Research Papers/Topics in Microbiology

Malaria Parasitaemia Levels In Relation To Antioxidant Enzyme Levels In Severe Malaria Amongst Ghanaian Children

ABSTRACT Malaria is an important infectious disease in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease presents a major global health problem with over 40% of the world`s population exposed to varying degrees of infection risk in over 100 countries. About 1 to 2 million deaths occur annually, 90% of whom are children in sub-Saharan Africa. During the course of malarial infection, the parasites as well as the red blood cells (RBCs) come under oxidative stress and the host system responds in an a...

Microbiological and Chemical Evaluation of Some Traditional foods: ‘Aniga’, ‘Agarati’, ‘Epiti Moin Moin’ and ‘Ogiri’.

ABSTRACT The microbial and chemical compositions of some indigenous foods of Southeastern Nigeria (Imo and Anambra States) were investigated. The total aerobic plate count (TAPC) for Ogiri ranged from 1.2 x 1010 to 2.4 x1011 cfu/g, the coliform count ranged from 2.1 x101 to 9.8 x102 cfu/g, and fungal count ranged from 1.0x108 to 3.3x1011 cfu/g. Aniga had a mean TAPC of 1.4x1011 cfu/g, coliform count of 3.8 x101 cfu/g and fungal count of 1.9x1011 cfu/g. Agbarati had a TAPC ranged from 1.1x109 ...

Genetic Variations In Schistosoma Haematobium And Disease Severity In The Greater Accra Region

ABSTRACT Background: Schistosomes are parasitic worms that dwell in the blood vessels and belong to the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma haematobium, one of the species of Schistosoma cause urogenital schistosomiasis (urinary schistosomiasis). The knowledge of urogenital schistosomiasis has improved over the years; however, there are still endemic areas with reported cases in Africa including Ghana. The disease may present as mild or severe with accompanying morbidity and mortality. Genetic var...

Ultra-Deep Sequencing Analysis Of Hepatitis B Virus Precore/Core Variants Among Prison-Inmates

ABSTRACT Infection with hepatitis B virus constitutes a major public health problem globally. The lack of proofreading of the reverse transcriptase results in considerable mutations culminating into genotypes, sub-genotypes and variants. HBV quasispecies in an infected host has been linked to disease progression and therapeutic outcome. Limited data exist on the quasispecies diversity in other clinically relevant regions particularly the precore/core ORF which also is a determinant factor in ...

Microbiological Quality Of Edible Land Snails From Selected Markets In Ghana

ABSTRACT Background Snail meat has served as a delicacy and reliable source of protein for man over the years. Despite the increasing price of snails, there is a corresponding increase in demand worldwide. Snails are currently being exploited for other purposes than just food. Russia and Japan are amongst some of the countries that use live snail (slime) for beauty therapy. In Ghana, almost every ethnic group consumes snails. There are undocumented reports of varied uses of the snail haemoly...

16s rRNA Gene Sequencing: A Practical Approach To Confirming The Identity Of Food Borne Bacteria

ABSTRACT One of the main challenges for clinical practice and public health surveillance is rapid and accurate identification of food borne pathogens. In Nigeria, the use of sophisticated molecular tools for foodborne pathogens detection has not been extensively adopted. Bacterial strains isolated from food products sold in Lagos, Nigeria, were subjected to phenotypic techniques and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for specie level identification. Bacterial identification was performed using colonial...

Detection Of Zoonotic Babesia Species In Greater Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACT Babesia species are intra-erythrocytic protozoa of the phylum apicomplexa. They are either round or pear shaped, often characterized by a tetrad configuration (Maltese cross). The merozoite stage of Babesia spp have diagnostic significance and are found as intracellular inclusions of infected red blood cells. The trophozoite stages appear as ring forms which measure about 1.0 to 5.0μm. This parasite is transmitted by hard ticks and can cause a zoonotic disease known as babesiosis. H...

Determination Of Onchocerca Volvulus Strains Prevalent In The Nkwanta North District Of Ghana

ABSTRACT Background Onchocerca volvulus is a filarial parasite that causes onchocerciasis or ‘river blindness’. Two strains of the parasite exist in West Africa namely, savannah and forest strains. They differ significantly in epidemiology, disease severity and are specific to different vectors. The savannah strain found in West Africa is associated with blindness while the forest strain, on the other hand, causes less severe ocular diseases even in individuals with high parasite load. In...

Spatio-Temporal Distribution And Insecticide Resistance Status Of Aedes Mosquitoes In Ghana

ABSTRACT Background: The Aedes mosquito is an important vector of arboviruses, which include the Yellow fever virus (YFV), Dengue virus (DENV), and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Spatial distribution by their shared vectors is grounded on environmental and demographic factors. Currently, vector control is still the main instrument to reduce or eradicate incidence of arboviruses since there are no effective vaccines for a number of public health important arboviruses. With an upsurge in insecticid...

Viral Agents In The Cerebrospinal Fluid Of Hospitalized Hiv Patients With Meningitis At The Fevers Unit, Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT Introduction: Meningitis is one of the leading causes of death among patients living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on clinical presentations, the different types of meningitis may not be distinguished from each other therefore, accurate laboratory diagnosis is extremely essential. Viruses such as Enteroviruses, Mumps virus and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 are implicated in cases of meningitis. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of viral meningitis among hospi...

Characteristics of Isolates of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in Korlebu Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a worldwide disease. Annually, about nine million people contract tuberculosis and nearly two million are killed by the disease. The fatal synergy of human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis, and the emergence of multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis have further contributed to the re-emergence of TB in many parts of the world. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis refers to the disease outside the lungs. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis can oc...

Human Coronaviruses In Acute Respiratory Infections In Ghana

ABSTRACT Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) remain a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and economic loss globally. Until recently, human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have been mainly associated with mild upper respiratory tract infections. The 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) since 2012, illustrate the potential of coronaviruses to cause severe disease. Thus, it was necessar...

Detection and Characterization of Human Parainfluenza Viruses in ghanaian children below five years With Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

ABSTRACT Worldwide, acute lower respiratory tract infections in young children are one of the leading causes of childhood mortality. The need to investigate respiratory viruses associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections, more especially all four types of human parainfluenza viruses in Ghana has become crucial due to the limited information available on these viruses. Thus the aim of this study was to detect and characterize human parainfluenza viruses in children that present wi...

Human Coronaviruses in Acute Respiratory Infections in Ghana

Abstract  Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) remain a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and economic loss globally. Until recently, human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have been mainly associated with mild upper respiratory tract infections. The 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) since 2012, illustrate the potential of coronaviruses to cause severe disease. Thus, it was necess...

Cryptococcal Meningitis In Hospitalized Hiv Patients At The Fevers’ Unit, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra

ABSTRACT Introduction: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is the leading form of meningitis in HIV/AIDS patients and causes significant morbidity and mortality, even in the advent of accessibility of antiretroviral therapy. Globally, the burden of CM is estimated to be at 9.6 million cases and results in about 6.2 million deaths within three months of infection. General aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptococcal meningitis in hospitalized HIV-infected patients at the ...


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