Browsing by Author "Badu, Kingsley"

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    A Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activity of Natural and Artificial (Adulterated) Honey Produced in Some Localities in Ghana
    (International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2020) Addo, Matthew Glover; Mutala, Abdul Hakim; Badu, Kingsley
    The study measured and compared quality parameters such as pH, moisture content, ash content and hydrogen peroxide concentration of three types of honey from different localities in Ghana. Using the agar well diffusion, antimicrobial potential of natural honey from two different sources as well as an adulterated honey were determined against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli(ATCC 35218)and Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 27736). The results of the physico-chemical properties showed the following range of values; pH of (3.68– 4.49), moisture content (17.20 – 22.42%) and ash content (0.09 – 0.48%). The moisture content of the adulterated samples at 25% and 50% concentration in all cases exceeded the recommended 21%of good quality honey. The findings also indicated that, natural honey (Koforidua and Berekum) has a higher antimicrobial activity against all the bacteria compared to the adulterated honey. The susceptibility of Escherichia coli, to the honey treatment, was significantly different (p=0.0383) from S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. However, when the susceptibility of S. aureus and K. pneumoniae, when compared was insignificant (p=0.6292).The adulteration of the honey could have caused some of the antibacterial factors in the honey to be lost or reduced to non-lethal amounts, hence losing it antimicrobial properties.
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    Estimating malaria transmission risk through surveillance of human–vector interactions in northern Ghana
    (Parasites & Vectors, 2023) Yihdego, Yemane; Coleman, Sylvester; Gyamfi, Frank; Kolyada, Lena; Tongren, Jon Eric; Zigrumgabe, Sixte; Dery, Dominc B.; Badu, Kingsley; Obiri-Danso, Kwasi; Boakye, Daniel; , Szumlas, Daniel; Armstead, Jennifer S.; Dadzie, Daniel K.; 0000-0002-0964-0894; 0000-0002-7886-5528
    Background Vector bionomics are important aspects of vector-borne disease control programs. Mosquito-biting risks are afected by environmental, mosquito behavior and human factors, which are important for assessing exposure risk and intervention impacts. This study estimated malaria transmission risk based on vector–human interactions in north‑ ern Ghana, where indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) have been deployed. Methods Indoor and outdoor human biting rates (HBRs) were measured using monthly human landing catches (HLCs) from June 2017 to April 2019. Mosquitoes collected were identifed to species level, and Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (An. gambiae s.l.) samples were examined for parity and infectivity. The HBRs were adjusted using mosquito parity and human behavioral observations. Results Anopheles gambiae was the main vector species in the IRS (81%) and control (83%) communities. Indoor and outdoor HBRs were similar in both the IRS intervention (10.6 vs. 11.3 bites per person per night [b/p/n]; z = −0.33, P=0.745) and control communities (18.8 vs. 16.4 b/p/n; z = 1.57, P=0.115). The mean proportion of parous An. gambiae s.l. was lower in IRS communities (44.6%) than in control communities (71.7%). After adjusting for human behavior observations and parity, the combined efect of IRS and ITN utilization (IRS: 37.8%; control: 57.3%) on reducing malaria transmission risk was 58% in IRS + ITN communities and 27% in control communities with ITNs alone (z = −4.07, P<0.001). However, this also revealed that about 41% and 31% of outdoor adjusted bites in IRS and control communities respectively, occurred before bed time (10:00 pm). The mean directly measured annual entomologic inoculation rates (EIRs) during the study were 6.1 infective bites per person per year (ib/p/yr) for IRS communities and 16.3 ib/p/yr for control communities. After considering vector survival and observed human behavior, the estimated EIR for IRS communities was 1.8 ib/p/yr, which represents about a 70% overestimation of risk compared to the directly measured EIR; for control communities, it was 13.6 ib/p/yr (16% overestimation). Conclusion Indoor residual spraying signifcantly impacted entomological indicators of malaria transmission. The results of this study indicate that vector bionomics alone do not provide an accurate assessment of malaria transmission exposure risk. By accounting for human behavior parameters, we found that high coverage of ITNs alone had less impact on malaria transmission indices than combining ITNs with IRS, likely due to observed low net use. Reinforcing effective communication for behavioral change in net use and IRS could further reduce malaria transmission.
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    Evaluation of immuno-epidemiological markers for assessing malaria transmission intensity in the hypo-endemic highlands of Kenya and the accuracy of malaria diagnosis in the Holo-endemic forest zone of Ghana
    (2013-08-11) Badu, Kingsley
    Current tools for measuring malaria transmission intensity have limited sensitivity when transmission is low. Robust surveillance systems are needed to monitor reduced transmission and prevent the rapid reintroduction in areas undergoing elimination. Serologic tools based on the antibody response to parasite and vector antigens are potential tools for transmission measurements. The present study examined the serologic evidence of vector exposure and malaria endemicity in the western Kenyan highland sites along a transmission intensity cline. Total IgG levels to Plasmodium falciparum MSP-119 and Anopheles salivary gland peptide gSG6-P1 were measured in an age-stratified cohort (< 5, 5-14 and ≥ 15 years) during low and high malaria transmission seasons. Antibody prevalence and level were compared among different localities. Regression analysis was performed to examine the association between antibody prevalence and parasite prevalence. Age-specific MSP-119 seroprevalence data was fitted to a simple reversible catalytic model to investigate the relationship between parasite exposure and age. Higher MSP-119 seroprevalence and density were observed in the valley residents than in the uphill residents. Adults (> 15 years) recorded high and stable immune response in spite of changing seasons. Lower responses were observed in children (≤ 15 years) which, fluctuated with the seasons particularly in the valley residents. In the uphill population, annual seroconversion rate (SCR) was 8.3% and reversion rate was 3.0%, with seroprevalence reaching a plateau of 73.3% by age of 20. Contrary, in the valley bottom population, the annual SCR was 35.8% and the annual seroreversion rate was 3.5%, and seroprevalence in the population had reached 91.2% by age 10. Seroprevalence of gSG6-P1 in the uphill population was 36% while it was 50% in the valley bottom population (χ2 13.2 P= 0.0002). Median gSG6-P1 antibody levels in the Valley bottom were twice as high as that observed in the uphill population [4.50 (1.02) vs. 2.05 (0.92)] and showed seasonal variation. The odds of gSG6-P1 seropositives having MSP-119 antibodies were almost 3 times higher than the odds of seronegatives [OR =2.87, P < 0.001]. The observed parasite prevalence for Kisii, Kakamega and Kombewa were 4%, 19.7% and 44.6% whilst the equivalent gSG6-P1 seroprevalence were 28%, 34% and 54% respectively. The study reveals the micro-geographic variation in malaria endemicity in the highland eco-system; thus validating the usefulness of sero-epidemiological tools in assessing malaria endemicity in the era of decreasing sensitivity to conventional tools. The seroprevalence of IgG to gSG6-P1 was sensitive and robust in distinguishing between hypo, meso and hyper transmission settings and seasonal fluctuations. The study determined the accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of PfHRP2- based malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in Western Kenya and in the forest zone of Ghana. The performance of RDTs when microscopy is used as the gold standard is reported based on an operational study that took place at the Ghanaian study sites and a field trial conducted based on asymptomatic primary school children in Kenya. Implications for the choice of the RDT in an era of changing malaria epidemiology are discussed.
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    In vitro antimicrobial activity of ethanolic fractions of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta
    (BioMed Central Ltd., 2012-12-01) Mills-Robertson, Felix C; Tay, Samuel C K; Duker-Eshun, Goerge; Walana, Williams; Badu, Kingsley
    Background: Following claims that some plants have antimicrobial activities against infectious microbes, the in vitro antimicrobial activities of different solvent fractions of ethanolic extract of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta were evaluated against eight standard bacteria and clinical isolates. Methods: The solvent partitioning protocol involving ethanol, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and water, was used to extract various fractions of dried pulverized Cryptolepis sanguinolenta roots. Qualitative phyto-constituents screening was performed on the ethanol extract, chloroform fraction and the water fraction. The Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method was employed to ascertain the antibiogram of the test organisms while the agar diffusion method was used to investigate the antimicrobial properties of the crude plant extracts. The microplate dilution method aided in finding the MICs while the MBCs were obtained by the method of Nester and friends. The SPSS 16.0 version was used to analyze the percentages of inhibitions and bactericidal activities. Results: The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, reducing sugars, polyuronides, anthocyanosides and triterpenes. The ethanol extract inhibited 5 out of 8 (62.5%) of the standard organisms and 6 out of 8 (75%) clinical isolates. The petroleum ether fraction inhibited 4 out of 8 (50%) of the standard microbes and 1 out of 8 (12.5%) clinical isolates. It was also observed that the chloroform fraction inhibited the growth of all the organisms (100%). Average inhibition zones of 14.0 ± 1.0 mm to 24.67 ± 0.58 mm was seen in the ethyl acetate fraction which halted the growth of 3 (37.5%) of the standard organisms. Inhibition of 7 (87.5%) of standard strains and 6 (75%) of clinical isolates were observed in the water fraction. The chloroform fraction exhibited bactericidal activity against all the test organisms while the remaining fractions showed varying degrees of bacteriostatic activity. Conclusion: The study confirmed that fractions of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta have antimicrobial activity. The chloroform fraction had the highest activity, followed by water, ethanol, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate respectively. Only the chloroform fraction exhibited bactericidal activity and further investigations are needed to ascertain its safety and prospects of drug development.
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    Malaria transmission intensity and dynamics of clinical malaria incidence in a mountainous forest region of Ghana
    (MalariaWorld Journal, 2013-10) Badu, Kingsley; Brenya, Ruth C.; Timmann, Christian; Garms, Rolf; Kruppa, Thomas F.
    Background. Malaria transmission is heterogeneous. Villages close to each other may have very different transmission characteristics. The presence and abundance of malaria vectors is governed by local ecology and microclimate. Knowledge of the dynamics of transmission is important for planning and evaluation of malaria control strategies. This study investigated the heterogeneity of malaria transmission in preparation for a vaccine trial and offers insights into dynamics of malaria incidence in the forest zone of Ghana. Methods: Malaria transmission was assessed in four villages with different micro-ecological features in the forest zone of the Akwapim-Mampong Range in Ghana, water shed with rivers flowing north to Lake Volta in the south. Human landing catches (HLC) of mosquitoes were conducted and Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite rates were assessed by ELISA. Sporozoite prevalence, annual biting rates (ABR) and entomological inoculation rates (EIR) from the four study sites were compared with climatological and ecological data. Regression analysis was used to compare transmission data and blood parasite prevalence, parasite density (PD) and malaria episodes from children in the study area. Additionally we examined trends in confirmed clinical malaria incidence from 2005 -2012. Results: In total 1307 Anopheles gambiae s.l. and 54 An. funestus females were caught by HLC from November 2003 to August 2005. Sporozoites in Anopheles vectors in four villages ranged from 4.0 to 10.2%, ABR from 371 to 1890 and EIR from 40 to 158. Linear regression on parasitological and clinical data of children from the villages revealed that the ABR significantly influenced the parasite density (PD) of P. falciparum. Conclusion: Malaria transmission was intense and heterogeneous and corresponded to the micro-ecological differences. Malaria transmission in the early evening hours before people went to sleep was enough to sustain stable malaria. Scaling up preventive measures to reduce exposure to vectors will be effective in reducing parasitemia in children. Variations in transmission intensity must be considered when evaluating impact of control strategies and interventions such as the vaccine trials.
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    Parasitic infection in HIV-infected patients at varying T cell levels rural and peri-urban areas in Ghana
    (Elsevier, 2012-06-01) Badu, Kingsley; Tay, S.; Aryee, E.
    Background: Intestinal parasites especially coccidian parasites are related to gastrointestinal symptoms causing severe diarrhoea in HIV/AIDS patients. These parasitic infections have further complicated the problem of morbidity and mortality in HIV/AIDS patients especially in Sub Saharan Africa. Hence, this study investigated the occurrence of intestinal parasites in HIV/AIDS at different CD4 T-cell counts.
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    The prevalence of malaria among HIV seropositive individuals and the impact of the co- infection on their hemoglobin levels
    (BioMed Central, 2015-12-01) Tay, Sammy C. K; Badu, Kingsley; Mensah, Anthony A.; Gbedema, Stephen Y.
    Background: Malaria and HIV/AIDS are the two most common infections in sub-Sahara Africa. There are hypotheses and study reports on the possible association between these two infections, hence the prevalence and outcome of their co-infection in an endemic population will be important in defining healthcare strategies. A cross sectional study was carried out at the Holy Family Hospital in Techiman, Ghana, between November 2011 and January 2012, to determine the prevalence of malaria among HIV sero-positive patients and its impact on hemoglobin levels. Method: A total of 400 HIV sero-positive participants (292 females and 108 males) aged between 1 and 73 years were randomly sampled for the study. A questionnaire was administered and 2 ml of venous blood samples were drawn for malaria parasites detection, CD4 count and haemoglobin level estimations. Results: Malaria parasites were detected in 47 (11.75%) of the participants. There was no statistically significant difference between the malaria prevalence rate of females (12.1%) and males (10.2%) P = 0.6047. An overall anaemia prevalence of 67% was observed. Among participants with malaria the anaemia prevalence was 93.6%. The CD4 cell count of all the participants ranged between 3 and 1604 cells/μl with a mean of 386.2 (±274.3) cells/μl. Participants with malaria had CD4 cell count ranged 3 and 512 Cells/μl with the mean being 186.33 (±133.49) Cells/μl. Out of 377 participants (all above 15 years) interviewed on knowledge of malaria transmission and prevention, 87.0% had knowledge on transmission but only 8.5% use in bed nets. Conclusion: It was revealed that almost all the patients with malaria infection were anemic.
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    Serological evidence of vector and parasite exposure in Southern Ghana: the dynamics of malaria transmission intensity
    (BioMed Central, 2015) Badu, Kingsley; Gyan, Ben; Appawu, Maxwell; Mensah, Daniel; Dodoo, Daniel; et. al
    Background: Seroepidemiology provides robust estimates for tracking malaria transmission when intensity is low and useful when there is no baseline entomological data. Serological evidence of exposure to malaria vectors and parasite contribute to our understanding of the risk of pathogen transmission, and facilitates implementation of targeted interventions. Ab to Anopheles gambiae salivary peptide (gSG6-P1) and merozoite surface protein one (MSP-119) reflect human exposure to malaria vectors and parasites. This study estimated malaria transmission dynamics using serological evidence of vector and parasite exposure in southern Ghana. Methods: Total IgG responses to both antigens in an age stratified cohort (<5, 5–14, >14) were measured from South-eastern Ghana. 295 randomly selected sera were analyzed from archived samples belonging to a cohort study that were followed at 3 consecutive survey months (n = 885); February, May and August 2009. Temporal variations in seroprevalence of both antigens as well as differences between the age-stratified cohorts were determined by χ2 test with p < 0.05 statistically significant. Non-parametric repeated ANOVA – Friedman’s test was used to test differences in antibody levels. Seroprevalence data were fitted to reversible catalytic model to estimate sero-conversion rates. Results: Whereas parasite prevalence was generally low 2.4%, 2.7% and 2.4% with no apparent trends with season, seroprevalence to both gSG6-P1 and MSP119 were high (59%, 50.9%, 52.2%) and 57.6%, 52.3% and 43.6% in respective order from Feb. to August. Repeated measures ANOVA showed differences in median antibody levels across surveys with specific significant differences between February and May but not August by post hoc Dunn’s multiple comparison tests for gSG6-P1. For MSP119, no differences were observed in antibody levels between February and May but a significant decline was observed from May to August. Seroconversion rates for gSG6-P1 increased by 1.5 folds from February to August and 3 folds for MSP119. Conclusion: Data suggests exposure to infectious bites may be declining whereas mosquito bites remains high. Sustained malaria control efforts and surveillance are needed to drive malaria further down and to prevent catastrophic rebound. Operational factors for scaling up have been discussed.