Comparative assessment of insecticide resistance phenotypes in two major malaria vectors, <em>Anopheles funestus</em> and <em>Anopheles... (Publications)
funestus showed strong resistance to pyrethroids, surviving the 5x and 10x doses, while An. arabiensis reverted to susceptibility at the 5x dose. Pre-exposure to the synergist, piperonyl butoxide (PBO) [...] LLINs are widely used. METHODS: The study used the World Health Organization (WHO) assays with 1x, 5x and 10x insecticide doses to assess levels of resistance, followed by synergist bioassays to understand
Study and implementation of urogenital schistosomiasis elimination in Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba islands) using an integrated multidisciplinary... (Publications)
The Zanzibar government is now committed to eliminate urogenital schistosomiasis. Over the next 3--5 years, the whole at-risk population will be administered praziquantel (40 mg/kg) biannually. Additionally [...] in selected communities and the impact measured in a randomized intervention trial. METHODS: In this 5-year research study, on both Unguja and Pemba islands, urogenital schistosomiasis will be assessed in [...] aged 9--12 years annually, and in 4,500 first-year schoolchildren and 2,250...
Impact of hand hygiene intervention: a comparative study in health care facilities in Dodoma region, Tanzania using WHO methodology (Publications)
median HH score [interquartile range (IQR)] was 187.5 (112.5-260). MKAJI health facilities had significantly higher median HH scores (IQR) [190 (120-262.5)] compared with non-MKAJI facilities [165 (95-230);
Rapid urban malaria appraisal (RUMA) IV: epidemiology of urban malaria in Cotonou (Benin) (Publications)
surveys, a malaria infection was found in 5.2 % of all samples. The prevalence rates of parasitaemia in the centre, intermediate and periphery zones were 2.6%, 9.0% and 2.5%, respectively. In the health facility [...] shown to be protective for an infection (OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.78). Travelling to a rural area (5.8% of all respondents) did not increase the infection risk. CONCLUSION: The homogenously low malaria
Chronic airflow obstruction in Tanzania - a cross-sectional study (Publications)
spirometric criteria, chronic airflow obstruction was found in n = 24 (4%, CI95 2.7-5.9) participants and in n = 30 (5%, CI95 3.5-7.1) applying GOLD spirometric criteria. To analyse risk factors for chronic airflow
Prevalence of active convulsive epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa and associated risk factors: cross-sectional and case-control studies (Publications)
between sites: 7.8 per 1000 people (95% CI 7.5-8.2) in Kilifi, 7.0 (6.2-7.4) in Agincourt, 10.3 (9.5-11.1) in Iganga-Mayuge, 14.8 (13.8-15.4) in Ifakara, and 10.1 (9.5-10.7) in Kintampo. The 1711 individuals
Medical use of cannabis in Switzerland: analysis of approved exceptional licences (Publications)
tissue disorders (119, 10%), dorsalgia (97, 8.1%), spinal muscular atrophy (65, 5.5%) and paraplegia/tetraplegia (62, 5.2%). Licence extensions were granted to 143 patients (26.4%) in 2013 and 324 patients
<em>In vitro</em> and<em> in vivo</em> activity of R- and S-praziquantel enantiomers and the main human metabolite trans-4-hydroxy-praziquantel... (Publications)
y. In vivo, R-PZQ was the most potent drug with worm burden reductions (WBRs) of 98.5, 75.6 and 73.3% at 125.0, 62.5 and 31.0 mg/kg, respectively. A single oral dose of 250.0 mg/kg PZQ resulted in a WBR [...] ED50 for R- and S-PZQ were 24.7 and 127.6 mg/kg, respectively, with a corresponding eudysmic ratio of 5.17. CONCLUSION: Our data support the theory of R-PZQ driving the antischistosomal activity. Interestingly
Risk factors for schistosomiasis in an urban area in northern Côte d'Ivoire (Publications)
interviewed about access to WASH and environmental and socioeconomic factors. All children abed between 5 and 15 years living in the households were selected to provide stool and urine samples for parasitological [...] among school-aged children in Korhogo was 1.9% (45/2341) composed of 0.3% (3/1248) S. haematobium and 3.5% (42/1202) S. mansoni. Due to the low prevalence of S. haematobium infection, risk factor analysis was [...] and 15 years of age were 3.8 times more likely to be infected than...
2-Hexadecynoic acid inhibits plasmodial FAS-II enzymes and arrests erythrocytic and liver stage <em>Plasmodium</em> infections (Publications)
activities, but their antimalarial activity has remained unexplored. In this study, we synthesized the 2-, 5-, 6-, and 9-hexadecynoic acids (HDAs) and evaluated their in vitro activity against erythrocytic (blood) [...] evaluated. The highest antiplasmodial activity against blood stages of P. falciparum was displayed by 5-HDA (IC(50) value 6.6 mug/ml), whereas the 2-HDA was the only acid arresting the growth of liver stage [...] infection, in both flow cytometric assay (IC(50) value 2-HDA 15.3...