scholarly journals Bovine Brucellosis Seroprevalence and Potential Transmission Risk to Workers at the Port-Bouët Abattoir, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Author(s):  
Kaba S. ◽  
Acapovi-Yao G. ◽  
Dagnogo K. ◽  
Kallo V. ◽  
Sevidzem S. L. ◽  
...  

Brucellosis is one of the most common bacterial zoonosis in the world. It is caused by Brucella species and is an infectious and contagious disease transmissible to humans and to several animal species. This disease remains one of the neglected diseases in several countries and represents a real public health problem. A cross sectional study was conducted at the Port-Bouët abattoir in order to determine the seroprevalence as well as to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) of workers. Three hundred and eighty-seven (387) cattle blood samples collected from January 5 to March 30 2019 were diagnosed using the Rose Bengal and indirect Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (i-ELISA) techniques. The seroprevalence was 0.52% (95% CI: 0.06265-1.8542) for i-ELISA and Rose Bengal. Regarding seroprevalence with sex, males recorded 0.3% (95 CI: 0.00776-1.6617), while females had 1.85% (95% CI: 0.04687-9.8991) for both Rose Bengal and i-ELISA tests with no statistically significant difference (X2=2; df=1; p=0.157). Animals >3years old recorded a higher seroprevalence rate eventhough with no statistically significant difference (X2=3; df=2; p=0.223). Also, our findings established that the potential risk of contracting brucellosis at the abattoir by workers is high due to the handling of animal tissues without the use of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs). This baseline information indicates the neccesity for a more in-depth study on the traceability of animals coming to the abattoir as well as study the occurrence of brucellosis in animals and among abattoir workers following a one health approach in order to contribute to the development of a sub-regional integrated programme for the control of brucellosis. This collective approach will minimize the risk of contamination with brucellosis by workers.

Author(s):  
Patience B. Tetteh-Quarcoo ◽  
Nicholas T. K. D. Dayie ◽  
Kevin Kofi Adutwum-Ofosu ◽  
John Ahenkorah ◽  
Emmanuel Afutu ◽  
...  

Background: Malaria is still endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, with a high disease burden. Misconceptions about malaria contribute to poor attitudes and practices, further increasing the burden in endemic countries. Studies have examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of malaria among different populations. However, there seems to be no available literature reporting on the perspectives of day and night market traders. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on malaria KAP with a focus on day and night market traders. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study involving day and night market traders in 10 selected markets within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana was carried out. Data were collected from consenting respondents using a structured questionnaire. Results: Of the 760 respondents (33.3% (n = 253) night and 66.7% (n = 507) day traders) interviewed, there was no significant difference between the day and night market traders in terms of malaria KAP. Although the market traders had an overall moderate knowledge (54.0% of the day traders and 56.5% of the night traders), misconceptions about malaria (especially that it could be caused by exposure to the sun) still existed among the traders. Moreover, the majority of the traders who demonstrated high knowledge (43.98%, n = 250) did not always take laboratory tests to confirm their suspicion, indicating poor attitude. Furthermore, the market traders’ choice of drug for malaria treatment (p = 0.001) and preferred malaria treatment type (orthodox or herbal) (p = 0.005) were significantly associated with their knowledge level. Conclusions: Despite the observation that no significant difference in KAP exists between day and night market traders, appropriate health education programs and interventions still need to be directed at misconceptions, poor attitudes, and poor practices revealed by this study. This will ultimately help in the prevention and control of malaria in Ghana, and globally.


2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uchenna C. Atowa ◽  
Alvin J. Munsamy ◽  
Samuel O. Wajuihian

Aim: To study the prevalence of myopia among school children in Aba, Nigeria.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in public and private (primary and secondary) schools. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used for selecting participants aged between 8 and 15 years from 12 schools in Aba, Nigeria. Data were analysed for 1197 children who underwent a comprehensive eye examination. The children were divided according to the following criteria: age groups (group 1 [8–11 years] or group 2 [12–15 years]), gender (male or female), level of education (primary or secondary) and type of school (public or private). Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction (SER) ≤ -0.50 D in the poorer eye.Results: The prevalence of myopia was estimated to be 2.7%. Of the 96 children with refractive error, 78.1% were uncorrected. In using logistic regression analysis, risk of developing myopia was associated with older age groups (odds ratio [OR]: 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16–9.11; p < 0.010) and higher level of education (OR: 1.73; 95% CI, 1.05–2.86; p < 0.030). There was no significant difference in myopia prevalence between male and female children (p = 0.89).Conclusion: Although the prevalence of myopia and overall prevalence of refractive error in school children in Aba were low, the high prevalence of uncorrected refractive error is a significant public health problem. An effective and sustainable children’s vision screening programme is needed to prevent visual impairment and blindness.


Drug Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (08) ◽  
pp. 475-480
Author(s):  
Mohammad Heidari ◽  
Mansureh Borujeni ◽  
Mansour Ghafourifard ◽  
Rahim Sheikhi

Abstract Introduction The prevalence of various diseases in the elderly has increased the use of drugs, which is coupled with age-related physiological changes and places the elderly at risk for multiple side effects. The present study aimed to determine awareness, attitudes and practices of elderly towards self-medication. Materials and Methods The sample included 300 participants over 60 years under any of the health centers in urban and rural areas of Abadeh city, who were selected based on stratified random sampling method. In order to collect data, the questionnaire including demographic information, awareness, attitude and performance of the elderly and the checklist of drug intractable consumption. Results Based on the results, 76% of the elderly reported drug consumption. Regarding lifestyle, the average score of the elderly’s awareness for the elderly who lived with and without families were 78.6±14.2 and 69.2±13.6, respectively. In other words, a significant difference was observed between these two groups. In addition, there was a significant between the elderly’s performance score with and without family members about the self-medication (p=0.001). Conclusion Considering the increase in self-medication among the elderly, adherence to prescription criteria for drug among this age group is recommended. Finally, designing and implementing various educational programs in health education center is necessary for the elderly and their families for the purpose of improving awareness and practice.


Author(s):  
Shuaibu Gidado Adamu ◽  
Junaidu Kabir ◽  
Jarlath Udo Umoh ◽  
Mashood Abiola Raji

Abstract A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of Q fever in sheep in the northern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria. This study aimed to determine Coxiella burnetii infection and its risk factors in sheep in Kaduna State. A total of 400 blood samples consisting of 259 samples from females and 141 from males were aseptically collected from the jugular vein of sheep from flocks in Kaduna State. The sera obtained were screened for Q fever using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). The obtained data were analysed to determine whether there is a relationship between sex, age, and the animals tested. The analysis revealed that 8.0% of the sera was seropositive by iELISA. There was no significant difference in Q fever seropositivity in the study area according to the sex of sheep (P > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in Q fever seropositivity according to the age of sheep. This study indicated a high seroprevalence of Q fever mainly among female animals and older sheep. Further studies are required to determine the epizootiology of Q fever in the study area more precisely.


Author(s):  
Süleyman Serkan Karaşin ◽  
Tayfur Çift

Abstract Objective Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA)is a modified type of albumin protein that is formed under oxidative stress. This study aims to compare the levels of serum IMA between normotensive and preeclamptic pregnancies and to evaluate the relationship between the severity of the disease. Methods A total of 90 pregnant women aged between 18 and 45 years participated in this cross-sectional study. The levels of serum IMA were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 30 preeclamptic pregnant women with the severe signs of the disease, 30 preeclamptic pregnant women, and 30 normotensive pregnant women.. The study was designed as a cross-sectional clinical study. Results When the demographic characteristics were examined, statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of age, gestational week at birth and blood pressure. Age was higher in the preeclampsia with signs of severity group than in the normotensive group (p = 0.033). Pregnancy week was significantly the lowest in the preeclampsia with the severity signs group (p = 0.004). In normotensive patients, IMA levels were lower than in the preeclampsia groups (p < 0.001) but there was no significant difference in terms of severity of disease (p = 0.191). According to laboratory data; only the creatinine level was significantly different between the groups. Conclusion The levels of serum IMA were higher in patients with preeclampsia than in healthy pregnancies. However, there was no significant correlation in terms of preeclampsia severity; more extensive, prospective and long-term studies are needed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Husniah Batool ◽  
Ahmed Nadeem ◽  
Muhammad Kashif ◽  
Faheem Shahzad ◽  
Romeeza Tahir ◽  
...  

Background/Purpose. Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of gums that causes loss of supporting structures of teeth, that is, gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. Levels of various cytokines in the serum, gingival tissues, and gingival crevicular fluid in patients with chronic periodontitis have been studied, but limited data are available on the level of cytokines in saliva. Therefore, a study was designed to determine levels of salivary IL-6 and IL-17 in patients with calculus associated chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods. It was a comparative, cross-sectional study that is comprised of 41 healthy controls and 41 calculus associated chronic periodontitis patients (CP patients). According to the degree of attachment loss, CP patients were subcategorized as mild (CAL 1-2 mm), moderate (CAL 3-4 mm), and severe (CAL > 5 mm) forms of periodontitis. Salivary levels of IL-6 and IL-17 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Results. Between healthy controls and CP patients (moderate and severe disease), a statistically significant difference was observed in the concentrations of IL-6 and IL-17. In CP patients, the highest mean ± SD of salivary IL-6 and IL-17 was observed in severe CP, followed by moderate and mild CP. Regarding level of IL-6, a statistically significant difference was observed between mild and severe disease and between moderate and severe subcategories of CP patients. Similarly, statistically significant difference was observed in the level of IL-17 between mild and moderate, mild and severe disease, and moderate and severe disease. Conclusion. The levels of salivary IL-6 and IL-17 were increased significantly in calculus associated CP patients as compared to healthy controls and these levels increased with the progression of CP. Clinical Significance. Salivary levels of IL-6 and IL-17 may help in the subcategorization of CP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (08) ◽  
pp. 1142-1146
Author(s):  
Zehra Niazi ◽  
◽  
Sundus Tariq ◽  
Muhammad Azhar Saeed ◽  
Sana Akram ◽  
...  

Objective: The purpose was to determine the ghrelin level, its effect and relationship with blood pressure levels in obese subjects. Study Design: Comparative Cross Sectional study. Settings: General OPD of Madinah Teaching Hospital (MTH) and District Head Quarter hospital Faisalabad (DHQ). Period: 2019 to 2020. Material & Methods: Blood samples were collected from hypertensive and compared with the normotensive obese (BMI >30). Ghrelin level was measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was done on Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 20 software. Mean ±SD has been given for quantitative variables. Independent sample t test was used for comparisons. Significance has been chosen as p ≤ 0.05. Results: Total 114 obese patients were selected for this study, of which 57 were hypertensive and 57 were normotensive. Minimum age was 30 years and maximum age was 60 years with mean age 39.35 ± 10.08 years. Mean age of hypertensive obese was 43.42 ± 10.46 years and mean age of normotensive was 35.28 ± 7.87 years. Statistically significant difference of mean fasting ghrelin levels between hypertensive obese and normotensive obese was noted with p value 0.013. Conclusion: Obese persons with elevated circulating concentration of ghrelin may be susceptible to the progression of increasing blood pressure.


Author(s):  
Abhishek Kumar Mishra ◽  
Chhaya Mittal ◽  
Tanveer Bano ◽  
Arun Kumar ◽  
Ganesh Singh ◽  
...  

Background: COVID -19 is the most important public health problem of recent time. Approximately (60%) of those infected develop symptoms. Study is needed to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 symptoms, their severity and duration, secondary attack rate and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour for prevention and control of infection. The aim was to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 symptoms, secondary attack rate and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour of infected person.Methods: Present cross sectional study was done among patients who recovered from COVID-19 in Meerut district. After obtaining mobile numbers of patients, they were asked about their experience about pre-COVID, COVID and post-COVID period. Total 100 patients were contacted using simple random sampling and information was collected on predesigned Google form.Results: Out of total respondents 98% developed one or more symptoms. Fever was reported to be most common problem (72%) followed by body ache (62%). Most classified their symptoms as mild and moderate (36% and 43% respectively). There was no statistically significant difference for duration and severity of illness based on gender. While 21% categorized their symptoms as severe and very severe. All 100% patients followed COVID-19 appropriate behaviour post infection frequent hand washing and use of sanitizer being the most common behaviour (79%). Other commonly followed COVID-19 appropriate behaviours were use of face mask (68%), maintaining distance of more than 6 feet (65%).Conclusions: COVID-19 symptoms are common among patients but are usually less severe. Most of the patients are following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to lessen burden of infection to others. Results also highlight the need of early testing to reduce infection in family members.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-686
Author(s):  
Shah Faisal ◽  
Junaidi Khotib ◽  
Elida Zairina

Abstract Objectives Pakistan has taken unprecedented measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Complete lockdown followed by smart lockdown and quarantine centres was established. Their awareness and attitude towards COVID-19 had an impact on the individual behaviour of the precautionary measures. The current study examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students in Pakistan. Methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Pakistan. A questionnaire containing demographic and KAP information related to COVID-19 has been created. Results A total of 358 students responded to the survey, and 353 participants completed the study. Among the respondents, 61.5% were male, 76.8% were single, and 58.4% enrolled in a bachelor’s degree. The results showed that most of the respondents (68%) had good knowledge about COVID-19, while the overall knowledge score was 8.78 ± 1.63 (range 1–10). The majority of the respondents (90.9%) were aware of COVID-19, 95.8% knew the sign and symptoms, and 83% of them knew about its transmission. We found a significant difference in knowledge scores across education and area of study p<0.05. More than half (53.5%) of the respondents were satisfied with the facilities provided by the government of Pakistan. The average practices score among the students was 5.08 ± 1.312. A significant difference was found among practice score and area of study p<0.05. Conclusions Most of the students have an adequate level of knowledge and are doing better preventive measures against COVID-19. Health education initiatives are required to ensure best practice among the high-risk groups.


Biomédica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Sarmiento-Senior ◽  
María Inés Matiz ◽  
Juan Felipe Jaramillo-Gómez ◽  
Víctor Alberto Olano ◽  
Sandra Lucía Vargas ◽  
...  

Introduction: Dengue is a public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Studies on dengue in rural areas are scarce since the disease is considered mainly urban.Objective: To determine the knowledge (K), attitudes (A) and practices (P) of dengue in an endemic area in Colombia.Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 515 pupils (7-16 years old) in 34 rural schools in Anapoima and La Mesa municipalities during 2011. Each KAP category was evaluated independently by a scoring system and then categorized into high, medium or low.Results: Pupils recognized knowledge variables such as the symptoms (fever, bone pain), transmission route (mosquito bites), and mosquito breeding sites (uncovered water tanks, solid waste). Average scores on attitude were high in both municipalities indicating a well-developed perception of disease severity. Seeking treatment in medical centers and self-medication for fever management and the use of mosquito net and space-spraying of insecticides were the most frequently identified practices.Discussion: This is the first KAP dengue study performed in a rural area in Colombia and as such it contributes to the understanding of dengue perceptions by the inhabitants of these areas. It showed a medium level of knowledge about dengue and a lower level of preventive practices in pupils from rural schools. It also showed that pupils considered space-spraying as crucial for vector control. The presence of the vector in rural areas of the country underlines the need to improve surveillance and education to more effectively control the vector and promote prevention methods including community participation.


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