The aetiology and prevalence of urinary tract infections in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Systematic Review / Etiologia e prevalência de infecções do trato urinário na África Subsaariana: uma revisão sistemática

Objective: This review determined and reports the prevalence of urinary tract infections and aetiological agents common in most sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: A literature search involved Springer, Hindawi, PubMed, Medcrave, Google Scholar, BioMed, and Elsevier databases to identify the urinary tract infection articles published between 2000 and 2021. Results: Of 111 articles obtained from databases, 22 met the qualities to be included in the study. Overall, the prevalence of UTI was 32.12% with Escherichia coli being the most commonly isolated bacteria accounting for 86.4%. Escherichia coli is found in the GIT thus, the proximity between the anus and urinary system makes the contamination easier. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide useful information for the effective intervention of urinary tract infections. Further, it is advised women wipe from front to back whenever they attend the call of nature and or during bathing.

Objetivo: Relatamos a prevalência de infecções do trato urinário e agentes etiológicos comuns na maioria dos países da África Subsaariana. Metodos: Uma pesquisa bibliográfica envolveu as bases de dados Springer, Hindawi, PubMed, Medcrave, Google Scholar, BioMed e Elsevier para identificar os artigos que abordavam infecção do trato urinário nos países da África Subsaariana, publicados entre 2000 e 2021. Resultados: Dos 111 artigos obtidos nas bases de dados, 22 atenderam aos criterios de inclusao e foram incluídos no estudo . No geral, a prevalência de UTI foi de 32,12%, sendo a Escherichia coli a bactéria mais comumente isolada, representando 86,4%. A Escherichia coli é encontrada no TGI, portanto, a proximidade entre o ânus e o sistema urinário facilita a contaminação. Conclusao: Os achados deste estudo fornecem informações úteis para a intervenção efetiva das infecções do trato urinário. Além disso, é aconselhável que as mulheres busquem fazer sua higiene intima sempre da parte da frente para trás.

Validation of droplet digital Polymerase Chain Reaction for the detection and absolute quantification of Taenia solium eggs in spiked soil samples.

To enable the detection of taeniid eggs in environmental samples, a sensitive technology is required. In this study, we validated the effectiveness of a digital droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) assay for detection, identification and absolute quantification of taeniid DNA from artificially contaminated soils with varying numbers of taeniid eggs using a set of universal primers, JB3 & JB4.5. The results showed that the number of cox1 copies detected increased gradually for both species with the number of taeniid eggs added to the different soil types. The highest cox1 DNA copies recovery for Taenia solium and T. lynciscapreoli was from the sand soil with lowest recovery being observed in clay soils. Therefore, ddPCR is a promising technology for screening of taeniid eggs from soil samples collected in the environment irrespective of the soil type and the number of eggs. The potential of the ddPCR protocol to detect taeniid egg DNA in spiked soil samples has great practical application for taeniid egg screening in soils from endemic areas. However, when universal primers are used in screening environmental samples, the identity of ddPCR positive samples must be confirmed by sequencing. In addition, more validation studies using species-specific primers and field soil samples is recommended.

The status and health burden of neurocysticercosis in Mbulu district, northern Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the extent and health burden of neurocysticercosis in the general community of the Mbulu district, northern Tanzania. About 1051 randomly select participants were screened for human cysticercosis. The Cysticercus Western Blot IgG and Computed Tomography scan were used to detect infection by cysticerci. The DALYs was used to assess the community's health burden vis-a-vis neurocysticercosis. RESULTS: The sero-prevalence of HCC was 16.27%. About 76% of 25 selected human cysticercosis sero-positives had neurocysticercosis suggestive lesions on CT scan and 74% had history of epilepsy. Epilepsy caused 2.8 years of life lost and 2.2 healthy years of life lost due to disability per 1000 person-years in Mbulu. The average DALYs imposed due to neurocysticercosis and epilepsy were 3.0 and 3.9 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Neurocysticercosis is a serious public health concern in northern Tanzania.