Accelerating the healing of hard-to-heal wounds with food supplements: nutritional analysis in the Côte d'Ivoire.

OBJECTIVE: Hard-to-heal wounds are an important, yet often neglected, public health issue in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Malnutrition has been identified as a risk factor for prolonged healing times. However, nutritional supplements are not routinely provided for patients with hard-to-heal wounds, and so this study aimed to investigate their benefits. METHOD: This 9-month study was conducted in the Taabo Health and Demographic Surveillance System in the south-central part of Côte d'Ivoire. Patients with wounds (≥30mm2) were recruited. Treatment was standardised for inpatients (72%) and outpatients (28%). There were three intervention groups: supplemented with soy; orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP); or both. Another group was included without supplement, serving as control. General linear models were employed to assess the effects of log initial wound size, type of wound, food treatment group, haemoglobin, sex, age, place of treatment and body mass index on the rate of wound closure. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 56 patients, 41 of whom were placed in intervention groups, and the remainder as controls. Within the cohort, 37 (66%) patients suffered from Buruli ulcer, 15 (27%) from traumatic wounds and four (7%) from erysipelas. We found a significant effect (p=0.004) of diet supplemented with OFSP on the wound healing rate. CONCLUSION: OFSP is a nutritional rehabilitation supplement, characterised by a high content of beta-carotene and carbohydrates. It is associated with shortened wound healing times, reduced discomfort and reduced cost of wound care. Further research should investigate the effect of a diet rich in beta-carotene, in combination with standard medical care, on hard-to-heal wound healing in LMICs.

[International cooperation with the neglected tropical disease Buruli ulcer in Togo].

The objectives of this paper are to grasp the current status of an endemic disease, known as Buruli ulcer (BU), in the Republic of Togo and the expansion of international assistance in the field. By adopting the explicit support model, this paper also compares the obtained research results with those of the Republic of Ghana and Benin, to clarify the primary functions played among respective governments, WHO, and NGO. Under the auspices of the WHO Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative (GBUI, 1998-), National Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NBUCP) in the Togo was initiated in 1999. However, due to the shortage of national budget and politico-economic instabilities of the nation, the actual implementation of NBUCP proved to be problematic. It was after 2007 that the programme began to move forward with the interventions of NGOs like DAHW and Handicap International. Currently, major players involved in the implementation of the policies provided by the GBUI are WHO, NGOs and the targeted governments. In other words, the organizations involved in BU treatment work together by fulfilling their functions. Unlike the neighboring countries, the Togolese government encountered much difficulty in materializing its national programme. Largely due to the political instability and the severe shortage of national budget, stronger assistances from NGOs were required at various levels of the national health measures from formulating to implementing the programme. As the programmes in Togo and Ghana/Benin expanded over the years, the respective support model revealed to be unique and different. In Ghana and Benin, intimate cooperation among WHO, government and NGOs has been established. In Togo, strengthening of collaboration among the three players is expected.

Factors enhancing the control of Buruli ulcer in the Bomfa communities, Ghana.

This study examines factors that may enhance the control and holistic treatment of Buruli ulcer in an endemic area of the Ashanti Region in Ghana. A total of 189 Buruli ulcer patients from the Bomfa sub-district were treated at the Global Evangelical Mission Hospital, Apromase-Ashanti, Ghana, from January to December 2005. Diagnosis was based on clinical findings and confirmed by any two positives of Ziehl-Neelson test for acid fast bacilli, polymerase chain reaction and histopathology. Children up to age 14 made up 43.4% of the cases; male: female ratio was 3:2. The mean duration of hospitalization was 77 days and hospital stay was significantly correlated with the time spent at home with the disease prior to admission; also, 76.7% of the cases were late ulcers. Of the 189 patients, 145 (i.e. 76.7%) were treated with antibiotics and surgery which involved excision, skin grafting with or without contracture release. A follow-up survey after the introduction of the psychosocial approach recorded fewer (85) new Buruli ulcer (BU) cases of which, the majority (78.8%, 67) were nodules and only 21.2% (18) were ulcers. Health education plays a major role in the holistic treatment of BU. This paper proposes a further study in other endemic areas on the treatment of BU with emphasis on psychosocial approach for holistic treatment.

Neglected diseases caused by bacterial infections.

Bacterial infections represent a major health problem, especially in third world countries. In endemic regions, large populations of people are greatly affected, but the medical care is very limited. In this review, the neglected diseases buruli ulcer and trachoma are elucidated. Buruli ulcer is caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans which produces an outstanding immunosuppressive toxin mycolactone that induces an ulcerative, necrotic skin disease. Until today, only the combination of rifampin/streptomycin is used to treat buruli ulcer. However, this therapy is ineffective and expensive. Here, we report new findings that suggest pharmaceutical formulations such as rifapentine, in combination with clarithromycin or moxifloxacin that have shown promising results in mice footpad trials. Moreover, alternative treatment options such as heat therapy, nitric oxide cremes and French clay show bactericidal effects. The genotyping of M. ulcerans also promises new ways of finding drug targets and vaccines. Trachoma, induced by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is the primary infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Recurrent infections lead to chronic inflammation of the upper tarsal conjunctiva. As a consequence, scarring and distortion of the eye lids occur, eventually resulting in blindness. First-line medications for trachoma treatment are bacteriostatic agents such as topically applied tetracylines and systematically administered azithromycin. Surgery, environmental improvements and personal hygiene are further crucial factors in controlling trachoma. Moreover, efforts are being undertaken towards the development of vaccine systems, with the major outer membrane protein and the polymorphic membrane protein acting as attractive candidates.

Primitive breast localisation of Buruli ulcer in an endemic zone: a rare case.

A case of Buruli ulcer with primitive breast localisation with evident epidemiological and clinical aspects is reported. This localisation is exceptional; the differential diagnosis with breast cancer is essential. If diagnosed early, it can be cured with surgery, broad-spectrum antibiotherapy and thermotherapy.

Mycobacterium ulcerans disease, Peru.

Eight adult patients (ages 18-58, 5 women) with Buruli ulcer (BU) confirmed by at least 2 diagnostic methods were seen in a 10-year period. Attempts to culture Mycobacterium ulcerans failed. Five patients came from jungle areas, and 3 from the swampy northern coast of Peru. The patients had 1-5 lesions, most of which were on the lower extremities. One patient had 5 clustered gluteal lesions; another patient had 2 lesions on a finger. Three patients were lost to follow-up. All 5 remaining patients had moderate disease. Diverse treatments (antituberculous drugs, World Health Organization [WHO] recommended antimicrobial drug treatment for BU, and for 3 patients, excision surgery) were successful. Only 1 patient (patient 7) received the specific drug treatment recommended by WHO. BU is endemic in Peru, although apparently infrequent. Education of populations and training of health workers are first needed to evaluate and understand the full extent of BU in Peru.