Background:The negligence of health education and promotion has contributed to increase in morbidity and mortality of malaria among children. Method:This study was carried out in selected secondary schools in Akure, South-western Nigeria to assess the level of awareness, knowledge and perceptive of the use of treated mosquito nets among children of age group 9 and 17 years. 200 pieces of questionnaires were distributed randomly to the respondents. Results and Discussion:Demographic information of respondents, awareness, knowledge and perception on malaria was obtained. 96% of the respondents know that mosquito transmits malaria parasite. The respondents' knowledge on the symptoms of malaria as persistence headache was 94% while 6% wrongly said itching and bleeding were among the symptoms of malaria. 74% have experienced mosquito bites while 26% haven't experienced it. Sleeping under treated net by the respondents was poor as only 2% of them always sleep under insecticide treated net and 44% never sleep under it. Although, awareness of malaria among the secondary school students is high, there is a high percentage (%) of the respondents who never sleep under insecticide treated net. Conclusion:Therefore, health education on awareness of insecticide-treated net should be emphasised for successful elimination of malaria.
Malaria is a disease which is prevalent in tropical regions; however, it is preventable and curable with the use of certain micronutrients thereby reducing the life threatening disease. The effect of micronutrients (vitamin C, calcium, iron and magnesium) on mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK-65 species was evaluated using standard methods. The percentage suppression and the parasitemia levels were counted daily to evaluate the effect of the micronutrients given intraperitoneally to the infected mice. The results show that vitamin C and calcium caused a significant decrease in the parasitemia count from 529 to 425/field and from 533 to 441/field respectively, while iron and magnesium caused significant increase in parasitemia level from 516 to 592/field and 528 to 709/field respectively. The packed cell volume increased in the mice treated with calcium, iron and vitamin C while there was significant decrease in the mice treated with magnesium. Red blood cell increased in the mice treated with iron. The white blood cell was reduced in the mice treated with iron and vitamin C but no significant change in the white blood cell of the mice treated with calcium but there was increase in the white blood cell of the mice treated with magnesium. The biochemical components of the blood from treated mice revealed that sodium significantly increased in the mice treated with the micronutrients with the highest sodium recorded in the mice treated with Iron. Therefore, foods or drugs that are rich in iron and magnesium should not be taken when treating malaria as they will aid parasite multiplication.
Introduction: Insect-transmitted disease remains a major source of illness and death worldwide. Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles culicifacies are the important vectors of malaria, malaria continues to be a major public health problem in the tropical world. This study is aimed at carrying out repellence activity of Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon grass) extracts on Anopheles mosquitoes using swiss albino rat and human volunteers. Methods: Methanol, chloroform and water were used to extract the bioactive compounds of plant leaves, qualitative and quantitative phytochemical components of plant extracts were determined, twenty-five laboratory-reared 3 day old Anopheles mosquitoes which had been starved for 5 hours were used, extracts and the commercial insecticide N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) were applied topically on the skin of uncovered portions of the hand of the human volunteers and abdomen of swiss albino rat after the abdominal hairs has been shaved and the landing rate of mosquitoes were observed to calculate percentage repellency. Results: The result revealed that methanol extract had the highest percentage yield of 10.3%, tannin and alkaloid were present in all extracts. DEET had 100% repellency to Anopheles mosquitoes on both human volunteers and rats for 300 minutes post application, in human volunteers, water, chloroform and methanol extracts, has percentage repellency reduced from 100% to 94% after 60 minutes, 100% to 94% after 120 minutes and 100% to 83% after 150 minutes post application respectively while in swiss albino rat, water, chloroform and methanol extracts, percentage repellency reduce from 100% to 87% after 90 minutes, 100% to 87% 150 minutes and 100% to 90% after 180 minutes post application respectively. Conclusion: Methanol extracts of C. citratus leaves could be used for the development of topical cream that repels mosquitoes for effective control of malaria.
The study was carried out to determine the skin microbial diversity, knowledge and control of malaria among volunteers in Akure. Skin surface of one hundred and fourteen (114) consented participants were swabbed at different locations (elbow, neck, and knee) on the body and examined for the microbial diversities using standard microbiological methods. Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and awareness of malaria and mosquito control among the participants were evaluated with the use of multiple choice questioners. The highest number of the participant were within the age range 31-40 years 32(28.1%) followed by age range 11-20 and 21-30 years (17.5%). The number of male and female participants were 67(58.8%) and 47(41.2%) respectively. It was noted that all the participants have heard about malaria before while 60(52.6%) of them have been diagnosed of malaria in the last 6 months, 28.9% of the participants have their personal mosquito repellant as at the time of this investigation while 71.1% did not have mosquito repellant. Bacterial counts (Log10 CFU/cm2) ranged from 5.70±0.13 (neck) to 6.51±0.05 (knee) while the highest fungal counts (Log10 SFU/cm2) was observed in knee (2.80±0.07) followed by elbow (2.61±0.04) and neck (1.91±0.05). Ten (10) bacterial and nine (9) different fungal species were identified as skin microbiome, the most occurred bacterial genus in the skin of the neck, elbow and knee were Staphylococcus (49.36%), Bacillus (42.23%) and Staphylococcus (43.75%) respectively while the most occurred fungal genus were Aspergillus (36.54%), Aspergillus (50%) and Alternaria (18.92%) in the neck, elbow and knee skin respectively. The results of the study will be important for control of malaria in endemic area and the skin microflora isolated could be explored as mosquito repellant to reduce malaria infection in endemic areas.
Domestic effluents were collected from the kitchen, bathroom, laundry of students’ hostels and the effluents were bacteriologically analysed. The molecular identity and methicillin-resistant gene assay of selected multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains were conducted via 16S rRNA sequencing. Bathroom effluents obtained from Jadesola hostel had the highest staphylococcal count of 38.04±2.31 CFU/100 ml, while Adeniyi hostel had the least at 1.25±0.05 CFU/100 ml. All presumptive Staphylococcus species isolated from the domestic effluents produced a coagulase-positive outcome. The domestic effluents sourced 2 m away from the original source in FUTA hostels had the Staphylococcus aureus percentage occurrence of 15 % (45.76) whilst a low percentage occurrence was recorded in tap water obtained from the hostel locations at 1 % (8.48%). Staphylococcus aureus isolated in effluents from Abiola male hostel and FUTA staff quarters were resistant to oxacillin at 11.50±0.55 and 12.00±0.00 mm respectively. Staphylococcus aureus strain 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14 were positive with Mec A gene bands at approximately 300 base pairs. The Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from this study showed phenotypic resistance to oxacillin, a drug proxy of methicillin in Staphylococcal therapy. The unsystematic expulsion of untreated domestic effluents into water channels should be prohibited.
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License AJBSR.MS.ID.000730
Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites which is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. It remains one of the most deadly diseases globally and especially in the tropical nations of the world. In the clinical setting, the level of parasitaemia is useful as one of the criteria in defining “severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria” and to monitor the effect of anti-malarial therapy. Mapping is a known vital tool in the control and elimination of malaria globally. In this study, blood samples were collected from 415 malaria infected patients in the outpatient department of 10 randomly selected government hospitals. Coordinates of the patients’ address were taken, geocoding, mapping and cartographic display were carried out. Thin and thick blood smear preparations and microscopy were conducted on the blood samples collected from outpatients attending some selected government hospitals and percentage parasitaemia were determined. Ondo North Senatorial District had the highest mean parasitaemia of 1.06% while Ondo South had the least mean parasitaemia (0.89%). The risk map revealed that majority of patients in Ondo North 26.05% (31/119) and few in Ondo Central 12.73% (21/165) senatorial district had high malaria burden with high parasitaemia (2.62 to 5.1% parasitaemia). Based on the malaria map developed, this study could be used as guide in monitoring the efficacy of antimalarial therapy and provide information for malaria control intervention in Ondo State.
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