RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Although toxoplasmosis is an important public health problem, there is scarcity of data on the disease available from Yemen. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in health facilities to determine seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors among pregnant women in Sana'a, the capital city of Yemen. METHODOLOGY: A total of 593 pregnant women were included and examined for anti-T. gondii antibodies (Ab) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bio and socio-demographic data were collected by pre-tested structured questionnaires through face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 45.4% (95% confidence interval: 41%-49%). The prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM was 43.7 (95% CI: 40-%48%) and 9.1% (95% CI: 7%-12%), respectively. About 7.4 (95% CI: 6%-10%) of pregnant women were seropositive for both IgG and IgM Abs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following risk factors for toxplasmosis (IgG and/or IgM): age ≥ 25 years (adjusted OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.44-2.84, p < 0.001), rearing cats in the house (OR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.20-2.55, p = 0.004), and contact with soil (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.32-2.75, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study reported high seroprevalence among pregnant women in Sana'a, Yemen, with a high proportion of pregnant women having a possibility of acute toxoplasmosis. This highlights the need for including routine screening for T. gondii in pregnant women in the country's antenatal clinics. In addition, health education on the mode of transmission of toxoplasmosis should be provided for pregnant women in Yemen.
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Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios/sangre , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiología , Toxoplasma/inmunología , Toxoplasmosis/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Instituciones de Salud , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Embarazo , Factores de Riesgo , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Yemen/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Effective chemotherapy is the mainstay of malaria control. However, resistance of falciparum malaria to antimalarial drugs compromised the efforts to eliminate the disease and led to the resurgence of malaria epidemics. Three main approaches are used to monitor antimalarial drug efficacy and drug resistance; namely, in vivo trials, in vitro/ex vivo assays and molecular markers of drug resistance. Each approach has its implications of use as well as its advantages and drawbacks. Therefore, there is a need to use an integrated approach that would give the utmost effect to detect resistance as early as its emergence and to track it once spread. Such integration becomes increasingly needed in the era of artemisinin-based combination therapy as a forward action to deter resistance. The existence of regional and global networks for the standardization of methodology, provision of high quality reagents for the assessment of antimalarial drug resistance and dissemination of open-access data would help in approaching an integrated resistance surveillance system on a global scale.
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Antimaláricos/farmacología , Resistencia a Medicamentos , Pruebas de Sensibilidad Parasitaria/métodos , Plasmodium falciparum/efectos de los fármacos , Antimaláricos/uso terapéutico , Monitoreo Epidemiológico , Humanos , Malaria Falciparum/tratamiento farmacológico , Malaria Falciparum/parasitología , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Molecular/métodos , Plasmodium falciparum/genéticaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis is one of the most important public health problems in Yemen. The prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis varies considerably across different parts of Yemen and was estimated to be 10% among schoolchildren in Sana'a. Praziquantel (PZQ) is highly effective against all five major human species of schistosomes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present work was to estimate the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis, describe the risk factors associated with its endemicity, and implement and assess a chemotherapeutic intervention using PZQ in a village in Yemen. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample included 696 schoolchildren from a village in Abyan Governorate. During the baseline school survey, personal, sociodemographic, and environmental data, and data on practices in relation to water contact were collected from each study participant using a predesigned structured questionnaire. Urine samples from each participant were examined for macrohematuria and the presence of Schistosoma haematobium eggs. The chemotherapeutic intervention was assessed 3 and 6 months after the treatment and certain indicators were calculated. RESULTS: The prevalence of S. haematobium was 18.1%. The main significant risk factors were male sex; proximity of houses to water ponds; and using pond water for swimming, agricultural activities, and for bathing in houses. PZQ treatment reduced the prevalence of infection and decreased the prevalence of high-intensity infection. Survival analysis showed that the probability of residual infection also dropped after the treatment intervention. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Male sex and using pond water for various activities were the main significant risk factors associated with urinary schistosomiasis. PZQ is still a cornerstone drug in reducing or eliminating morbidity associated with schistosomiasis infection. Health education programs tailored for the community are required for the control and prevention of urinary schistosomiasis. To address schoolchildren, school curricula should include lessons about urinary schistosomiasis.
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Antihelmínticos , Esquistosomiasis Urinaria , Animales , Antihelmínticos/uso terapéutico , Humanos , Prevalencia , Factores de Riesgo , Esquistosomiasis Urinaria/tratamiento farmacológico , Yemen/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Hydatidosis is a parasitic infestation caused by Echinococcus granulosus. This disease is endemic in many countries including Yemen. The present review article aims to have a glimpse at the present status of hydatidosis in Yemen. This is the first descriptive study, investigating recorded cases of hydatidosis from the five main governmental hospitals in the capital Sana'a city, over a longer period starting from 2001 and ending in 2008. A total of 796 medical records of patients referred to the five main governmental hospitals in Sana'a city for cyst removal, were studied. Of these cases 482 were females and 314 were males. Their mean age was 30.0 ± 16.9 years. Information regarding the location of the cyst in the body, age, sex and residence of each patient was recorded. A higher infection rate was found in females than males (60.6% and 39.4%, respectively). Single organ involvement was observed in 98.6% cases, among which, the most frequent localizations were the liver (60.8%) followed by the lung (24.7%). Cases of hydatidosis appeared to increase during the period 2001-2008, with the lowest number (n=26) and the highest number (n=140) recorded in 2001 and 2007, respectively. We conclude that the risk of hydatidosis is still high in Yemen, where street or stray dogs move freely down town and the population should be aware about the role of dogs in the transmission of this disease. Hospital records provide a useful indication of infection expressed as annual rate of hospital cases. Finally, the collaboration of Public Health Authorities, the Veterinary Medical Authorities and the Environmental Affairs Authorities is a must to control this disease.
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Equinococosis/epidemiología , Echinococcus granulosus/aislamiento & purificación , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribución por Edad , Anciano , Animales , Niño , Equinococosis/patología , Equinococosis/cirugía , Femenino , Hospitales , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Medición de Riesgo , Distribución por Sexo , Población Urbana , Yemen/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
A cross sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 303 apparently healthy workers in 58 restaurants in Sana'a City, with ages between 12 to 70 years 22.12 +/- 8.34). A required data were taken through a designed questionnaire and stool samples were collected and examined microscopically by direct wet mount (saline and iodine stained smears) and by formalin ether concentration sedimentation technique. The results showed 72.9% an overall infections rate In a descending order they were E. coli (58.85%), E. histolytica (48.87%), G. lamblia (35.29%), S. man-soni (7.69%), T. trichiura (4.98%), A. lumbricoides (4.07%), H. nana (3.62%), and 0.91% for both E. vermicularis and A. doudenale. Intervention programs including health education, strict supervision of health authorities on workers in restaurants, hotels and other food shops as well as environmental sanitation are required.
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Parasitosis Intestinales/epidemiología , Restaurantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Niño , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Prevalencia , Yemen/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The epidemiological pattern of cryptosporidiosis and other intestinal parasites were studied among 3 orphanages in Sana'a City. A total of 292 orphans (225 males & 67 females), aged 4-20 years old were recruited. A questionnaire of demographic information, health status and other relevant information was filled out for each one. Fresh stool specimens were processed by wet mount preparation, formalin-ether concentration and MZL stain. Among 292 orphans, the overall parasitic rate was 62.7%. C. parvum showed highest prevalence (24%) followed by G. lamblia (16.8%), E. histolytica /E.dispar (13%), and then E. coli (18.5%). Hymenolepis nana was in 7.2% of children but only 3 cases of Ascaris lumbricoides. The risk of C. parvum was significantly higher in children < or = 10 years of age compared to older ones (OR = 3.86). The risk of other parasites did not differ significantly with orphans' age. Males showed 2.634 risk of C. parvum and 1.657 risk of G. lamblia compared to females with statistically significant difference. Bad personal hygiene was associated with higher risk of cryptosporidiosis (OR = 2.634, CI = 1.483-4.677) but the risk of other parasites was not significant. Diarrhea and abdominal pain were recorded in the three orphans, but without significance associated with parasites, either overall or for individual species but, A. lumbricoides was detected in 3 diarrheic children.
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Criptosporidiosis/epidemiología , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales , Orfanatos , Adolescente , Niño , Preescolar , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Factores de Riesgo , Yemen/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The polyclonal antibodies raised in rabbits against amastigote antigen extract were purified and fractionated, and IgG class antibodies and from the same antibodies, a peroxidase conjugate (labeled antibodies) reagent were prepared. The antibodies and the labeled antibodies were analyzed for efficacy of the homologous extracted antigens by capture ELISA. The titration curves of the anti-amastigote IgG antibody against extracted antigens showed that both free antibody and corresponding labeled antibody reacted with the original amastigote antigens. Further analysis involved the interaction between the antibody and two leishmanial stages; mammalian amastigote & infective promasitgote by immunoflourescene technique. The strong interaction was not only with surface antigenic components of the stages but also with their internal components. Capture-ELISA system was done to detect specific leishmanial antigens in urine and sera from visceral leishmaniasis patients (VL). Most of the urine samples were positive (90% sensitivity) for leishmanial antigens without cross-reactivity (100% specificity) with any other tested samples from heterologous parasitic infections. But, only 61% sensitivity and 53% specificity were obtained when the capture ELISA was done to detect the specific leishmanail antigens in sera from VL.
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Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios/inmunología , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática/métodos , Leishmania donovani/inmunología , Leishmaniasis Visceral/diagnóstico , Animales , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática/normas , Humanos , Inmunoglobulina G/inmunología , Leishmaniasis Visceral/inmunología , Peroxidasa , Conejos , Sensibilidad y EspecificidadRESUMEN
In this study, 152 students (90 males & 62 females) of primary (5th & 6th grades, 52 males & 30 females) and preparatory (1st & 2nd grades, 38 males & 32 females) schoolchildren of different age and sex group inhabited in two endemic villages with Schistosoma mansoni in Taiz Govenorate were examination. The highest prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni were-among males at the age group from 10 - < 12 years. A significant relationship was recorded between prevalence and intensity of infection and those who using pond water for human usage. The prevalence was significantly higher among children who received previous praziquantel treatment as well as those who didn't have TV, Radio and/or Video. The results were discussed on the light of certain variables.