Displaying publications 141 - 160 of 420 in total

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  1. Abd Wahab F, Abdullah S, Abdullah JM, Jaafar H, Md Noor SS, Wan Mohammad WMZ, et al.
    Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Nov;23(6):25-34.
    PMID: 28090176 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2016.23.6.3
    Ranking as the most communicable disease killer worldwide, tuberculosis, has accounted with a total of 9.6 million new tuberculosis cases with 1.5 million tuberculosis-related deaths reported globally in 2014. Tuberculosis has remain as an occupational hazard for healthcare workers since 1920s and due to several tuberculosis outbreaks in healthcare settings in the early 1990s, the concern about the transmission to both patients and healthcare workers has been raised. Healthcare workers have two to three folds greater the risk of active tuberculosis than the general population. Several studies on knowledge, attitude and practices on tuberculosis among healthcare workers worldwide have revealed that majority of the participated healthcare workers had good knowledge on tuberculosis. Most of the healthcare workers from South India and South Africa also reported to have positive attitude whereas a study in Thailand reported that most of the healthcare providers have negative attitude towards tuberculosis patients. Nevertheless, majority of the healthcare workers have low level of practice on tuberculosis prevention. An improved communication between healthcare workers and the patients as well as their families is the key to better therapeutic outcomes with good knowledge, attitude and preventive practice towards tuberculosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: South Africa
  2. Von Schimonsky DM, Bichuette ME, Mahnert V
    Zootaxa, 2014;3889(3):442-6.
    PMID: 25544278 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3889.3.6
    The small pseudoscorpion family Pseudochiridiidae Chamberlin, 1923 comprises two genera and 12 extant species recorded from Asia (Burma, Christmas Island, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Nicobars and Sumba), eastern, central and southern Africa (Chad, D.R. Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania), Madagascar, Seychelles (Aldabra), North America (Florida) and the Caribbean Islands of Dominican Republic and Cuba (Harvey 2013, Barba & Barroso 2013); one unidentified species is mentioned for the fauna of Mexico (Ceballos 2004). A fossil species has been described from Dominican amber by Judson (2007), who predicted the presence of this family in South America. 
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Southern; South Africa
  3. Rougeron V, Sam IC, Caron M, Nkoghe D, Leroy E, Roques P
    J Clin Virol, 2015 Mar;64:144-52.
    PMID: 25453326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2014.08.032
    Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus of the Togaviridae family that causes chronic and incapacitating arthralgia in human populations. Since its discovery in 1952, CHIKV was responsible for sporadic and infrequent outbreaks. However, since 2005, global Chikungunya outbreaks have occurred, inducing some fatalities and associated with severe and chronic morbidity. Chikungunya is thus considered as an important re-emerging public health problem in both tropical and temperate countries, where the distribution of the Aedes mosquito vectors continues to expand. This review highlights the most recent advances in our knowledge and understanding of the epidemiology, biology, treatment and vaccination strategies of CHIKV.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  4. Kamarulzaman A
    Lancet, 2013 Jun 15;381(9883):2058-60.
    PMID: 23769216 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61033-8
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Northern/epidemiology
  5. Allotey P, Amazigo U, Adjei S, Seddoh A, Lusamba-Dikassa PS
    Lancet, 2012 Oct 20;380(9851):1361-3.
    PMID: 23084441 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60723-5
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa South of the Sahara/epidemiology
  6. Hajeb P, Selamat J
    Clin Rev Allergy Immunol, 2012 Jun;42(3):365-85.
    PMID: 22045217 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-011-8284-9
    Seafood is common item in the world diet; Asian countries have the highest rates of fish consumption in the world, which is higher than world average. Several studies have been conducted on the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of seafood allergy in different countries, and some of the fish and seafood allergens unique to those regions have been characterized. Review on published data showed that seafood allergy is very ubiquitous in some regions of the world. Fish and shellfish are the most common seafood that cause adverse allergic reactions among nations; the symptoms ranged from oral allergy syndromes to urticaria and anaphylaxis. The major identified allergens are parvalbumin in fish and tropomyosin in shellfish. Nevertheless, such studies are lacking from some regions with high fish and seafood consumption. Furthermore, the published data are mostly from small groups of populations, which large-scale epidemiological studies need to be performed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  7. Hlela C, Shepperd S, Khumalo NP, Taylor GP
    AIDS Rev, 2009 Oct-Dec;11(4):205-14.
    PMID: 19940947
    Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 prevalence estimates are usually based on serological screening of blood donors, pregnant women, and other selected population groups. Previously, data on the global epidemiology of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 infection have been summarized unsystematically and without a focus on general populations. To assess the implications of the virus for healthcare systems it is essential to know its past and present prevalence. The widely cited estimate that 10-20 million people are infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 worldwide was calculated from data that are now 25 years old. This estimate may therefore no longer reflect the global epidemiology. The objective of this study was to collate published data that are truly representative of the general population through a systematic review of the literature. Fifty-nine relevant studies were identified and the 17 that met the inclusion criteria were all cross-sectional designs; none reported incidence. The prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 was highest in the two studies of Japanese islands (36.4%; 95% CI: 29.9-42.8) and lowest in studies from Mongolia, Malaysia and India. In Haiti the prevalence was 3.8% (95% CI: 1.78-5.86); in Africa between 6.6% (95% CI: 4.0-9.9) and 8.5% (95% CI: 6.99-10.10) in Gabon, and 1.05% (95% CI: 0.63-1.47) in Guinea. Only three studies were from West Africa and none were from the South; the only study from India was from the north of the country. We conclude that there is a paucity of general population data from countries in which human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 is endemic, and that new studies are required to reevaluate the global burden of infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  8. Sokol E, Clark D, Aguayo VM
    Food Nutr Bull, 2008 Sep;29(3):159-62.
    PMID: 18947028
    In 1981 the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes out of concern that inappropriate marketing of breastmilk substitutes was contributing to the alarming decline in breastfeeding worldwide and the increase in child malnutrition and mortality, particularly in developing countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Central; Africa, Western
  9. Graham DY, Yamaoka Y, Malaty HM
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2007 Sep;101(9):849-51.
    PMID: 17658569
    Helicobacter pylori is one of the few remaining major pathogens that accompanied humans on their travels from Africa. A recently published study reports the unexpected finding of a low H. pylori prevalence among pregnant women in Zanzibar (Farag, T.H., Stolzfus, R.J., Khalfan, S.S., Tielsch, J.M., 2007. Unexpectedly low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among pregnant women on Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 101). The apparent epidemiology of higher prevalence with higher socioeconomic status and decrease with age are unprecedented. As with many 'unexpected' events, a search of the literature reveals evidence of low prevalence populations in Java and Malaysia, with clues dating back to the mid-twentieth century. Why some populations apparently lost H. pylori infection remains an open question. However, the tools needed to resolve the dilemma are readily available and we hope investigators will soon rise to the challenge.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  10. Wkly. Epidemiol. Rec., 2006 Feb 24;81(8):69-70.
    PMID: 16671220
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  11. Sandelin K, Apffelstaedt JP, Abdullah H, Murray EM, Ajuluchuku EU
    Scand J Surg, 2002;91(3):222-6.
    PMID: 12449462
    Breast Surgery International (BSI) was formed in 1999 as an integrated society within the International Surgical Society ISS/SIC. One goal is to promote breast surgery world wide and focus on the situation in the developing countries. An edited summary of a symposium on locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) and the current situation in two African countries and in Malaysia is reported. Diagnosis, management and treatment options differ from recommendations that prevail due to lack of resources, lack of access to facilities and cultural and socioeconomic barriers. Younger age at onset, more men are affected and locally advanced breast cancer dominates the clinical panorama. A rational treatment plan for LABC should have chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy as armaments. A unique opportunity exists for international interchange within a professional organization such as BSI, for providing training opportunities, for clinical and experimental studies of the world' s most common female malignancy.
    Matched MeSH terms: South Africa/epidemiology
  12. André F
    Vaccine, 2000 Feb 18;18 Suppl 1:S20-2.
    PMID: 10683538
    Asia and Africa have previously been classified as areas of high endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV), but in some countries highly effective vaccination programmes have shifted this pattern towards intermediate or low endemicity. Thus, China is now the only country in Asia where HBV endemicity is high. Countries with intermediate endemicity include India, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand, and those with low endemicity include Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Most countries in Africa have high HBV endemicity, with the exceptions of Tunisia and Morocco, which have intermediate endemicity. Zambia has borderline intermediate/high endemicity. In the Middle East, Bahrain, Iran, Israel and Kuwait are areas of low endemicity, Cyprus, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have intermediate endemicity, and Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Yemen and Saudi Arabia have high endemicity. All of these Middle East countries reach a large proportion of their population with hepatitis B vaccination, which is reducing the infection rate, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The vaccination programme in Taiwan has also greatly reduced the HBV infection rate. Future vaccination programmes must take into account the mode of transmission of HBV, the healthcare infrastructure to deliver vaccination, and the socioeconomic and political factors in each individual country, to determine the most cost-effective way of infection control.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  13. Corbo RM, Scacchi R
    Ann. Hum. Genet., 1999 Jul;63(Pt 4):301-10.
    PMID: 10738542
    Apolipoprotein E (APOE = gene, apoE = protein) plays a central role in plasma lipoprotein metabolism and in lipid transport within tissues. The APOE shows a genetic polymorphism determined by three common alleles, APOE*2, APOE*3, APOE*4 and the product of the three alleles differs in several functional properties. APOE is involved in the development of certain pathological conditions. In particular, the APOE*4 allele is a risk factor for susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In the present study we analyzed the APOE allele distribution in the world. The APOE*3 is the most frequent in all the human groups, especially in populations with a long-established agricultural economy like those of the Mediterranean basin (0.849-0.898). The frequency of APOE*4, the ancestral allele, remains higher in populations like Pygmies (0.407) and Khoi San (0.370), aborigines of Malaysia (0.240) and Australia (0.260), Papuans (0.368), some Native Americans (0.280), and Lapps (0.310) where an economy of foraging still exists, or food supply is (or was until the recent past) scarce and sporadically available. The APOE*2 frequency fluctuates with no apparent trend (0.145-0.02) and is absent in Native Americans. We suggest that the APOE*4, based on some functional properties it has and on its distribution among human populations, could be identified as a 'thrifty' allele. The exposure of APOE*4 to the contemporary environmental conditions (Western diet, longer lifespans) could have rendered it a susceptibility allele for CAD and AD. The absence of the association of APOE*4 with CAD and AD in Sub-Saharan Africans, and its presence in African Americans, seems to confirm this hypothesis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  14. Dafalla AM, Edinur HA, Abdelwahed M, Elemam AA, Ibrahim AA, Mohamadani A, et al.
    Data Brief, 2019 Jun;24:104027.
    PMID: 31193964 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104027
    Sudan is located in the heart of Africa and surrounded by eight countries with people of different ethnic origins. Historical records show that the population of the Sudan is a mixture of Arabic, West Asian Arabic and sub-Saharan African elements. The present survey provides data on allele lineages, and haplotype frequencies of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class I (HLA-A and HLA-B) and class II (HLA-DR and -HLA-DQ) loci in 11 Sudanese populations. The sampled individuals are all local transplant donors who provided informed consent for HLA analyses on their blood samples and were registered at National Cancer Institute, University of Gezira, Wad Medani. The HLA class I and II data reported here can be subjected for future analyses of genetic structure and health in Sudan. These include as reference datasets for identifying the association between HLA and diseases and for designing donor recruitment strategies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Northern; Africa South of the Sahara
  15. Mbu'u CM, Mbacham WF, Gontao P, Sado Kamdem SL, Nlôga AMN, Groschup MH, et al.
    Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 2019 07;19(7):455-465.
    PMID: 30985268 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2365
    Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) are closely related members within the genus Henipavirus, family Paramyxoviridae, for which fruit bats serve as the reservoir. The initial emergence of NiV infections in pigs and humans in Malaysia, and HeV infections in horses and humans in Australia, posed severe impacts on human and animal health, and continues threatening lives of humans and livestock within Southeast Asia and Australia. Recently, henipavirus-specific antibodies have also been detected in fruit bats in a number of sub-Saharan African countries and in Brazil, thereby considerably increasing the known geographic distribution of henipaviruses. Africa is progressively being recognized as a new high prevalence zone for henipaviruses, as deduced from serological and molecular evidence of past infections in Madagascar, Ghana, Republic of Congo, Gulf of Guinea, Zambia, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Nigeria lately. Serological data suggest henipavirus spillover from bats to livestock and human populations in Africa without reported clinical disease in any of these species. All virus isolation attempts have been abortive, highlighting the need for further investigations. The genome of the Ghanaian bat henipavirus designated Ghana virus (GhV), which was detected in a pteropid Eidolon helvum bat, is the only African henipavirus that has been completely sequenced limiting our current knowledge on the genetic diversity and pathogenesis of African henipaviruses. In this review, we summarize the available data on the circulation of henipaviruses in Africa, discuss potential sources for virus spillover, and highlight existing research gaps.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  16. Wiesenfeld SL
    Science, 1967 Sep 08;157(3793):1134-40.
    PMID: 6038684
    The particular agricultural adaptation we have been considering is the ultimate determinant of the presence of malaria parasites in the intracellular environment of the human red blood cell. This change in the cellular environment is deleterious for normal individuals, but individuals with the sickle-cell gene are capable of changing their red-cell environment so that intense parasitism never develops. Normal individuals suffer higher mortality rates and lower fertility rates in a malarious environment than individuals with the sickle-cell trait do, so the latter contribute proportionately more people to succeeding generations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Eastern; Africa, Western
  17. Maimaiti N, Ahmed Z, Md Isa Z, Ghazi HF, Aljunid S
    Value Health Reg Issues, 2013 09 13;2(2):259-263.
    PMID: 29702874 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2013.07.003
    OBJECTIVE: To measure the clinical burden of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in selected developing countries.

    METHODS: This is an extensive literature review of published articles on IPD in selected developing countries from East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. We reviewed all the articles retrieved from the knowledge bases that were published between the years 2000 and 2010.

    RESULTS: After applying the inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria, the comprehensive review of the literature yielded 10 articles with data for pneumococcal meningitis, septicemia/bacteremia, and pneumonia. These selected articles were from 10 developing countries from five different regions. Out of the 10 selected articles, 8 have a detailed discussion on IPD, one of them has s detailed discussion on bacteremia and meningitis, and another one has discussed pneumococcal bacteremia. Out of these 10 articles, only 5 articles discussed the case-fatality ratio (CFR). In our article review, the incidence of IPD ranged from less than 5/100,000 to 416/100,000 population and the CFR ranged from 12.2% to 80% in the developing countries.

    CONCLUSIONS: The review demonstrated that the clinical burden of IPD was high in the developing countries. The incidence of IPD and CFR varies from region to region and from country to country. The IPD burden was highest in sub-Saharan African countries followed by South Asian countries. The CFR was low in high-income countries than in low-income countries.

    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Northern; Africa South of the Sahara
  18. Anyanwu GO, Iqbal J, Khan SU, Zaib S, Rauf K, Onyeneke CE, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2018 Oct 18.
    PMID: 30342966 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.10.021
    ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Anthocleista vogelii Planch is a medicinal plant traditionally used in West Africa for the management and treatment of diabetes mellitus.

    AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine the antidiabetic activities of chloroform fraction (CF) of Anthocleista vogelii Planch root bark in rats with diet- and alloxan-induced obesity-diabetes.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inhibitory activities of CF against α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities were determined in vitro. Three weeks old rats were fed with high-fat diet for 9 weeks to induce obesity prior to further induction of diabetes using alloxan (150mg/kg body weight, i.p.). Blood glucose levels and body weight were measured every 7 days throughout the experiment. Glucose tolerance was assessed in normal and CF-treated rats on day 21. Terminal blood samples were collected from sacrificed animals for the measurement of serum insulin levels. Pancreases were excised from treated and untreated animals for histopathological examination.

    RESULTS: LCMS/MS chromatographic profile of CF via positive and negative modes revealed 13 and 23 compounds respectively. Further analysis revealed quebrachitol (QCT), loganin, sweroside, oleoside 11-methyl ester and ferulic acid, which have been previously reported for their antidiabetic activities, as constituents of CF. CF inhibited activities of α-amylase (IC50 = 51.60 ± 0.92µg/ml) and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 5.86 ± 0.97µg/ml) in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of animals with obesity-diabetes with 100 and 200mg/kg CF significantly improved glucose tolerance (P<0.001) and enhanced serum insulin levels (P<0.05) compared to diabetic control rats.

    CONCLUSIONS: Antidiabetic activities of CF might be mediated via inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, elevation of serum insulin concentration, and enhancement of insulin and leptin sensitivity in obesity-diabetes rats. This study further substantiates the traditional use of A. vogelii in the management and treatment of diabetes in Africa and encourages further studies to investigate its mechanism of action.

    Matched MeSH terms: Africa; Africa, Western
  19. Glennon EE, Restif O, Sbarbaro SR, Garnier R, Cunningham AA, Suu-Ire RD, et al.
    Vet J, 2018 03;233:25-34.
    PMID: 29486875 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.12.024
    Bat-borne viruses carry undeniable risks to the health of human beings and animals, and there is growing recognition of the need for a 'One Health' approach to understand their frequently complex spill-over routes. While domesticated animals can play central roles in major spill-over events of zoonotic bat-borne viruses, for example during the pig-amplified Malaysian Nipah virus outbreak of 1998-1999, the extent of their potential to act as bridging or amplifying species for these viruses has not been characterised systematically. This review aims to compile current knowledge on the role of domesticated animals as hosts of two types of bat-borne viruses, henipaviruses and filoviruses. A systematic literature search of these virus-host interactions in domesticated animals identified 72 relevant studies, which were categorised by year, location, design and type of evidence generated. The review then focusses on Africa as a case study, comparing research efforts in domesticated animals and bats with the distributions of documented human cases. Major gaps remain in our knowledge of the potential ability of domesticated animals to contract or spread these zoonoses. Closing these gaps will be necessary to fully evaluate and mitigate spill-over risks of these viruses, especially with global agricultural intensification.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology
  20. Aghamohammadi A, Rezaei N, Yazdani R, Delavari S, Kutukculer N, Topyildiz E, et al.
    J Clin Immunol, 2021 08;41(6):1339-1351.
    PMID: 34052995 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-021-01053-z
    BACKGROUND: Inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) are a heterogeneous group of genetic defects of immunity, which cause high rates of morbidity and mortality mainly among children due to infectious and non-infectious complications. The IEI burden has been critically underestimated in countries from middle- and low-income regions and the majority of patients with IEI in these regions lack a molecular diagnosis.

    METHODS: We analyzed the clinical, immunologic, and genetic data of IEI patients from 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The data was collected from national registries and diverse databases such as the Asian Pacific Society for Immunodeficiencies (APSID) registry, African Society for Immunodeficiencies (ASID) registry, Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF) registry, J Project centers, and International Consortium on Immune Deficiency (ICID) centers.

    RESULTS: We identified 17,120 patients with IEI, among which females represented 39.4%. Parental consanguinity was present in 60.5% of cases and 27.3% of the patients were from families with a confirmed previous family history of IEI. The median age of patients at the onset of disease was 36 months and the median delay in diagnosis was 41 months. The rate of registered IEI patients ranges between 0.02 and 7.58 per 100,000 population, and the lowest rates were in countries with the highest rates of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) and death rates for children. Predominantly antibody deficiencies were the most frequent IEI entities diagnosed in 41.2% of the cohort. Among 5871 patients genetically evaluated, the diagnostic yield was 83% with the majority (65.2%) having autosomal recessive defects. The mortality rate was the highest in patients with non-syndromic combined immunodeficiency (51.7%, median age: 3.5 years) and particularly in patients with mutations in specific genes associated with this phenotype (RFXANK, RAG1, and IL2RG).

    CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive registry highlights the importance of a detailed investigation of IEI patients in the MENA region. The high yield of genetic diagnosis of IEI in this region has important implications for prevention, prognosis, treatment, and resource allocation.

    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Northern/epidemiology
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