ABSTRACT Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are plasmid-mediated enzymes capable of hydrolysing beta-lactams except carbapenems and cephamycins but are inhibited by beta-lactamase inhibitors. Most of these ESBL plasmids also carry genes conferring resistance to several non-beta-lactam antimicrobials. Hence, ESBL-producing isolates limit therapeutic options, contribute to treatment failure, increase morbidity and mortality, prolong hospitalization and increase cost of healthcare. There ...
BACKGROUND Infections are known to be a major complication of stroke patients. The relationship between stroke and bacteriuria has rarely been studied in sub Saharan Africa, though this information could be relevant in the management of stroke in the sub-region. AIM The aim of the study was to investigate the epidemiology of post stroke bacteriuria at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital including the prevalence, incidence, risk factors and causative organisms. METHODS This was a longitudin...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria infection is caused by parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium. There are five (5) species of Plasmodium that infect humans, namely: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium malariae. Malaria ensuing from Plasmodium falciparum infection is a principal source of disease and death annually, especially among African children in the Sub-Saharan Regions. The erythrocytic stages of the parasites of Plasmodium falc...
ABSTRACT Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a public health threat because it is extensively resistant to antimicrobials, is associated with persistent outbreaks in hospital and community settings, and is associated with markedly increased healthcare costs. Moreover, HIV-infected persons are at a higher risk for colonization with MRSA, and could potentially disseminate the pathogen to other individuals. In Ghana, little is known about MRSA in relation to at-r...
ABSTRACT Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the genus Schistosoma. It has a worldwide distribution with more cases occurring in Africa. Urogenital schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium is prevalent in several places within Ghana, particularly in areas where there are large water bodies. Persistent infection of S. haematobium leads to cytological changes of urothelial cells which in turn could lead to the development of bladder cancer. The persist...
ABSTRACT Amoebiasis remains one of the commonest gastroenteritis in Ghana especially among children. The Entamoeba complex comprises Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar and Entamoeba moshkovskii, which are morphologically identical but genetically diverse. Entamoeba histolytica is the only known pathogenic protozoan Entamoeba species. The epidemiology of Entamoeba complex infections within the Ho Municipality in the South-Eastern part of Ghana has not been thoroughly investigated and th...
ABSTRACT Background The population structure of the causative agents of human malaria, Plasmodium species including the most serious agent Plasmodium falciparum, depends on the local epidemiological and demographic situations, such as the incidence of infected people, the vector transmission intensity and migration of inhabitants (i.e. exchange between sites).One of the major characteristics of malaria parasites is their genetic diversity and an increasing number of studies have reported on t...
ABSTRACT Although Cryptosporidium spp. infections in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients (AIDS) and children with diarrhoea have been reported in several African countries, there is scanty information regarding cryptosporidial diarrhoea in Ghana. This study investigated occurrence of C. parvum in HIV/AIDS patients and children up to five years with diarrhoea in the Greater Accra Region. It was a cross sectional study, with Fevers Unit, Child Health Department in the Korle-Bu Teaching ...
ABSTRACT Two species of Lactobacillus, L. pentosus and L. acidophillus were used as a starter cultures for fermentation of cereals
ABSTRACT Background: Selecting an ideal genetic regions for the phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission continue to be a matter of debate, with different researches preferring different genomic region. Whole genome sequence analysis is always the gold standard for this this kind of research. But in middle income countries such as Ghana, where HBV infections are endemic, it is almost impossible to study a large number of samples because of financial constraints. Thus, ana...
ABSTRACT Background: Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) has been indicated as the most prevalent fungal opportunistic infection in individuals infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Candida albicans has been the most isolated species in OPC. However, other Candida species have been implicated as potential pathogens. Majority of these species have been found to be less susceptible to commonly administered antifungal drugs. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the distribution ...
ABSTRACT Background: Caesarean section (CS) is one of the most frequent surgical procedures performed on women worldwide. Post CS wound infection is a major cause of prolonged hospital stay, complicating 3% to 15% of CS procedures worldwide. Surgical site infections (SSI) are associated with a maternal mortality rate of up to 3%. With the continuous increase in the rate of CS procedures performed, it is expected that post CS infections will increase in parallel, hence its significance. A...
ABSTRACT Introduction: The major organisms that cause septicaemia in children have been established in different geographic locations. However, these causative organisms of paediatric septicaemia and their antibiogram change over time, within and across settings. In addition, increased antimicrobial drug resistance among the organisms has been observed over the last decades. Study of the aetiological agents and their antibiogram is therefore imperative for designing community- based managemen...
ABSTRACT Background: Babesia/Theileria species are intra-erythrocytic protozoa of the phylum apicomplexa. The merozoite stage of Babesia/Theileria 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. These parasites are transmitted by hard ticks and can cause a zoonotic disease known as babesiosis/theileriosis. Human babesiosis/theileriosis are usually asymptomatic exc...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria continues to be a major public health concern with majority of deaths occurring in the tropical regions. Control strategies within the human host have been through drug administration either as treatment of infected persons or prophylaxis. The challenge to effective malaria control is partly due to the emergence and the spread of resistant Plasmodia, especially in endemic countries. Confirmed antimalarial drug resistance is the combination of microscopic analysi...