Production ◽

Post Partum ◽

Primary Data ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Breast Milk Production ◽

Chi Square Test

Objectives: to determine the role of oxytocin massage in enhancing breastmilk production and improving mother's comfortMaterials and Methods: This study was an analytic survey with cross-sectional approach using primary data obtained by means of questionnaire. The population was 36 post-partum mothers recruited using non-probability sampling. Data were analyzed using chi-square test with a significance of 0.05.Results: The results of Chi-square test revealed significant correlation between oxytocin massage (p=0.001) and post-partum breastmilk production.Conclusion: Oxytocin massage enhanced post-partum breastmilk production at Public Health Center Batulicin 1, District of Tanah Bumbu, South Kalimantan.

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