Abstract: Background: Acute gastroenteritis is one of the frequently reported Out-Patient Department (OPD) cases. However, the causative pathogens of these cases are rarely identified at the OPD due to delay in laboratory results or failure to obtain specimens before antibiotics is administered. Method: A retrospective review of surveillance data from the Adentan Municipality, Accra, Ghana that were recorded in the National foodborne disease surveillance system of Ghana, was conducted with the main aim of describing the epidemiology and food practice of cases reported from the Adentan Municipality. The study involved a retrospective review of surveillance data kept on patients who visited health facilities that are involved in foodborne disease surveillance in Ghana, from January 2015 to December 2016. Results: A total of 375 cases were reviewed and these were classified as viral hepatitis (hepatitis A and E), cholera (Vibrio cholerae), dysentery (Shigella sp.), typhoid fever (Salmonella sp.) or gastroenteritis. Cases recorded were all suspected case and the average cases recorded per week was 3. Typhoid fever and dysentery were the two main clinically diagnosed foodborne illnesses. The highest number of cases were observed during the late dry season (Feb to April), which marks the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season. Relatively high number of cases was also observed during the late wet seasons (Jul to Oct) when the rainfall is the heaviest. Home-made food and street vended food were the major sources of suspected etiological food, recording 49.01% and 34.87% of the cases respectively. Conclusion: Majority of cases recorded were classified as gastroenteritis due to the absence of laboratory confirmation. Few cases were classified as typhoid fever and dysentery based on clinical symptoms presented. Patients reporting with foodborne diseases were found to consume home meal and street vended foods as their predominant source of food.
Abstract: Cholera is a disease that is predominately common in
developing countries due to poor sanitation and overcrowding
population. In this paper, a deterministic model for the dynamics of
cholera is developed and control measures such as health educational
message, therapeutic treatment, and vaccination are incorporated in
the model. The effective reproduction number is computed in terms
of the model parameters. The existence and stability of the
equilibrium states, disease free and endemic equilibrium states are
established and showed to be locally and globally asymptotically
stable when R0 < 1 and R0 > 1 respectively. The existence of
backward bifurcation of the model is investigated. Furthermore,
numerical simulation of the model developed is carried out to show
the impact of the control measures and the result indicates that
combined control measures will help to reduce the spread of cholera
in the population.
Abstract: A cross sectional study design and standard
microbiological procedures were used to determine the prevalence
and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Escherichia coli,
Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae O1
isolated from water and two fish species Rastrineobola argentea and
Oreochromis niloticus collected from fish landing beaches and
markets in the Lake Victoria Basin of western Kenya. Out of 162
samples analyzed, 133 (82.1%) were contaminated, with S.
typhimurium as the most prevalent (49.6%), followed by E. coli
(46.6%), and lastly V. cholerae (2.8%). All the bacteria isolates were
sensitive to ciprofloxacin. E. coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin,
tetracycline, cotrimoxazole, chloramphenical and gentamicin while
S. typhimurium isolates exhibited resistance to ampicillin,
tetracycline, and cotrimoxazole. The V. cholerae O1 isolates were
resistant to tetracycline and ampicillin. The high prevalence of drug
resistant enteric bacteria in water and fish from the study region
needs public health intervention from the local government.
Abstract: Lectins have a good scope in current clinical
microbiology research. In the present study evaluated the
antimicrobial activities of a D-galactose binding lectin (PnL) was
purified from the annelid, Perinereis nuntia (polychaeta) by affinity
chromatography. The molecular mass of the lectin was determined to
be 32 kDa as a single polypeptide by SDS-PAGE under both reducing
and non-reducing conditions. The hemagglutinating activity of the
PnL showed against trypsinized and glutaraldehyde-fixed human
erythrocytes was specifically inhibited by D-Gal, GalNAc,
Galβ1-4Glc and Galα1-6Glc. PnL was evaluated for in vitro
antibacterial screening studies against 11 gram-positive and
gram-negative microorganisms. From the screening results, it was
revealed that PnL exhibited significant antibacterial activity against
gram-positive bacteria. Bacillus megaterium showed the highest
growth inhibition by the lectin (250 μg/disc). However, PnL did not
inhibit the growth of gram-negative bacteria such as Vibrio cholerae
and Pseudomonas sp. PnL was also examined for in vitro antifungal
activity against six fungal phytopathogens. PnL (100 μg/mL) inhibited
the mycelial growth of Alternaria alternata (24.4%). These results
indicate that future findings of lectin applications obtained from
annelids may be of importance to life sciences.