Comparative analysis of urinary schistosomiasis among primary school children and rural farmers in Obollo-Eke,Enugu State,Nigeria:Implications for control

Objective:To determine the prevalence,sex-age related intensity of urinary schistosomiasis and to compare such parameters among rural school children and rural fanners in selected communities in Obollo-Eke located in Southeast,Nigeria.Methods:A cross-sectional survey involving 1 337 school children and farmers was conducted in Obollo-Eke community between September 2006 and July 2007.Demographic data of subjects was collected using a questionnaire prepared for this purpose.Urine samples were collected and examined for haematuria and ova of Schistosoma haematobium(S.haematobium) using Medi-test Combi 9 and sedimentation technique respectively.Results:The prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis based on microscopic examination of the urine sediment for the ova of 5.haematobium was 17.5%while the prevalence of haematuria was 15.6%.Infection intensity varied from light to heavy.In general,the prevalence was higher among males(20.8%) than females(14.6%;P】0.05) and was slightly higher among primary school children(18.0%;n=762) than farmers(16.9%;n=575;P】0.05).The age-specific prevalence of schistosomiasis among the study subjects ranged from 8.3%to 21.2%in 0-5 years and 11-15 years age groups respectively.Conclusions:Haematuria and mean egg/10 mL urine (r = 0.95;P【0.01) showed that both procedures are reliable for the diagnosis of the disease and can be used to ascertain the prevalence of the disease in any community.The comparative analysis of urinary bilharziasis among primary school children and rural farmers demonstrated that the infection is moderately high in these two risk population groups at Obollo-Eke.A robust intervention strategy is clearly needed.

Antimicrobial resistance containment in Africa:Moving beyond surveillance

Worldwide,infections caused by drug‐resistant pathogens constitute a significant challenge threatening therapeutic efforts.According to the World Health Organization(WHO),antimicrobial resistance(AMR)ranks among the top 10 global public health threats.Organisms with a high rate of multiple host adaptivity,significant genetic diversity(multiple lineages),high virulence factors,and genetic exchange have been isolated from various sources(humans,animals,and the environment)even without exposure to prior antibiotics.Till now,the source of AMR and how resistant clones are selected in the environment remain largely elusive,and potential anthropogenic transmission has been reported in different studies.Various drug‐resistant pathogens,lineages,resistant clones,outbreak clusters,plasmid replicates,and genes that play a critical role in resistance dissemination have been identified.Maintenance of certain multidrug‐resistant(MDR)determinants has also been shown to enhance or support the propagation of MDR.So far,significant advances have been made in understanding the burden of AMR.However,overcoming AMR requires a holistic approach,as there is no single approach with sufficient precision to curb the threat.While strengthening AMR surveillance efforts is essential,as we have shown,there is also a need to intensify efforts to strengthen therapeutic interventions,especially in priority regions such as Africa.Herein,we discussed the burden of AMR and the dissemination of AMR in humans,animals,and the environment(non‐medical drivers).We further delved into the big questions on Africa and discussed how therapeutic interventions involving vaccines and other viable biomaterials could be pivotal in reducing the burden of AMR to the barest minimum.