ABSTRACT
During dry season of 2014, some ticks were collected on cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus) and grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus) in sugar complex areas of Savanna District of Côte-d'Ivoire. Two localities were concerned; SUCAF 1 in Ferkessédougou and SUCAF 2 in Komborodougou. The main objective was to inventory tick species that parasite cattle and grasscutters in this region, then, to identify the shared species between these two groups of animals. To this end, ticks were collected from 70 cattle (35 females and 35 males) and 50 grasscutters (30 females and 20 males). Four tick species were found on cattle: Amblyomma variegatum, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus annulatus and Rhipicephalus microplus. On grasscutters, three species of ticks were found: A. variegatum, Ixodes aulacodi and Rhipicephalus simpsoni. The species A. variegatum dominated cattle infestation and was the only tick present in the two groups of animals. But, only immature forms were found on grasscutters. This later specie was mainly infested by adults R. simpsoni.
Pendant la saison sèche de l'année 2014, des tiques ont été collectées sur des bovins (Bos taurus et Bos indicus) et sur des aulacodes (Thryonomys swinderianus), respectivement à Ferkessédougou et Komborodougou au niveau des complexes sucriers SUCAF 1 et 2, dans le district des Savanes de Côte-d'Ivoire. L'objectif principal recherché était d'inventorier les espèces de tiques parasitant les bovins et les aulacodes sauvages dans cette région puis de déterminer les espèces communes à ces deux groupes d'animaux. Au total, les prélèvements de tiques ont été effectués sur 70 bovins et 50 aulacodes. Après identification morphologique, quatre espèces ont été trouvées chez les bovins : Amblyomma variegatum, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus annulatus et Rhipicephalus microplus, et trois espèces chez les aulacodes : A. variegatum, Ixodes aulacodi et Rhipicephalus simpsoni. La tique A. variegatum, la seule espèce commune aux deux types d'animaux, était majoritaire chez les bovins. Chez les aulacodes par contre, seules les formes immatures d'A. variegatum ont été trouvées, et les adultes de l'espèce R. simpsoni ont été trouvés en majorité.
Subject(s)
Cattle Diseases/parasitology , Rodentia/parasitology , Tick Infestations/veterinary , Ticks/classification , Animals , Cattle , Cote d'Ivoire , Female , Grassland , Male , Tick Infestations/epidemiologyABSTRACT
A prospective study was carried out from 2010 to 2012 at the Hôpital Général d'Abobo (HGA) in Abidjan, in order to determine the impact of infectious and parasitic diseases on child cognitive development. Blood samples were examined by means of thick drop and blood smear; as for stool by direct examination and concentration by formalin-ether method. We evaluated the prevalence, the parasite load of malaria and gastrointestinal parasites; then we investigated the risk factors for these disorders. Overall, 331 pregnant women in the last trimester of their pregnancy were enrolled. The plasmodic index was 3.9% with infestation specific rates of P. falciparum from 100%. Concerning digestive protozoa, it has been observed 71.3% of nonpathogenic, against 9.7 % of pathogens, either an overall prevalence of 51.4% of digestive parasites. The calculated average parasitic loads revealed 3089.2 tpz/µl of blood (95 % CI: 591.1-5587.3) for malaria, 6.5 eggs per gram of stool (95 % CI: 0.4-13.4) for intestinal helminths and one parasite by microscopic field for protozoa (common infestation). It has been shown that the occurrence of malaria has been linked to the non-use of impregnated mosquito nets (x2 = 0.012; p = 0.018), not to age. No link could be established between the presence of digestive parasites and the age of pregnant women, or socioeconomic conditions (level of education, profession, type of toilet). Malaria is less common in pregnant women while the rate of digestive parasites remains high.
Subject(s)
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/complications , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology , Malaria/complications , Malaria/epidemiology , Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic , Adult , Child , Child Development/physiology , Cognition/physiology , Cote d'Ivoire/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Parasite Load , Parasitemia/epidemiology , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/epidemiology , Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/psychology , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/epidemiology , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/psychology , Prevalence , Young AdultABSTRACT
Patients' health-care needs are an important issue, but have not been studied in the burn field. The aims of this study were to explore discharged burn patients' health-care needs and related factors. This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling and four questionnaires, including basic information, Mental Status Inventory, Burn Patients' Social Support and Burn Patients' Healthcare Needs for data collection. There were 93 adults, injured on average 45% of total body surface area, who completed the study. Results indicated that the level of psychosocial care needs were higher than physiological needs. The level of physiological care needs changed over time, but psychosocial needs did not change. Self-reported psychosocial needs and physiological care needs correlated with each other. The multiple regressions showed that the most important predictors of overall health-care needs were numbers of visible scarred areas, time since discharge and previous psychiatric history. The findings revealed the burn patients provided clinically useful information and supported further evaluation in the area of care needs for burn patients.
Subject(s)
Burns/psychology , Burns/therapy , Health Services Needs and Demand/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Quality of Life , Regression Analysis , Social Support , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) commonly called "cat's flea" presents two recognized subspecies: Ctenocephalides felis strongylus (Jordan, 1925), observed in the African continent, and Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1835) in the other regions (North Africa, Europe and America) (Ménier and Beaucournu, 19991. In sub-Saharan Africa, the principal flea found in the pets and certain livestock (ovine, caprine and bovine), belongs to the subspecies C. f. strongylus. Some bio-ecologic parameters of C. f. strongylus were studied in various conditions of breeding and the results compared with those currently available for C. f. felis. At 75% +/- 5 of relative humidity, the development cycle of C. f. strongylus lasts 20-21 days at 27 degrees C and 16 to 17 days at 29 degrees C. In comparison with C. f. felis, it is shown that for identical breeding temperatures, the African subspecies of the cat flea develops itself slowly. This difference could be explained by the influence of the climate of their respective areas of distribution on their development cycle. With 75% +/- 5 of relative humidity, C. f. strongylus cannot survive more than 14 days in temperatures ranging between 27 and 29 degrees C, and this without any blood meal. Under the same conditions, this duration of survival does not exceed 16 days at 19 degrees C. But when C. f. strongylus has taken a first blood meal, its lifespan is much shorter when it is out of its host. Indeed, no individual is found living three days passed out of the fur of its host at 29 degrees C, five days at 27 degrees C and eight days at 19 degrees C. It is the same for C. f. felis. These data on bio-ecology of C. f. strongylus enable to understand the influence of temperature on its development cycle and consider more efficient strategies of control.
Subject(s)
Cats/parasitology , Siphonaptera/pathogenicity , Africa , Animals , Climate , Environment , Life Expectancy , Siphonaptera/classification , Siphonaptera/growth & development , Siphonaptera/physiology , TemperatureABSTRACT
Twenty adult, domestic short hair cats were randomly allocated into four groups of five cats and housed in separated cages. Each cat was infested with 25 fleas Ctenocephalides felis felis and 25 Ctenocephalides felis strongylus and 2 days later (day 0) the cats in group 1, 2 and 3 received a spot on application of selamectin, imidacloprid or fipronil, respectively, while the cats in group four were not treated. The cats were combed 48 h later, the fleas were removed, counted and their subspecies were determined. All the cats were reinfested with the same number of the two subspecies of fleas on days 7, 14, 21, 29 and 35. The efficacy of each treatment was calculated 48 h after each infestation. The mean number of fleas on the control cats was 16.4 C. f. felis and 13.4 C. f. strongylus. The three treatments were effective for the first 31 days for C. f. felis and for the full 37 days for C. f. strongylus. Over the first 31 days, the efficacy of selamectin ranged from 89 to 100% and 85 to 100% against C. f. felis and C. f. strongylus, respectively, the efficacy of imidacloprid ranged from 76 to 100% and 92 to 100% and the efficacy of fipronil ranged from 98 to 100% and 97 to 100% against C. f. felis and C. f. strongylus. There were no significant differences between the control of C. f. felis and C. f. strongylus by the three products.
Subject(s)
Cat Diseases/drug therapy , Ectoparasitic Infestations/veterinary , Insecticides/pharmacology , Siphonaptera/drug effects , Animals , Cats , Cross-Over Studies , Ectoparasitic Infestations/drug therapy , Female , Imidazoles/pharmacology , Ivermectin/analogs & derivatives , Ivermectin/pharmacology , Male , Neonicotinoids , Nitro Compounds , Pyrazoles/pharmacology , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Among the fleas of medico-veterinary interest, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1 835) is the one most studied. This taxon includes two subspecies: Ctenocephalides f. felis, and Ctenocephalides f. strongylus (Jordan, 1925); only C. f. felis has been the subject of almost all the studies available. We were, thus, interested in C. f. strongylus which can be regarded as the species of substitution of C. f. felis on the African continent. The purpose of our work was to establish some biological parameters such as: hatching of eggs, cycle of development and emergence of adults. These data were compared with those available on C. f. felis. With temperatures ranging between 19 degrees C and 29 degrees C and a relative humidity (HR) of 75 % +/- 5, the hatching rates of eggs observed from the two subspecies of C. felis, are higher than 88 %. The optimal temperature of eggs hatching for C. felis is 29 degrees C, with more than 70 % of hatching obtained in 1-2 days after the laying. The larval developments of the two subspecies are almost identical and function of the temperature 18-9 days with 27 degrees C). Only differs the minimal duration of the progressive cycle. For C. f. strongylus, it lasts in 16-17 days at 29 degrees C, 20-21 days at 27 degrees C and 38 days at 19 degrees C. For C. f. felis, published values give report of 15 days at 27 degrees C and 17 days at 24 degrees C. The emergence of adults of C. f. strongylus takes eight to ten days between 19 degrees C and 29 degrees C, while data published on C. f. felis are about 26 days at 19 degrees C and 15 days at 27 degrees C.