African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 3 (5), pp. 143-148, May, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper 

A study of the relationship between food crop production and incidence of malaria in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region of Ghana 

*Kwadwo K. Dumor, Komla Wood and Kwabena Chambas 

Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Valley View University, Oyibi, Ghana.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: kwador_dumor@yahoo.com

Accepted 14 April, 2015

Abstract

Malaria disease is a widespread problem in tropical countries. Recent publications have pointed to a correlation between enhanced agricultural activities and increasing prevalence of the disease. This paper therefore examined the relationship between food crop production and incidence of malaria in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Ninety-two percent of sampled respondents had reported malaria cases in the 2010 major season. Out of these reported cases, 53.3% were female farmers. Chi-square tests of independence showed statistically significant association between education and measures adopted to control malaria. Self – medication was observed among respondents in the face of malaria symptoms. During periods of malaria incapacitation, 90.2% of affected farmers refrained from farm work. This threatened household food security and resulted in reduction in farm revenue. Average seasonal losses attributable to malaria incidence was estimated at GH¢126 ($66.67). The study recommended that efforts should be focused on malaria education during the second and third quarters of the year when malaria incidence is most prevalent.

Key words: Malaria, incapacitation, Kendall’s coefficient, Ejisu-Juaben, Ghana.

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 3 (8), pp. 237-240, August, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

An investigation of the renal function parameters among Nigerian children diagnosed with P. falciparum malaria

*Oguname L. Emmanuel, Ogigbah E. Tessy and Uwawa E. Dora

Department of Chemical Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

*Corresponding  author.   E-mail: dr.emmalex2@yahoo.com

Accepted 13 July, 2015

Abstract

The levels of kidney function parameters were estimated in children infected with Plasmodium falciparum malaria to determine its association with renal impairment. Apparently healthy children with no malaria infection were included as the control subjects. It was observed that the levels of serum urea, serum creatinine, and protein in urine were significantly higher in infected children when compared with the control values. The relationship between parasitaemia density and serum urea were negatively correlated (r = -0.44), but serum creatinine (r = 0.61) and protein in urine (r = 0.47) were positively correlated. There was no significant change in serum electrolytes levels in the infected subjects compared to the control. Children within 1 - 5 years of age had higher parasitaemia density (8677.48 ± 3241.82 /µL) than those between 6 - 12 years of age (4881.72 ± 872.36 /µL). These children (1 - 5 years) had higher levels of serum urea (6.44 ± 0.36 mmol/L), serum creatinine (126.88 ± 12.24 µmol/L) and protein in urine (28.07 ± 2.66 mg/dl) when compared with children between 6 - 12 years (serum urea = 5.27 ± 0.91 mmol/L, serum creatinine = 123.76 ± 4.32 µmol/L and protein in urine = 19.64 ± 3.91 mg/dl). The result suggested that renal impairment was associated with malaria infection.

Key words: Children, Plasmodium falciparum, renal function.

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 3 (4), pp. 113-115, April, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper                

An assessment of the knowledge of blackfly in onchocerciasis transmission among students and workers of a tertiary institution in Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria

*Obafemi B. Awolade¹, Bolatti Idogho² and Ndubuisi R. Augustine¹

¹Parasitology and Medical Entomology Laboratory, Department of Plant Science, Babcock University, Ikenne, Ogun, Nigeria.

²Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta South, Ogun, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: awolbos@yahoo.com

Accepted 18 March, 2015

Abstract

This study assessed the knowledge of the role of blackfly in onchocerciasis transmission among the students and workers of a tertiary institution in Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. One hundred and fifty (72 males, 78 females) volunteers were recruited for the study which occurred between July and September, 2009. Samples of the blackfly caught on the institution’s campus and preserved in a clean transparent unlabelled bottle containing 70% ethanol, and an unnamed coloured photograph of the fly were shown to the respondents each of which was guided to fill a carefully-structured questionnaire. 40% of the respondents correctly identified the insect as blackfly. Among those that had spent ≥ 1 year, 95.1% (98/103) answered that the insect bites man. The commonest body reaction to blackfly bite was skin swelling (38.7%), followed by skin swelling + itching (P < 0.001). 3.3% of the total respondents answered correctly that the fly transmits the causative agent of onchocerciasis, while 96.7% (145/150) answered incorrectly or non-affirmatively (P < 0.001). This study showed the need to adequately educate the members of the tertiary institution on the vectorial role of blackfly, and study the population dynamics of the fly in the study area towards working out cost-effective control strategies.

Key words: Onchocerciasis, blackfly, knowledge, body reactions, health education.

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 3 (6), pp. 162-166, June, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of the prevalence of malaria and typhoid fever co-infection in Abakaliki, Nigeria

*Osagi H. Dennis, Anouche M. Ruth and H. E. Oluchukwu

¹Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

²Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Benin, Benin, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: dennis_osagie@hotmail.com

Accepted 16 May, 2015

Abstract

A total of 250 blood samples were collected from febrile patients with clinical symptoms of malaria and typhoid fever. They were examined for malaria parasite and typhoid fever using parasitological examination, bacteriological and cultural techniques respectively. The result showed that 33 (13.2%) samples were positive for malaria parasite, 53 (21.2%) were positive for typhoid fever by the widal test and 2 (0.8%) were positive by culture method. Fourteen patients (5.6%) had malaria and typhoid fever co-infection which was significantly high when diagnosed by widal test than by cultural method (0.8%). The statistical analysis showed no significant relationship with patient’s age, sex and spatial distribution but significant relationship was observed with patient’s occupation.

Keywords: Prevalence, Plasmodium falciparum, Salmonella typhi, parasitological, bacteriological, culture.

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 3 (4), pp. 116-121, April, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

An evaluation of the incidence of Plasmodium parasites in birds and the in-vivo efficacy of chloroquine in the examined birds against the Plasmodium parasites

*Yusuf F. G, Kanu E. R and Mukhtar S. Dado

Department of Biological Sciences, Kanu State University, Kano, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: yusuf_fg@gmail.com

Accepted 20 May, 2015

Abstract

As an attempt to keep abreast of the variety of avian Plasmodium parasite in Kano State, a total of 218 blood films were made from wild (116) and domesticated (102) bird species collected between January and July, 2009 period. The slides were examined for the presence of Plasmodium parasite (parasitaemia value). Birds examined were six Columbidae livia (pigeons), two Cisticola cantans (Singing cisticola), two Crinifer piscato (Western grey plantain eaters), two Lamprotornis superbus (Buffalo weavers), five Stigmatopelia senegalensis (Laughing doves), twenty-six Ploceus cucullatus (Black-headed weavers), forty-three Amadina fasciata (Cut-throat finches), five Lamprotoni caudatus (Long-tailed glossy starlings), twenty-four Uraeginthus bengalus (Cordon bleu finches), fifty poultry chickens, forty-six local chickens (Gallus gallus), three Nigrita Spp (Negro finches) and four Streptopchia decipiens (African mourning doves). Results of the investigation showed that Plasmodium circumflexicum, Haemoproteus columbae and Plasmodium gallinaecium were present. The frequencies of occurrence in the birds’ species were: 19.56% for local chickens, 50% for pigeons, 13.95% for Cut-throat finches, 50% for Grey plantain eaters, 33.3% for Negro finches and 0% for other birds. Overall, 6.89% of all the wild birds screened were infected as against 11.7% in domesticated birds. Domesticated birds had higher parasetaemia value (100 to 1000) cells per field than the wild birds (10 to 100) cells per field. However, the distribution of the parasites among the different species of the host birds was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Chloroquine was found to be potent at 2.2 mg/ml concentration upon infected pigeons. A lineage of H. columbae named as type COLIV03 in MalAvi database was identified from the pigeons. This finding has thus called immediate massive screening of pigeons in Kano for this new variant of Plasmodium species with a view to elucidating its molecular and virulence nature as agent of avian malaria.

Key words: Kano, Plasmodium, pigeon, survey, malaria.

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 3 (7), pp. 179-183, July, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of the larvicidal properties of the essential oils of some aromatic plants against larvae of A. arabiensis and A. aegypti in the laboratory and anophelines in simulated field condition

*Gelila Haile Marcus¹ Zenawi Marley¹ and Abune Adere

¹Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Health Sciences, ²Essential Oil Research Institute, Mekelle University, Mek'ele, Ethiopia.

 *Corresponding author. E-mail: gh_marcus@gmail.com

Accepted 30 June, 2015

Abstract

The concern for environmental safety and increased development of resistance to chemical insecticides by major arthropod vectors is rekindling interest in the search for botanical products that may be used against major vectors. Essential oils of 11 local plants were evaluated for larvicidal activities against laboratory colonies of Anopheles arabiensis and Aedes aegypti early fourth instar larvae. Those oils which induced higher larvicidal activities in the laboratory were also evaluated in the field. In the laboratory, the LC₅₀ values of the oils ranged from 17.5 to 85.9 ppm against A. arabiensis and from 9.1 to 67.8 ppm against A. aegypti. Similarly, the LC₉₀ values of the oils ranged from 33.2 to 128.4 ppm and from 14.3 to 96.4 ppm against the respective mosquito species. However, Chenopodium ambrosioides Linnaeus oil with LC₅₀ of 17.5 and 9.1 ppm against A. arabiensis and A. aegypti, respectively, and Ocimum lamiifolium Hochst oil with LC ₅₀ of 20.9 and 8.6 ppm against A. arabiensis and A. aegypti, respectively, were the most effective oils. A. aegypti, were more sensitive to most oils than A. arabiensis larvae. Of the five essential oils which exhibited relatively strong larvicidal effects in the laboratory and further tested in the field against wild-collected anopheline larvae, the LC₅₀ and LC ₉₀ values ranged from 35 to 110 ppm, and from 63.7 to 162.9 ppm, respectively. O. lamiifolium and C. ambrosioides still induced the highest larvicidal effects with LC₅₀ = 34 ppm; LC₉₀ = 97. 9 ppm and LC₅₀ = 47.3 ppm; LC₉₀ = 97.9 ppm, respectively. However, it was revealed that laboratory bred mosquito larvae were more sensitive to the essential oils than wild-collected larvae.

Key words: Anopheles arabiensis, Aedes aegypti, essential oils, botanical larvicides.