Epidemiological aspects of deep mycoses in Venezuela

Summary The tropical situation of Venezuela is a favorable condition to the development of fungi and contributes to the varied pathology in which numerous species are the agents. All the known deep human mycoses have been found on the Venezuelan territory. Studies of skin sensibility to histoplasmin and the analysis of the origin of cases of histoplasmosis and paracoccidioidomycosis indicate that both are very frequent in our country and are found preferentially in humid places of leafy vegetation, while coccidioidomycosis is limited to a dry area with predominant xerophyte vegetation and scarce rain fall, located in the northwestern region of the country, near the central North.Histoplasma capsulatum has been isolated from soils, among them the one of a cave where several excursionists had acquired the infection. It has been possible to pinpoint in these cases of primary pulmonary infection that the incubation period oscillated between 8 and 16 days and in one of them the appearance of the skin sensitivity to histoplasmin could be observed 18 days after the exposure to the fungus.In the most part of cases of chromoblastomycosis the agent is a different species from those frequently found in other countries and it seems to be abundant in dry regions with xerophyte vegetation.A National Coordinating Commission for the Study of Mycoses has been established in order to facilitate the elucidation of diverse problems that mycoses brought up and to stimulate the interest in medical mycology in the country.

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Zusammenfassung Die tropische Lage von Venezuela schafft eine günstige Bedingung für die Entwicklung von Pilzen und trägt zu einer vielfältigen Pathologie bei, in welcher eine grosse Anzahl dieser Pilze die Ursache ist. Alle bekannten, systematischen, tiefen Mykosen sind im Gebiete von Venezuela gefunden worden. Untersuchungen der Hautempfindlichkeit gegen Histoplasmin und die Analyse der Herkunft der Fälle von Histoplasmosis und Paracoccidioidomycosis zeigen, dass beide Infektionen im Lande weit verbreitet sind und dass sie vorzugsweise in feuchten Gegenden mit Laubvegetation vorzufinden sind, während Coccidioidomycosis in trockenen Gegenden mit einer vorzugsweise xerophyten Vegetation, mit mangelndem Regen, im Nordwesten des Landes, nahe dem Centralen Norden vorkommt.Histoplasma capsulatum ist von verschiedenen Böden gezüchtet worden, unter anderem, im Boden einer Höhle, wo mehrere Ausflügler die Infektion erworben haben. Es war möglich in diesen Fällen primärer Lungeninfektion festzustellen, dass die Inkubation zwischen 8 und 16 Tagen liegt, und dass in einem der Fälle die Erscheinung der Hautsensibilität zu Histoplasmin 18 Tage nach der Infektion erfolgte.In den meisten Fällen von Chromoblastomykosis ist die ursächliche Pilzspecies eine andere, als diejenige, die in anderen Gegenden gefunden worden ist. Sie ist reichlich vorhanden in trockenen Gegenden mit einer xerophyten Vegetation.Eine Nationale Koordinierende Kommission für die Untersuchung von Pilzerkrankungen ist gegründet worden, um die Aufklärung der mannigfaltigen Probleme, die die Mykosen hervorgerufen haben, zu erleichteren und um das Interesse für die Medizinische Mykologie im Lande zu fördern.

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Read in the meeting of the International Society of Human and Animal Mycology during the VI. International Congress of Tropical Medicine and Malaria, LISBON, September 5–12, 1958.     

Mycobacterium senegalense from bovines in Eastern Nigeria

M ohan , K. 1985. Mycobacterium senegalense from bovines in Eastern Nigeria. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 59 , 277–281.
Detailed characteristics of three mycobacterial strains sharing important properties of Mycobacterium senegalense are described. Their physiological properties were compared with those of a typical M. senegalense strain described by Chamoiseau (1979), six strains of M. senegalense and one typical strain of M. fortuitum from the culture collection of Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers. The three Nigerian strains exhibited minor variations in their physiological properties when compared with other strains of M. senegalense . Unlike the strain of Chamoiseau the Nigerian strains did not utilize benzoate or citrate. The strains were also different from the other six strains of M. senegalense by utilizing trehalose and in failing to produce acid in mannitol. Unlike earlier isolates of M. senegalense the Nigerian strains were not from cases of bovine farcy but from cases with pathological manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis. They appeared to be intermediate strains between M. senegalense and M. fortuitum . These results raise doubts on the justification for giving specific rank to M. senegalense .     

Mycobacterium senegalense from bovines in Eastern Nigeria

Detailed characteristics of three mycobacterial strains sharing important properties of Mycobacterium senegalense are described. Their physiological properties were compared with those of a typical M. senegalense strain described by Chamoiseau (1979), six strains of M. senegalense and one typical strain of M. fortuitum from the culture collection of Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers. The three Nigerian strains exhibited minor variations in their physiological properties when compared with other strains of M. senegalense. Unlike the strain of Chamoiseau the Nigerian strains did not utilize benzoate or citrate. The strains were also different from the other six strains of M. senegalense by utilizing trehalose and in failing to produce acid in mannitol. Unlike earlier isolates of M. senegalense the Nigerian strains were not from cases of bovine farcy but from cases with pathological manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis. They appeared to be intermediate strains between M. senegalense and M. fortuitum. These results raise doubts on the justification for giving specific rank to M. senegalense.     

Academic stress and menstrual disorders among female undergraduates in Uyo, South Eastern Nigeria - the need for health education

The aim of this study was to determine the association between academic stress and menstrual disorders among female undergraduates in Uyo, South Eastern Nigeria. Three hundred and ninety-three (393) female students of the University of Uyo, ages between 16 and 35 years were randomly selected from different departments in the University, and studied during the 2009/2010 academic session. Menstrual history and Student's Stress Assessment Questionnaire (SSAQ) were used for this assessment. They were distributed for participants to fill out. Prevalence of menstrual disorder among participants was 34.6%. A direct association between menstrual disorder and academic stress was observed. Commonest menstrual disorder was menorrhagia (37.5%). Others were: Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS 33.1%), Oligomenorrhea 19.9%, and amenorrhea 5.9%. Those who experienced academic stress had about 2 times chances of having menstrual disorders (OR : 2.0, C.I = 1.224-2.837) This study demonstrated a significant association between academic stress and menstrual disorder among females undergraduate in Uyo, South Eastern Nigeria.     

Sero-epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis infections in parts of Eastern Nigeria.

The prevalence of antibodies to meningococci in the Nsukka area, East Central Nigeria, was studied by the indirect hemagglutination test employing tanned chicken erythrocytes. Of the 1332 apparently healthy persons, whose sera were tested, 982 samples (73.8%) were positive at 1:8 dilution of the sera. Fifty-six per cent of the population had antibodies to Group B, followed by 13% of Group C and 5% to Group A. Twenty-five sera from patients with meningococcal infections, from whom Group B meningococci were isolated, 100% were positive. Percentage reactivity in the 2-5-year age group was low (15%), whereas it increased rapidly from 78% (6-10-year group) to 95% (31 years and above).     

Human sex ratio at birth in South West Nigeria

BACKGROUND:

Human sex ratio at birth differs from one population to the other. This variation has been attributed to cultural practices, seasonal variation, small-family size policy and sex selective technology. Information on secondary sex ratio in Nigeria is limited.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE:

To analyzed human sex ratio at birth for samples of the Nigerian population in 4 urban settings in Southwest Nigeria, in order to know the trend and to compare the findings with those of previous reports.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Data were collected from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) teaching hospital at Ile Ife and Wesley Guild hospital at Ilesa, Osun state; General hospital at Ogbomoso, Oyo state and Ekiti state specialist hospital at Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state. The data consisted of 35 209 live single births recorded between 1995 and 2004. Each set of data was analyzed to determine the sex ratio by year, month and quarterly values. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the deviation of the sex ratios for the years from the average value.

RESULTS:

The annual average ratios of 104.7:100, 102.8:100, 98.9:100 and 100.8:100 were recorded for OAU teaching hospital, Wesley Guild Hospital, General Hospital and Ekiti State specialist hospital, respectively. When pooled together, the average ratio was 102.7:100. This shows some bias for male births. Data also indicates more male birth in the rainy season, suggesting a seasonal variation of sex ratio.

CONCLUSION:

These findings are representative of the populations in southwest Nigeria and are comparable to values obtained for other regions in Nigeria and other populations of African origin.     

Evidence for prey selection by spotted hyaena in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

We tested the widely accepted hypothesis that spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) are non-selective in their diet. The prey preference of spotted hyaena was studied in the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP), South Africa. Diet (frequency of occurrence of prey items in the diet) was quantified through the analysis of 55 scats, and compared with available prey. A combination of large- and medium-sized mammals (buffalo (Syncerus caffer), red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) and common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) were the most preferred prey items. The most abundant species, warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), were ignored and avoided, respectively. These results show that the assumption that hyaena prey on the most abundant available prey species may be overly simplistic. Predation patterns, such as the ones observed in AENP, may have important ramifications for less common species that are selected by hyaena in small enclosed reserves.     

Comparison of population density of plant parasitic and free-living nematodes in earthworm casts and adjacent soils of fallow and cultivated land in South Eastern Nigeria

Numbers of nematode species, juveniles, females and males in earthworm casts and in adjacent soils were studied in fallow (FL) and in cultivated lands (CL). In the FL each cast had an average of 5.6 different species of nematodes, while a soil sample of equal weight to the cast and within a 10 cm radius of the cast averaged 2.5 species. The difference between these means was highly significant. In the CL there were 4.7 species/cast and 2.9 species/soil sample. The difference between these two means was also highly significant. A total of 16 plant parasitic species, five omnivorous, two predacious and eight free-living nematode species were observed in the casts and in the adjacent soils of both FL and CL. The results partially contradicted the widely held view that earthworm casts are beneficial because the casts harboured numerous plant parasitic nematodes.     

Shigellosis in Eastern Nigeria: Etiological frequency of serotypes and resistance to antibiotics

Between 1984 and 1986 a total of 1000 faecal samples and rectal swabs were cultured from patients presenting with diarrhoea. Shigellae were isolated from 5·6% of these samples. Shigella flexneri was the commonest isolated (68%), followed by Sh. sonnei (23%). A total of 22·8% of children (0–12 years of age) were positive for shigellae. Twenty-seven (48·2%) strains were sensitive to all the five antibiotics tested (streptomycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ampicillin and sulphonamide). A total of 22 (39·2%) were resistant to three or more antibiotics. Nine (16%) were resistant to all five. The public health significance of the study is discussed.     

Rural-urban differences in maternal responses to childhood fever in South East Nigeria

Background

Childhood fevers due to malaria remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children in Nigeria. The degree of vulnerability perceived by mothers will affect their perception of the severity and threat of their child''s fever and the patterns of health care use. This study was undertaken to compare maternal responses to childhood fever in urban and rural areas of Enugu, south east Nigeria.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Data was collected with pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaires from 276 and 124 urban and rural households respectively. In each household, only one woman aged 15–49 years who had lived in each of the urban and rural communities for at least one year and had at least one child less than 5 years old was interviewed. Malaria was mentioned as the commonest cause of childhood fevers. Rural mothers were more likely to recognize danger signs and symptoms than urban mothers. Rural mothers use more of informal than formal health services, and there is more home management of the fever with urban than rural mothers. Chloroquine, ACT, SP and Paracetamol are the main drugs given at home for childhood fevers, but the rural mothers were more likely to use leftover drugs from previous treatment to treat the fevers than urban mothers. The urban respondents were also more likely to use a preventive measure. Urban mothers sought actions faster than rural mothers and the total cost of treatment was also higher in urban areas.

Conclusions/Significance

Both urban and rural mothers are aware that malaria is the major cause of childhood fevers. Although rural mothers recognize childhood fever and danger signs better than urban mothers, the urban mothers'' responses to fever seem to be better than that for rural mothers. These responses and differences may be important for geographical targeting by policy makers for malaria interventions.     

Diagnosing Kikuchi disease on fine needle aspiration biopsy: a retrospective study of 44 cases diagnosed by cytology and 8 by histopathology.

OBJECTIVE: To study the accuracy of fine needle aspiration (FNA) diagnosis of Kikuchi lymphadenitis (KL). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of all cases of FNA biopsy of lymph nodes in which KL was diagnosed or suggested. False positive cases were studied. Cases of KL diagnosed by histopathology were examined for the false negative rate of FNA diagnosis. RESULTS: Forty-four cases of KL diagnosed or suggested by FNA were found. Five of eight cases were confirmed on lymph node excision. The false positive rate was 37.5%. One case was nonspecific reactive changes. Two cases were proven to be tuberculous lymphadenitis by culture. Eight cases of KL diagnosed by lymph node excisional biopsy had prior FNA. Four were diagnosed as or suspected to be KL. The false negative rate was 50%. CONCLUSION: The overall accuracy of FNA diagnosis of KL was 56.25%. Detailed study offalse positive cases and knowledge of other conditions suggested that overreliance on certain cytologic features and the morphologic erlap between KL and tuberculous lymphadenitis could have been the reasons for the inaccuracies.     

Hyperspecialization in Some South American Endemic Ungulates Revealed by Long Bone Microstructure

Adaptation to aquatic or semi-aquatic habits has been demonstrated in several distantly related mammalian clades worldwide during the Cenozoic, but curiously none has been conclusively evidenced inland for South America although a few South American native ungulates (SANU) have been proposed as possible subaquatic taxa. These taxa mostly correspond to large-sized herbivorous forms among astrapotheres, pyrotheres, and some toxodontid notoungulates, found at the end of the Paleogene and/or beginning of the Neogene. As no clear argument was provided for these ecological hypotheses, an analysis of the microanatomical features of long bones of some of these taxa in a comparative context was conducted in order to address the question of the paleoecology of these organisms. Our study highlights a variety of osseous specializations in the stylopod bones of SANU, and notably that Parastrapotherium, Pyrotherium, and Nesodon are affected by bone mass increase. If the microanatomical features of Parastrapotherium and Nesodon evoke what is observed in some terrestrial or semi-aquatic graviportal taxa, the very high compactness of Pyrotherium suggests extreme functional requirements in this taxon such as a graviportal hyperspecialization. This study thus evidences the occurrence of several convergent adaptations to graviportality and/or subaquatic habits within SANU and contributes to an important step towards a better integration of South American endemic mammals in large-scaled paleoecological studies.     

Some red cell antigens in the Hausa population of northern Nigeria

The A, B, O, D, Du, C, c, E, e, M, N, S, s, Kell and Duffy antigens were determined on 190 blood samples from Hausas in the north of Nigeria. The highest gene frequencies in the rhesus system were cDe (0.648) and cde (0.176). Su gene frequency was 0.270. The great majority of subjects were Kell negative (98.9%) and Duffy negative (98.8%). As the MNSs group determinants are carried by glycophorins, which are also receptor sites for Plasmodium falciparum, and the Duffy antigen marks the receptor for P. vivax, the present study provides data of interest in the epidemiology and genetics of malaria.