Traditional Healer’s Medicinal Practice Survey and Clinical Evidence Assessment of “YIKI”: An Antimalarial Phytomedicine Recipe from Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

YIKI is an antimalarial phytomedicine used by a traditional healer to treat malaria in Bobo-Dioulasso. However, there is no scientific evidence to support its use by local populations. The aim of this study was to identify the medicinal practices of the healer holder of YIKI and assess the clinical evidence of its phytomedicine in the uncomplicated malaria treatment. Ethnomedical survey based on a semi-structured and open questionnaire was conducted from October to December 2019 with the healer. Malaria knowledge and diagnosis methods, patient treatment and monitoring, and recipe formulation steps were surveyed. Moreover, thick and thin blood smears were taken, haemoglobin levels and temperature of consenting patients were measured before treatment, mid-treatment and at the end of treatment. The survey revealed that the healer has a good knowledge of malaria symptoms and his diagnosis is based on observation and physical examination of patients. The healer’s malaria diagnosis was rudimentary and had accuracy problems, with only 62.79% of malaria cases confirmed by microscopy. The formulation of YIKI and its use to treat malaria follow a standard process for plant harvesting, powder quantities and posology, but do not use any reproducible parameters for dose adjustment. Forty-three patients diagnosed and treated by the healer participated in the study. Laboratory results revealed 27 Plasmodium falciparum infection cases, including 2 with parasitaemia ≥ 200,000 p/µl blood. 25 patients were selected for therapeutic evidence assessment. There was a 48% elimination of parasites, a 28% parasitaemia decrease without complete cure, with gametocytogenesis in some patients, and a 24% parasitaemia increase. Haemoglobin and temperature results suggested that YIKI was not cytotoxic and reduced fever. Encouraging preliminary results have been obtained, but in view of the low number of patients, further YIKI efficacy and toxicity studies will be necessary for patient safety.

Management of Trauma to the External Genitalia at the Nianankoro-Fomba Hospital in Segou Mali

Trauma to the male genitalia is not very common and mainly affects a young population. There is probably a particular instinct in men to defend their external genitalia;indeed, in the flaccid state, the penis is little exposed, and fairly well protected and its mobility allows it to move with the impact of trauma and thus reduce the vulnating force. Open trauma is rare, as is testicular dislocation, the most common being closed trauma. Testicular trauma is an uncommon accident that affects young people. Trauma is most often caused by road and traffic accidents. Animal bites are rare, as is genital self-mutilation related to a psychiatric disorder. Surgical exploration is the rule except in cases of moderate testicular trauma. Our objective was to report our experience in an emergency context where treatment is poorly codified and to review the literature. We recorded four patients with external genitalia trauma managed in the urology department from April 2013 to March 2022. Our patients were children with open genitalia trauma following a traffic accident, scrotal injuries were encountered in three patients, and additional penile injuries in one patient. All patients were treated surgically. The follow-up was straightforward.

Para Testicular Pseudotumeurs of Calcified Gait: A Case Report from the Nianankoro Fomba Segou Hospital (Mali)

Fibrous tumors of para testicular location are extremely rare benign tumors. The diagnosis of benignity, which allows a conservative treatment, will be made intraoperatively in front of the macroscopic aspect with well enucleable nodules and confirmed by the extemporaneous anatomopathological examination. We report a case of multiple calcified paratestinal pseudotumors in a 25-year old patient with no particular history, whose benignity was proven by the histology of the operative parts. Our objective was to discuss, from this observation and a review of the literature, the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of these tumors.

Socio-Economic Impact Evaluation of Bovine Tuberculosis on Primary Meat Production at the Bobo-Dioulasso Slaughterhouse in Burkina Faso

Bovine tuberculosis is one of the zoonoses which has a very significant socio-economic importance due to the losses in agribusiness and hampers commercial exchange of animals and products. The present study highlights the risk of considerable potential economic and health impacts of this major zoonosis. It was carried out at the Bobo-Dioulasso slaughterhouse, in Burkina Faso over 3 years. A retrospective study was conducted based on bovine tuberculosis suspected carcass seizures during primary meat production between January 1st, 2020 and December 31st, 2022. The diagnosis and the criteria for suspecting bovine tuberculosis were addressed by post-mortem inspection. All carcasses were examined for tuberculosis lesions detection. All cattle slaughtered in the abattoir for primary meat production during the study period were included. Economic losses were determined from recorded seizure data and we included all the cattle slaughtered during the study period. Three thousand two hundred ten (3210) bovine carcasses were seized on a total of 180,827 cattle slaughteredwith a prevalence of 19.48%. Economic loss was estimated to be 53,505,000 F CFA, while the average quantity of animal protein lost was 4746 kg, 435 kg, and 13,445 kg for the carcass, livers, and lungs, respectively. The various results show a real health issue linked to exposure to M. bovis for agents and stakeholders in the primary meat production chain, processors and consumers. In addition, the survey conducted over the study period, reveals important material seized and destroyed. This leads to significant loss in rural agriculture and also in the primary meat production industry for the population. The figures are enormous and impact both the nutritional intake linked to animal protein consumption and the livelihood of the beef industry. The Burkinabe administration should invest in biosecurity and biosafety measures to minimize the risks of the disease and also provide compensation for losses recorded among breeders and butchers.