ABSTRACT Lymphatic filariasis, caused by Wuchereria bancrofti is a public health problem with high morbidity. The Global Progamme for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis has targeted its eradication by 2020. Available information showed that the disease is endemic in Ogun State, Nigeria. However, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area has never been part of any known intervention for control of the disease despite the reported cases in the area. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence o...
ABSTRACT The study was carried out from October to November 2013 in Jomoro district of the Western Region of Ghana to assess the prevalence of trypanosomes in pigs and tsetse flies. Besides, the study identifies tsetse fly species and their apparent density in the study area. The methods employed during the study were molecular technique and microscopy of stained blood smears for parasitological study. Entomological surveys were also conducted using a total of 16 un-baited biconical traps for...
ABSTRACT Field studies were performed to identify the vector species o f Dracunculus medinensis. From these studies, Mesocyclops kieferi was implicated as a maj'or vector. Other vector species identified were Mesocyclops aspericornis and Thermocyclops inopinus. Studies were also carried out in the endemic villages using a questionnaire to ascertain the pattern of disease incidence during the years 1994- 1996. The results revealed that the socio-cultural practices of the people assist in promo...
ABSTRACT The infestation of cashew by Analeptes trifasciata is on the increase and this poses serious threat to cashew cultivation in Nigeria. Base-line information on the distribution and behavioural ecology of A. trifasciata in Nigeria is needed for its control. This study was conducted to provide more information on the morphology, distribution and behavioural ecology of A. trifasciata in Nigeria. A survey of the geographical spread of A. trifasciata infestation was conducted in 25 cashew ...
Abstract Background: The emergence of Anopheles populations capable of withstanding lethal doses of insecticides has weakened the efficacy of most insecticide based strategies of vector control and, has highlighted the need for further studies on the mechanisms of insecticide resistance and the various factors selecting resistant populations of mosquitoes. This research targeted the analysis of breeding sites and the oviposition behaviour of susceptible and resistant populations of Anopheles ...
Abstract: Problem statement: Urinary schistosomiasis is highly endemic in Nigeria and for effective control measure, an efficient, quick and yet cheap diagnosis should be integrated. This will ensure the proper management of infection due to Schistosoma haematobium in low resource communities of Nigeria. Approach: This cross-sectional study recruited a total of 456 (252 males, 204 females) school children aged 3-20 years between November 2010 and June 2011. Urine samples were examined macrosc...
Scientific efforts in the eradication of neglected tropical diseases, such as those caused by the parasitic helminthes, can be improved if a database of key virulence factors directly implicated in pathogenesis is available. As a first step towards creating SchistoVir, a database of virulence protein factors in schistosomes, in this study, we curated, annotated and aligned sequences of twenty virulence factors identified from the literature, using several bioinformatics tools including UniPro...
ABSTRACT: Stored dried cassava chips are known to become heavily damaged by Prostephanus truncatus (Hum). A laboratory study was undertaken to determine the extent of losses that this insect pest could cause on TME 30572, the mean weight loss (±SD) rose to 36.93 ± 24.43'% over the period of 112 days compared with 63.2 ± 3.37% for TME I, under the same period and experimental condition, At each time interval of 28 days during which the cassava dried chips were examined, the weight loss in ...
Abstract Context: This study investigated the presence or absence of β-catenin and Patched1 (PTCH1) genes involved in the developmental pathway in ameloblastoma, in order to clarify the genetic etiology of this tumor. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether PTCH1 and β-catenin genes are involved in the development of ameloblastoma. Subjects and Methods: Archived formalin-fixed paraffinembedded specimens of 89 ameloblastoma cases from the year 2000 to 2010 were genotyped by pol...
ABSTRACT The limited ability of molecular typing methods to differentiate Mycobacterium ulcerans strains from the same geographic areas, particularly at the local level, hampers our understanding of Buruli ulcer (BU) epidemiology and calls for the search for molecular epidemiological tools with higher discriminatory power. Moreover, the current available laboratory tests for BU diagnosis have various limitations, ranging from low diagnostic sensitivities to financial and technical constraints...
fflpaODDCTICW Cocoa Xllce many other plants of economic Importance, has a host of its own attendant pests among which lepidopterous caterpillars feature fairly prominently. Early reports on entomological pests in Wsst Africa (lamborn, 191U—1915j Patterson lyllti Peacock, 1913) almost invariably included one or other lepidopterous pest attacking some part of the cocoa tree or seedling. Recent reports* too, abound in information an the problem of Lepidoptera on cocoa e.g. Entwiatle (1960, 1...
Abstract Recently ethologists have drawn attention to "form-constant" or stereotyped, behaviour which may be tired off by specific environmental releasers or displayed "in vacuo" without stimulation. An important feature of form-constant behaviour is that it is exhibited by animals reared in complete isolation. Q3n.s has led to the conclusion that animals "have got" certain innate behaviour patterns just as they have got inherited morphological features. These innate patterns are characterist...
ABSTRACT Diarrhoea is among the six major diseases that causes death among children below age five worldwide. It is also a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children below age five in Ghana. Giardia lamblia is among the major enteropathogen causes of diarrhoea in Ghana. Most studies in Ghana on detecting G. lamblia use microscopy and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. There is not much data on the molecular epidemiology of Giardiasis in Ghana. This study was conducted to determine ...
Abstract Interest in Cutex qu£nque fa so i atus Say ( = f atigans Wied) has been increasing with the growth of urban areas in the tropical zones of the world because this rjmosquito is an important vector of bancroftian filariasis. When increased urbanization is accompanied: by inadequate sewage treatment, conditions are ideal for proliferation of Cm qu'inquefa&ei a t u sm No other species of mosquito has benefitted rfiore from these acute sanitary problems than has C• qu£nquefaso'£atus�...
ABSTRACT The Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is one of few waterbird species that breeds in wetlands on the coast of Ghana. In recent times, its population has seen an increase on Ghana’s coast while other species are declining. The overall aim of the study was to investigate and document the breeding and foraging ecology of the Black winged Stilt in Ghana. The breeding ecology, diurnal time-activity budget and foraging behaviour of Black-winged Stilts were studied at the Densu D...