Assessment of the Antimalarial Treatment Failure in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria.

The fight against malaria is a continuum as the epidemic is not abating. For proper deployment of tools in the fight against malaria, an assessment of the situation is necessary. This work assessed the level of antimalarial drug treatment failure in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Both survey and in vitro analyses were adopted. The survey was used to obtain qualitative information from both the malaria subjects and the pharmacies where antimalarial drugs are sourced. The results from the survey were complemented by an in vitro assay of the level of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the commonly used artemisinin combination in Nigeria; artemether/lumefantrine. Results from the survey revealed that artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) remain the mainstay in the treatment of malaria, even though other non-artemisinin drugs are still used. It also revealed that many patients still self-medicate, although, this may not be connected to the treatment failure seen among some malaria subjects. The in vitro assay showed that ACT contains the right quantity of APIs. Further surveillance is, therefore, necessary to understand the real cause of treatment failure among malaria subjects in Nigeria.

Data on prevalence and management practices of malaria-typhoid co-infection in Unwana South East Nigeria.

Using a descriptive survey design, the prevalence and management practices of malaria and malaria- typhoid co-infection in Unwana South East Nigeria was determined. Two hundred and thirty-six (236) febrile volunteers comprising 104 males and 132 females attending the Medical Centre of Akanu Ibiam Federal polytechnic Unwana, Afikpo Ebonyi state Nigeria participated in this study. Using thick film microscopy and Widal antigen-based agglutination test, one hundred and thirty-seven participants were diagnosed with malaria mono infection while ninety-nine were diagnosed with malaria-typhoid co-infection. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on the management practices and attitudes that constitute risk factors to increased incidence of treatment failure of malaria and malaria- typhoid co-infection. The dataset [1] is relevant as a baseline and reference for further research related to factors associated with increased risk of treatment failure and emergence of drug resistance of malaria and malaria-typhoid co-infection in resource poor setting.

Data on pilot assessment of efficacy of artemether lumefantrine when co-administered with ciprofloxacin in malaria-typhoid co-infected patients.

Malaria -typhoid co-infection is associated with poverty and underdevelopment with significant morbidity and mortality with similarities in clinical features of the two diseases that often result in misdiagnosis and mistreatment of the febrile patients. The Co-administration of artemether lumefantrine (AL) with ciprofloxacin as treatment for malaria-typhoid co-infection is common in Nigeria and this increases risk of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction since ciprofloxacin is an inhibitor of CYP3A4 that metabolizes AL. In an open-label prospective three arm design with registration pactr201909811770922, one hundred and nineteen (119) febrile volunteers comprising 55 males and 64 females were distributed into three oral treatment regimen groups. Group 1 consist of sixty-five participants presenting malaria mono infection treated with AL only and fifty-four participants presenting malaria-typhoid co-infection randomly assigned to Group 2 treated with AL and ciprofloxacin concomitantly and Group 3 whose doses were staggered at 2 hours interval. Blood samples were collected from participants in the three groups on 3 different days: day 0 (before commencement of treatment); day 3 (after completion of AL); and day 7 (after completion of ciprofloxacin), The collected blood sample were used to determine parasite density, serum liver and kidney function parameters, haematological indices, and day 7 lumefantrine concentration. The data in this article provides the changes in PCR-uncorrected Early Treatment Failure (ETA), Late Clinical Failure (LCF), Late Parasitological Failure (LPF), Day 7 serum lumefantrine concentration, liver and kidney function parameters, axillary body temperature and PCV/Hb associated with the different treatment regimen. The dataset [1] as a baseline, will stimulate the need for a randomized clinical assessment of the efficacy of AL when co-administered with ciprofloxacin in the treatment regimen of Malaria-typhoid co-infection in endemic areas. Such findings are capable of influencing national treatment policy on the management of malaria-typhoid co-infection.

Risk Assessment of Metal(Loid)s Exposed to Infants via Consumption of Weaning Foods from Different Supermarkets in Sheffield, UK.

Infant complementary foods are readily available in the UK markets and nowadays, weaning mothers prefer feeding their babies with these products due to modern lifestyles. However, there is a dearth of research with respect to the health risk assessment of trace essential and potentially toxic elements in these products. Hence, this research investigated the health risks of trace essential and potentially toxic elements exposed to infants via consumption of these complementary foods during the first 4 to 12 months of life. Levels of trace essential and potentially toxic elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, daily intakes were estimated using the Food Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization and manufacturer food consumption regime while the US Environmental Protection Agency guideline was used to estimate target hazard quotient and carcinogenic health risk indices. The levels of the elements in the foods varied and were within the safe limits recommended by food standard agencies. The results also showed that the estimated daily intakes of these elements were below the reference doses stipulated by food regulatory agencies. The target hazard quotients and the total carcinogenic risks of the elements in the infant foods were less than 1 and 1.0E-04, respectively, signifying that the target groups may not experience adverse non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health effects because of these foods. This study will be quite helpful for weaning mothers, infant food production and processing companies and government officials in taking protective measures for reducing elemental contamination in infants' complementary foods.