Papers by Yongabi Kenneth
Occupational diseases associated with agricultural practices in Sub-Saharan Africa have a major h... more Occupational diseases associated with agricultural practices in Sub-Saharan Africa have a major health impact on farmers, farm workers and their families. This leads to reduced productivity through decreased human and livestock resource and places an additional burden on health care requirements in already poor areas. An in-depth knowledge of the various diseases and potential risks associated with farming in SSA could provide insights on effective control measures. This paper presents a review of infectious disease in farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa likely to have been contracted as a result of farming practices. The following are considered: Sources, modes of transmission, incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality. Infections have been classified into those of bacterial, parasito-logical, mycological and virological origin. The literature indicates that 80% of cases of occupational diseases due to farming with high morbidity and mortality are from hel-minths, protozoa and bacterial infections. More effective reporting of disease, risk awareness and appropriate intervention methods, are required to tackle the occurrence of occupational diseases amongst farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
With more than 15000 people infected with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) leading to more than 7000 dea... more With more than 15000 people infected with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) leading to more than 7000 deaths in Liberia, Serra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal, Ebola Virus Disease remains one of the most dreaded scourges and concerns in contemporary international health (CIH). We note in this essay, that current intervention strategies for the containment of emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola may remain inadequate unless an integrated health intervention (IHI) strategy is adopted. Focus on vaccine development is, undoubtedly, critical but unlikely soon. Synthetic antiviral therapy (AVT) or antifiloviral therapy (AFT) such as using Zmapp, Favipiravir and Brincindofovir amongst others may remain therapeutically inadequate to contain not only Ebola but future scourges. For one fact, as already observed, Zmapp, TKM-Ebola and Favipiravir are hopeful but clouded with toxicity concerns and like any antibiotic of single molecular base likely to be resisted by the bug over time. In this article, our position is that, the medical approach to confront Ebola should be a multidisciplinary approach with equality. This will mean providing a medical care that protects health care workers, searching for an effective vaccine and antiviral therapy that is cost effective, weaving cultural, environmental and community based approaches to preventing the spread as well as fostering and incorporating nutritional therapy, traditional medicine as an integrative package for infectious diseases control. We attempted to highlight that african nutriceticals and phytomedicine could be useful in the control of infectious diseases such as Ebola through the use of medicinal plants such as Garcinia kola extracts and the exploitation of mushroom extracts such as Ganoderma lucidum containing selenium, Iron, zinc, 7-8% crude protein, 26-28% carbohydrates and a range of bioactive protein that can boost the immune system of patients with Ebola virus hemorrhagic fevers. Evidence in grey literature demonstrates profound antiviral activities from extracts of Garcinia kola on a range viruses including Ebola virus. Kolaviron, a class of flavonoids from garcinia kola, have been found with profound antiviral activity while compounds from cordycep mycelium such as beta glucans also reported in Ganoderma lucidum and some mushroom species have profound immune boosting potentials against many viral infections. A computerized data base for these compounds for drug development could be generated for use by pharmaceutical companies. It is concluded that, nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals from medicinal plants, could be used not only as drug leads but could clinically complement current management of Ebola virus diseases in African hospitals.
In this essay, we attempted to catalogue and describe African indigenous knowledge, in contributi... more In this essay, we attempted to catalogue and describe African indigenous knowledge, in contributing to sustainable health development in Sub Saharan Africa. In the face of poverty and threats of diseases such as ebola.We also describe how biotechnology can enhance cultural mechanism for improved health care. A snap shot of certain cultural habits that promote disease dissemination that would have to be modified is described. This report is basically a descriptive essay and partly based on a survey and collection of indigenous practices in Cameroon, and some cultures across countries in SSA. Some of the traditional knowledge relevant to disease transmission and control may form basis for experimentation, validation, development and application of appropriate medical biotechnologies for cheap, low tech disease control strategies and healthy living through a number of ethnobotanicals medicines, such as Occimum basilicum popularly called holy basil and in Kom language known as afuaih toh by many ethnicities of the Tikar in Ghana, Uganda, Gabon, parts of Kenya and Tanzania, Equitorial Guinea, Ethiopia, and Madagascar, who believe that the aromatic smell it emits dispels not only evil spirits but certain diseases such as HIV, Ebola and disease vectors. Such indigenous knowledge and science, with simple skills and familiarity, applied as an innovative approach to hygiene, medical challenges and disease control. Understand the practices, and see how to introduce interventions (incremental interventions), with existing indigenous knowledge enhanced with present science and technology, which you see can be applied to resolving present and possible outbreaks like Ebola. Generally called Macepo, tribes in Bukuru in northern Nigeria often used it to preserve dead bodies in remote villages where neither hospital nor morgue exist for days pending burial. Could scientific attention validate the use of African indigenous knowledge in Ebola prevention or future emerging diseases so that Africans can carry out safe burials within the context of their culture without risk of disease spread? We noted the believe amongst most ethnic groups regarding the use of Occimum basilicum, and leaf powder of some indigenous plants as a preservative for corpse or crops and insect repellent.This could serve as excellent platforms for mitigation and control of outbreaks such as Ebola.
Clinical management of leukemia patients with hydroxyurea-based chemotherapy drugs and radiothera... more Clinical management of leukemia patients with hydroxyurea-based chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy often does not yield very quick therapeutic benefits in patients, especially in tropical resource limited countries. Evidence based supportive and palliative care plan is critical in the clinical management of leukemia patients, which clinicians and oncologists in Africa often do not adequately implement during in-patient management in hospitals for a number of reasons including cost and knowledge. The spectrum of opportunistic infections in leukemia conditions is not well known and considered during management plans. In this study, we report the spectrum of systemic yeast infections amongst leukemia patients attending Phytobiotechnology Research Foundation clinic in Cameroon from June 2012 to June 2015 for the presence of various opportunistic systemic mycoses. All the patients in this study were already receiving hydroxyurea therapy for more than one year at the hospitals in Cameroon. The screening and testing were done through visual observation, KOH microscopy, in addition to culture tests on potato and malt extract agars. Twenty patients screened, were found with systemic yeast infections. Culture of urine, mouth swabs, vaginal fluids and blood yielded a 80% isolates of Candida albicans, and 20% Non Albicans Candida (NAC) including Cryptococcus species isolated from oral swab only. The results generally show that systemic yeasts are prevalent in leukemia patients and its co morbidity may possibly complicate effective chemotherapy treatment. The anti-yeast activity of Persea americana, magnifera indica, Moringa oleifera, and Allium sativum was significant with zones of inhibitions exhibited by Moringa oleifera and Allium sativum showing a better ant yeast activities than with ketoconazole and griseofulvin. The results also suggested the need to exploit alternative botanicals in the co-management of leukemia as well as its attending opportunistic infections is a critical step toward generating a better treatment for leukemia.
A total of 530 HIV-seropositive patients, undergoing treatment at the Phytobiotechnology Research... more A total of 530 HIV-seropositive patients, undergoing treatment at the Phytobiotechnology Research Foundation (PRF) Clinic from May 2007 to May 2008, were screened for yeast infection using various specimens. Of the total number of patients, 318 were females and 212 were males. The specimens comprised 550 stools specimens, 422 oral swabs, 98 sputum specimens, 60 vaginal swabs and 25 urine specimens. These were aerobically cultured on Sabouraud dextrose and potato dextrose agar media. A total of 79.6% of the patients indicated presence of yeast in oral specimens, while 28.3% indicated the presence of yeasts in stool specimens. Candida albicans was the sole isolate from urine and vaginal swabs. Geotrichium candidum was solely isolated from stool specimens (18.75%), while Cryptococcus neoformans (5%) was also isolated from sputum specimens. Bulk methanol extracts of Magnifera indica (mango) seeds, Aspilia africana (African iodine) leaves, Ageratum conyzoides (goat weed/king grass) leaves, Allium sativum (garlic) bulb, Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaves), Khaya senegalensis (drywood mahogany) seeds, Moringa oleifera (drum stick/horseradish) and Persea americana (avocado) seeds exhibited appreciable growth inhibition of Candida spp. and Geotrichium spp. The results indicated that yeast infections are prevalent in HIV/AIDS patients and can be controlled with natural products.
Diarrhoeic; non dirrhoiec; Zoonotic, Modified Kinyoun's acid-fast stain; Oocysts; Zoonotic.
Despite increasing global efforts to contain infectious diseases such as Ebola, HIV, and new stra... more Despite increasing global efforts to contain infectious diseases such as Ebola, HIV, and new strains of Hepatitis Virus, the spread and burden still constitute more than 25% of the global disease picture. In this report, insights on an innovative cost saving evolutionary learning laboratory model (ELS Lab) consisting of a systems approach to the control of infectious diseases are discussed. There have been many science-based analyses from demographic, epidemiologic, disease intervention, and economic control measures in Sub-Saharan Africa to curb infectious diseases, yet the continued spread of new and old infectious diseases poses a serious challenge to public health in SSA. There is persistent typhoid endermicity with emergence of new antibiotic resistant strains of salmonella typhi as well as non typhoidal salmonellosis. There is increasing resistant strains of Entameoba histolytica to metronidazle, poor response of patients to artemisinin based antimalarials and sporadic cholera is spreading. Although disease elimination programs such as against trypanosomiasis (chagas disease), onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, leprosy, trachoma, and measles are succeeding such as drancontiasis elimination process is very successful in northern Nigeria and Cameroon, ebola virus disease, dengue, leishmaniasis, african trypanosomiasis, malaria, diarrheal diseases, helminthes infections, and tuberculosis are re-emerging due to inadequate interventions and control strategies couple with breakdown of health delivery systems. In most countries in SSA, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is not less than 4% of the total population. The challenges caused by both new and old opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS couple with increasing resistance to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) calls for serious new intervention strategy. Endemic poverty and increasing changes in climatic pattern in the current control efforts especially with ebola virus are potentially playing a role in the persistence of these infections. We note that application of technologies must be culture driven, cost-effective with intensified research is essential if these and other scourges are to be controlled or eliminated in the 21st century. The process of ELS Lab involves all relevant stakeholders from rural and peri-urban setting, from end users of new medical technology innovations and indigenous management strategies to the developers of the technologies and policy awareness on the integration of safe and productive farm practices with less vulnerability to infections. We propose further capacity building and research into this model.
An integrated low-tech biocoagulant-sand filter drum for disinfection of oocysts of Toxoplasma go... more An integrated low-tech biocoagulant-sand filter drum for disinfection of oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii targeted for developing countries was evaluated. Dirty and turbid water (130.3 NTU) from Mezam River and leachates from dump sites and stagnant water in Bamenda, Cameroon, was analyzed microscopically after centrifugation for oocyst of T. gondii. Leachates from dump sites and stagnant water in Bamenda city had a very high concentration of oocyst of T. gondii too numerous to count per 10 ml while the major Mezam River had 50 oocysts per 10 ml. Considering that is widely used for various domestic chores; filtration disinfection of T. gondii was considered. A bench scale disinfection of oocysts of T. gondii with 0.2 g of powdered Moringa oleifera seeds per 10 ml of contaminated water from Mezam River showed a reduction of 50 oocysts per 10 ml to 10 oocysts in 15 min retention time. To optimize this, a pilot scale up was carried out using 120 L (120,000 ml) of water from Mezam River pretreated with 2400 g of powdered M. oleifera seeds for 15 min retention time and filtered through a sand filter drum made of fine sand, coarse sand, charcoal and gravel for 1 h filtration time. The total mean values of oocysts counts for 120 L of water to be filtered were 600,000 per 120,000 ml. The oocysts counts reduced to 10,000 after pretreatment with 2400 g of powdered seeds of M. oleifera and after a final filtration through a sand filter drum, no oocysts of T gondii was detected in the final treated water. The findings from this study suggests strongly that the application of natural coagulants and sand filtration systems could serve a simple low cost disinfection for oocysts of T gondii from water systems in resource limited countries.
Oocycts of Cryptosporidia are zoonotic infective stages of Cryptosporidia spp that can easily con... more Oocycts of Cryptosporidia are zoonotic infective stages of Cryptosporidia spp that can easily contaminate the environment if not properly disposed of. Torrential rains would usually wash them into the nearby streams and likely be consumed by humans when the water is used. Cryotosporidiosis in people with suppressed immune systems have no cure as the robust oocycst are not destroyed by chlorination. The aim of this study is to determine the presence of Cryptosporia oocycts in stream water after torrential rains 60 samples of stream water were collected immediately after rain storm in June and July 2014, from 5 streams flowing through Bamenda town. 2 samples of 1.5L were collected from each stream, on 6 different days. Cryptosporidia ssp were present in all the streams but there was no significant difference between their occurrence and the stream's location, Chi square = 2.605, >0.05 The streams flowing through Bamenda town are polluted
Africa constitutes at least 25% of the total mushroom biodiversity in the world, but barely contr... more Africa constitutes at least 25% of the total mushroom biodiversity in the world, but barely contributes up to 0.4% of total mushroom sales and new mushroom products on the global market. The economic importance of mushrooms in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasingly gaining attention on the continent, but there is a paucity of information on the commercial production of edible mushrooms and current research into the cultivation of local mushroom species in SSA. Between 1990 and 2013, commercial production of edible mushrooms improved slightly and amounted to approximately 5000 tons per annum but with an economic value of less than 5 million dollars. Less than 500 people were engaged in mushroom production units per year per country in SSA. Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, Benin Republic and Ghana are the leading mushroom producing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Southern, Eastern, Western and Central African countries, per capita consumption of both wild and cultivated mushrooms is very low and, generally, less than 25% of Africans do not have mushrooms as part of their staple diet compared with four decades ago. A cross-sectional survey of indigenous people from across communities in Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Nigeria strongly indicated that, due to modernization, local mushroom diets and recipes have been lost over time. In Cameroon, a traditional soup called " Achu soup " used to be mushroom based but now 80% of Cameroonians serve the dish with meat or smoked fish. Efforts to develop modern based African mushroom meals have yet to be effective. Despite remarkable developments in the last decade in the field of mushroom biotechnology, which have been widely exploited in Europe, America, China and now Latin America, research on the mega-biodiversity of mushrooms in SSA, and the recovery and conservation of indigenous edible mushroom germplasm, has not been extensively undertaken by African research institutions and universities. Continuous growth of the mushroom industries of Latin America, China, Europe and America has, and will continue to, set stiffer challenges on the global market for African mushroom growers. For Africa to fully benefit from the tremendous potential of mushroom entrepreneurship, future research and development directed at enhanced cultivation of local species, improved spawn production, exploitation of local substrates, adequate seed banks, new culinary product development and preservation as well as marketing strategies built on the right institutional support are critical components. Some insights into these measures are outlined in this paper.
Objectives. To describe acute toxicity, antibacterial activity and phytochemical assessment of Ch... more Objectives. To describe acute toxicity, antibacterial activity and phytochemical assessment of Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis powders. Material and Methods. FeCl 3 test, Wagner test, Keller Killiani test, frothing test, alkaline solution and dilute acid; concentrated sulphuric acid were used for phytochemical analysis. Antibacterial screening of the extracts was conducted using the disc gel diffusion method in E. coli, S. aureus and B. cereus clinical strains. In order to evaluate acute toxicity and its effects on haematological and biochemical parameters; 15 albino rats were grouped into five groups: I (powder of aqueous extract of Chlorella vulgaris), II (powder of methanol extract of Chlorella vulgaris), III (powder of aqueous extract of Spirulina platensis), IV (powder of methanol extract of Spirulina platensis) and V (control). The dosage was 25g/day/rat. After six days, haematological and biochemical parameters and gross pathologic changes were evaluated. Results. Alkaloids and flavonoids were detected from the methanol extracts of both Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis (Arthrospira). Only cardiac glycosides and steroids were detected from Spirulina's extracts. Chlorella vulgaris extracts significantly inhibited B. cereus. Rats fed with Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis powder showed an increase in white blood cell counts and haemoglobin level compared to negative control rats (p<0.001). Serum glumatic oxalate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) had normal values but significative differences between groups (p<0.001). Conclusion. This powder is rich in bioactive phytochemicals but only Chlorella's extracts have shown antibacterial effect. Signs of toxicity weren't found in any parameter.
T he World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that " Science still has no Magic bullet fo... more T he World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that " Science still has no Magic bullet for malaria and many do doubt that such a single solution will ever exist. " In this presentation, focus on the extent of the malaria burden as a global health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is discussed. Current and past intervention strategies are reexamined in the light of myths, sociocultural issues plaguing the sustained use of Long Lasting Insecticide treated bed nets is highlighted.In this study, emergence of Plasmodium falciparum malarial to Artemisinin based combination therapy and sulfodoxine/pyrimethamine is presented as well as anti-vector resistance, challenges with vaccines technology, cost barriers militating against effective eradication of the disease. We conclude this study by presenting the results of the in vitro effect of a peptide of 12kDa isolated from the aqueous extract of moringa oleifera seeds and beta glucan isolated from sporophore of Ganoderma lucidum both used in local healing formulae in across Africa, inhibiting the development of Plasmodium berghei in lab mice. The potential application of Phytopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals in the treatment of malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa is emphasized. An Evolutionary Learning Pharmaceutical Laboratory (ELPLab), consisting of a systems approach for cost effective innovations for the possible eradication of malaria is also proposed. Biography Kenneth Yongabi Anchang is a Professor of Public Health infectiology with specialty in tropical infectious diseases and public health engineering at the School of health and medical sciences, Catholic University of Cameroon. Kenneth did his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Biomedical) at the University of Adelaide, Australia and a Doctor of Science, and Msc in Clinical infectious diseases and clinical/medical microbiology and naturopathic Medicine in Nigeria and in the USA respectively. He has more than 50 publications in many local and international journals, one book and three scholarly book chapters spanning through phytopharmaceuticals, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology and bioengineering. Part of his pioneering work on Phytobiotehnology concept was published in the UNESCO enclopaedia of life Support Systems in 2009. Furthermore, his research works in this area has been translated into community projects in Africa where Kenneth built the first ecological water filtration unit in Cameroon using Phytodisinfectants filter system for generating clean water to local school Children and set up a local clinic and laboratory for screening phytoproducts from plants and macro fungi in Cameroon for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and some neglected tropical diseases.
Poultry faeces collected from the research farm of the school of Agriculture, Abubakar Tafawa Bal... more Poultry faeces collected from the research farm of the school of Agriculture, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, was anaerobically digested for five weeks retention time using a plastic type digester constructed at the FMEnv/ZERI Research Centre and a follow up system set up in Cameroon at the compound of the National Polytechnic Bambui, Bamenda in the North West part of the country with 200 L poultry faeces collected from a private farmer in Bambui village who reported that composted poultry faeces used to fertilized his plantain field generated stem and root rot disease. Following anaerobic digestion of poultry faeces for 37 days in Nigeria, the raw slurries with a very high mean bacterial counts too numerous to count (estimated as above 10,000 cfu per ml) reduced drastically to only 180 cful ml while mean coliform and Escherichia coli counts too numerous to count reduced drastically to 130 and 87 cful ml, respectively. The difference in mean microbial counts from the raw to treated slurries was far more significant than the raw slurry kept on bench and analysed at the end of five weeks as control. Cyst of Eimeria spp and ova of Ascaridia detected in the raw slurries were absent in the anaerobically digested slurry. Seven species of soil pathogenic nematodes detected in a compost pit and from stem and root rot of plantain trees fertilized with the manure at a local farm in Cameroon were not detected after the poultry faeces was anaerobically digested in a pilot plastic digester in a five week retention time. Biogas produced at the end of the process was used as cooking fuel and burnt for 3 h daily for 5 days. The findings showed that the plastic type digester was efficient in disinfecting contaminated poultry faeces while providing biogas and sterile mineralized fertilizer.
Disposal of untreated medical and pharmaceutical wastewaters containing antibiotic resistant bugs... more Disposal of untreated medical and pharmaceutical wastewaters containing antibiotic resistant bugs is frequently discharged onto the environment. Antibiotic resistance is fast becoming one of the most important health problems in both the developing as well as the developed world. The need to embark on this study has been motivated by a number of empirical observations: a retrospective study from January 2012 to April 2014 indicated a growing resistance by Staphylococcus aureus from abscesses, urinary tract and vaginal tract to ciprofloxacin in some hospital and clinics in Cameroon using 500 patients folders which were randomly selected and observed that ciprofloxacin antibiotic resistance was up to 65% with multidrug resistance also observed. Nosocomial Staphylococcal infections are also highly prevalent amongst patients with prolonged hospital stay in Cameroon. Hospital wastewater sampled from 10 health care units in the North West Region of Cameroon was cultured at the Phyto-Biotechnology research laboratory, on Manitol Salt agar and Nutrient agar. Staphylococcus aureus was recovered as the most prevalent bacteria. An antibiotic sensitivity test was carried out using the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in Cameroon for the treatment of staphylococcal infections. We hypothesize that such untreated water used in small-scale agricultural practices in SSA potentially carry antibiotic resistant fluoroquinolones and B-lactams are also being used in human chemotherapeutics. This potentially disseminates resistant microbial strains into humans and thus limits the range of effective antibiotics or human use. Ciprofloxacin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates (10,000CFU/ml) from hospital wastewater was re-suspended in peptone water and fed onto a 5 litre plastic digester using poultry and cow manure slurries as starter cultures. After 6 weeks Hydraulic retention time, samples drawn from the digester and cultured yielded no growth for staphylococcus aureus as against control in a round bottom flasks containing CRSA left on bench. Methane gas was collected at the 5 th week in a plastic tube for cooking. It was concluded that plastic digesters can potentially disinfects antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus from hospital wastewater while producing biogas for cooking and sterile slurry for gardening.
We previously demonstrated that the survival time of BALB/c mice challenged with Toxoplasma gondi... more We previously demonstrated that the survival time of BALB/c mice challenged with Toxoplasma gondii RH strain was prolonged by immunising the mice with a eukaryotic vector expressing the protein ROP16 of T. gondii. Building upon previous findings, we are exploring improved vaccination strategies to enhance protection. In this work, a novel recombinant canine adenovirus type 2 expressing ROP16 (CAV-2-ROP16) of T. gondii was constructed and identified to express ROP16 in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK) cells by western blot (WB) and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) assays. Intramuscular immunisation of BALB/c mice with CAV-2-ROP16 was performed to evaluate the humoral and cellular immune responses. This vaccination triggered significant humor-al and cellular responses, including ROP16-stimulated lymphoproliferation (P b 0.05). Compared to control groups, the CAV-2-ROP16 immunised mice had high production of IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-12 (P b 0.05), with a predominance of IgG2a production, but not IL-10 (P N 0.05), revealing that a predominant Th1-type response had developed. The cell-mediated cytotoxic activity with high levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α was significantly increased in both CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell compartments in the mice immunised with CAV-2-ROP16 (P b 0.05), compared to three control groups. In addition, when immunised mice were challenged with the RH strain of T. gondii, they showed a significantly increased survival rate (25%) 80 days post infection compared with control mice that all died within seven days (P b 0.05). The 25% protection rate elicited by the recombinant virus CAV-2-ROP16 has not been achieved in the field of anti-T. gondii vaccination until now. Our work presents the successful use of re-combinant virus CAV-2-ROP16 in vaccination protocols to protect against intraperitoneal challenge with the virulent RH strain of T. gondii. This system was shown to be extremely efficient in eliciting humoral and cellular immune responses that led to a significant improvement in survival time in mice.
Uploads
Papers by Yongabi Kenneth