ABSTRACT Merozoite surface protein-119 (MSP-119) specific antibodies which include processing inhibitory, blocking and neutral antibodies have been identified in individuals exposed to Plasmodium falciparum. Here we intend to look at the effect of single andmultiple amino acid substitutions ofMSP-119 on the recognition by polyclonal antibodies from children living in Igbo-Ora, Nigeria. This would provide us with information on the possibility of eliciting mainly processing inhibitory antibodi...
ABSTRACT During studies on the epidemiology of malaria at a rural community, Igbo-Ora, Southwest Nigeria, genotyping of Plasmodium falciparum extracted from infective Anopheles gambiae s.l. was undertaken. Circumsporozoite (CSP) ELISA was used on crushes from head-thorax for DNA extraction and PCR amplification for the determination of P. falciparum genotypes on merozoite surface protein-I and 2 (MSP-I & 2). Of the 65 infective anophelines, P. falciparum genotypes were positively identified i...
ABSTRACTStudies were carried out under ambient laboratory conditions of 32 °C ± 2 and 74 - 87 % r.h. to determine the suitability of sorghum grain as a substrate that would support both the feeding and breeding of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn). Three sorghum varieties (Framida, Mankaraga and Naga-White) and one maize variety (Obatanpa) grown in Ghana were used in thestudy. Three forms of the substrates: Whole grain, Coarsely-ground grain and Grain flour were used for bioassays. The Fj proge...
ABSTRACT The monitoring of the current global strategy for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) can be confounded if other parasites indistinguishable from Wuchereria bancrofti also occur in endemic areas. An incidental examination of cattle blood revealed microfilariae that were morphologically similar to W. bancrofti. This study was therefore conducted to characterize these cattle filarial parasite. A total of 284 cattle from Somanya, Winneba and Axim were screened randomly for fila...
Studies on toxicological and sedative effects of Datura innoxia plant parts (leaf, seed, stem, pod and root) on Clarias gariepinus fingerlings were conducted under laboratory conditions using the static bioassays and continuous aeration. The aim was to develop an effective anaesthetic from an indigenous plant material that will be available at low cost to aquaculturists and which would be non-toxic to the fish and consumers. The active ingredients and their compositions in the plant par...
Abstract As an aid to the control o f the schistosome host snails, effective bioactive materials namely cassava, cocoyam, and sweet potato (Domeh, 1998), sugarcane and peels, all in their raw and processed states were tested in simulated natural environment experiments. The experiments were conducted using ‘biopots’ traps designed using a pot with few small windows created on the sides to allow easy diffusion o f test materials to reach the water body to attract the snails It was observe...
ABSTRACT Mole National Park is the largest and oldest national park in Ghana. With a large number of species of birds, mammals and reptiles, the number of tourists in Mole National Park keeps increasing and therefore creating room for human disturbance in diverse ways. Using the total area count method, this study established the species of waterbirds at Mole National Park and determined the seasonal variations in their diversity and abundance in four permanent wetlands from August 2015 to F...
ABSTRACT Data is presented on 2n~numbers of some forty- six (46) species of Tropical Reduviidae collected in Southern Ghana, West Africa. This information is combined with existing data and together analyzed and discussed. It was found that the roccgnised morphological plasticity of Reduviidae extends to the diploid numbers as well. However a level of cytological organization was found to exist within the family. Three autosomal-Chromosome groups: 20A, 24A and 23A are proposed. It has emerged...
ABSTRACT The transmission of zoonotic gastrointestinal parasites in cattle is dependent on the availability of intermediate hosts, poor sanitation and principally, the husbandry and management practices of cattle. The research work was aimed at studying cattle as reservoirs for parasitic zoonotic diseases in the Lower Manya Krobo District of southern Ghana. Microscopic examinations were done on stool samples to determine the prevalence and intensity of egg counts among cattle (N = 486) sampl...
A bstract It has been show n in epidem iological studies that m alaria m ay play a role in the pathogenesis o f endem ic B urkitt’s Lym phom a (eBL). The contribution o f m alaria to the pathogenesis o f eBL is believed to be due to the im balances in the im m une regulation during m alaria infection. Studies have show n a loss o f C TL function due to a shift o f the im m une responses from T h l tow ards Th2 T-cell function during m alaria infection. This study sought to investigate the p...
ABSTRACT Intraspecific variation in Achatina achatina achatina Linne (one of the numerous giant African snails) in Ghana was studied using chronological features, body characters and reproductive potential. Snails were collected from June to August, 2006, from four ecological regions namely Ashanti (Amansie East district), Central (Assin South district), Eastern (Suhum- Kraboa- Coaltar district) and Western (Wassa West district). In this study, the four snail populations showed a broad range ...
ABSTRACT The behavioural responses of the schistosome host snail Biomphalaria pfeifferi to 40 naturally occurring (crude and semi - processed) plant products were studied using diffusion olfactometers. Out of the 40 plant products, 21 were tested in the raw (unprocessed) states, 3 were boiled, 4 were dried and 12 were fermented. Seven (7) out of the 21 raw plant product (33.33%) acted as significant attractants/ arrestant for the adult snails while 6 emerged statistically significant attract...
ABSTRACT Background & objectives: Investigations were conducted to obtain key entomological indices of Anopheles gambiae s.l. at Igbo-Ora, a rural community in south-west Nigeria. Methods: Mosquitoes were caught daily for a week from rooms where tenants had slept the previous night in each of the four months June, July (2001), and August, September (2002). Anopheles gambiae s.l. sibling species were PCR-identified, the blood meal origin was determined by direct ELISA, and the circumsporozoit...
Abstract This research study focus on the determination of anti-nutritional content status of the uninfested and infested dried cassava chips by Prostephanus truncatus. Prostephanus truncatus, the larger grain borer, is an alien invasive post harvest pest; with wide spread population all over cassava growing regions. After an infestation period of 10 weeks in the laboratory, proximate analysis revealed increased values for only alkaloids content in the infested dried cassava chips, while all...
Abstract The boinsecticidal potency of three botanicals, namely: Allium sativum (Garlic), Allium cepa (Onion) and Capsicum annum (Red pepper) were tested on Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Saw- toothed grain beetle) infested with Phoenix dactylifera (Date fruits) at exposure periods of three weeks and six weeks in the Department of Zoology, Entomology Laboratory. The boinsecticides used were in powdered and whole forms at three different concentrations of 1.25g, 2.50g and 5.00g. Potency was deter...