The use of statistical methods to assess groundwater contamination in the Lower Tano river basin, Ghana, West Africa.

In this study, descriptive statistics, correlation matrix, multiple regression model, and geostatistical models were used to assess the contamination of groundwater with respect to trace elements in the Lower Tano river basin, Ghana, West Africa. A total number of 48 boreholes drilled across the basin with depths ranging from 18 to 60 m were used as data sources in this study. The results of the descriptive statistics showed that the average lead, iron, and aluminium concentrations exceeded the WHO permissible limits of 0.

Invasive Fusariosis in Patients with Hematologic Diseases.

species are filamentous fungi widely encountered in nature, and may cause invasive disease in patients with hematologic conditions. Patients at higher risk are those with acute leukemia receiving induction remission chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. In these hosts, invasive fusariosis presents typically with disseminated disease, fever, metastatic skin lesions, pneumonia, and positive blood cultures.

INDOOR RADON CONCENTRATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT IN SOME DWELLINGS OF OBUASI, MINING TOWN.

222Rn concentration indoors was measured in 40 dwellings in the Obuasi municipality, a gold-mining town in the Ashanti Region of Ghana using the LR 115 type II strippable detectors for the two major seasons in Ghana, rainy and dry. The detectors were placed in the bed rooms of dwellers for 6 months each. Average indoor radon concentration varied from 63.

Performance of 1,3-beta-D-glucan in the diagnosis and monitoring of invasive fusariosis.

Invasive fusariosis (IF) usually presents with high fungal burden at diagnosis, and this may contribute to its high mortality rate. The use 1,3-beta-D-glucan (BDG) may help to establish the diagnosis at an earlier disease stage and to monitor treatment. To evaluate the performance of BDG in the diagnosis of IF and its kinetics in relation to the outcome, we retrospectively tested serum samples of 13 cases of IF, analysed the temporal relationship between the first positive BDG test and the date of the diagnosis of IF, and the kinetics of BDG in relation to patients' outcome.

Respiratory Tract Infection Caused by Fonsecaea monophora After Kidney Transplantation.

Fonsecaea spp. are melanized fungi which cause most cases of chromoblastomycosis. The taxonomy of this genus has been revised, now encompassing four species, with different pathogenic potential: F.

Antimold Prophylaxis May Reduce the Risk of Invasive Fusariosis in Hematologic Patients with Superficial Skin Lesions with Positive Culture for Fusarium.

Hematologic patients with superficial skin lesions on admission growing Fusarium spp. are at a high risk for developing invasive fusariosis during neutropenia. We evaluated the impact of primary prophylaxis with a mold-active azole in preventing invasive fusariosis in these patients.

Osteomyelitis caused by Sporothrix schenckii in an immunocompetent patient.

Sporotrichosis is the most common subcutaneous mycosis in South America and its association with zoonotic transmission remains a relevant public health problem in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The disease most commonly presents as subacute or chronic cutaneous lesions, although dissemination to various organs and systems occurs in rare cases, mainly in immunosuppressed individuals. This report describes a case of sporotrichosis with severe bone and subcutaneous damage in an immunocompetent patient who did not exhibit the characteristic skin lesions of sporotrichosis, including ulcers, nodules, and lymphangitis.

Effect of the implosion and demolition of a hospital building on the concentration of fungi in the air.

Building renovations increase the concentration of Aspergillus conidia in the air. In 2010, one wing of the hospital building was imploded due to structural problems. To evaluate the impact of building implosion on the concentration of fungi in the air, the demolition was performed in two phases: mechanical demolition of 30 m of the building, followed by implosion of the wing.

A review of the ecohydrology of the Sakumo wetland in Ghana.

The Sakumo wetland is an internationally recognized Ramsar site located in a largely urban area and provides essential ecological and social services to wetland community dwellers. Despite its importance, the wetland has over the years been subjected to human interference resulting in considerable risks of deteriorating water quality, biodiversity loss, and drying up of most parts of the wetland. The conversion of land for residential and agricultural uses has significantly altered the hydrological characteristics of the land surface and modified pathways and flow of water into the wetland.

Total coliforms, arsenic and cadmium exposure through drinking water in the Western Region of Ghana: application of multivariate statistical technique to groundwater quality.

In recent times, surface water resource in the Western Region of Ghana has been found to be inadequate in supply and polluted by various anthropogenic activities. As a result of these problems, the demand for groundwater by the human populations in the peri-urban communities for domestic, municipal and irrigation purposes has increased without prior knowledge of its water quality. Water samples were collected from 14 public hand-dug wells during the rainy season in 2013 and investigated for total coliforms, Escherichia coli, mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and physicochemical parameters.

Numerical modeling of radionuclide migration through a borehole disposal site.

The migration of radionuclides from a borehole repository located about 20 km from the Akwapim fault line which lies in an area of high seismicity was analyzed for some selected radionuclides. In the event of a seismic activity, fractures and faults could be rejuvenated or initiated resulting in container failure leading to the release of radionuclides. A numerical model was solved using a two-dimensional finite element code (Comsol Multiphysics) by taking into account the effect of heterogeneities.

Increased incidence of invasive fusariosis with cutaneous portal of entry, Brazil.

Invasive fusariosis (IF) is an infection with Fusarium spp. fungi that primarily affects patients with hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. A cutaneous portal of entry is occasionally reported.

Superficial skin lesions positive for Fusarium are associated with subsequent development of invasive fusariosis.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of skin colonization by Fusarium spp. in high-risk hematologic patients and its impact on the subsequent development of invasive fusariosis.

Methods: We screened all high-risk hematologic patients from August 2008 to December 2009 with cultures of 6 pre-defined areas in the feet and hands on admission and at discharge.

Molecular analyses of Fusarium isolates recovered from a cluster of invasive mold infections in a Brazilian hospital.

Background: Invasive fusariosis (IF) is a rare but often fatal fungal infection in immunosuppressed patients. In 2007, cases of IF above the expected epidemiologic baseline were detected in the hematology ward of a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Possible sources of infection were investigated by performing environmental sampling and patient isolate collection, followed by molecular typing.

A prospective randomized trial to reduce oral Candida spp. colonization in patients with hyposalivation.

Low salivary flow rates are associated with higher oral Candida spp. counts, which may predispose to oral candidiasis. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of stimulating salivary flow rates with that of a regimen of chlorhexidine mouth rinse on the intensity of Candida colonization in patients with reduced salivary flow rates.

Nosocomial outbreak of Exophiala jeanselmei fungemia associated with contamination of hospital water.

From December 1996 through September 1997, we diagnosed 19 cases of fungemia due to Exophiala jeanselmei. We conducted a matched case-control study in which we cultured specimens of blood products, intravenous solutions, and water from a hospital water system. Isolates from environmental cultures were compared to those recovered from patients by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD).

Relationship between salivary flow rates and Candida counts in subjects with xerostomia.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between salivary flow and Candida colony counts in the saliva of patients with xerostomia.

Study Design: Sialometry and Candida colony-forming unit (CFU) counts were taken from 112 subjects who reported xerostomia in a questionnaire. Chewing-stimulated whole saliva was collected and streaked in Candida plates and counted in 72 hours.

Dermatophytoses in children: study of 137 cases.

Dermatophytoses are common fungal infections caused by dermatophytes but there are few data about this condition in the childhood. 137 children below the age of 12 and clinically diagnosed as tineas were investigated prospectively at Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria, Rio de Janeiro, from 1994 to 1999. Hair, skin/nails scraping and pus swabs were collected from lesions and processed for fungus.

Nosocomial fungemia due to Exophiala jeanselmei var. jeanselmei and a Rhinocladiella species: newly described causes of bloodstream infection.

Fungi have become increasingly important causes of nosocomial bloodstream infections. The major cause of nosocomial fungemia has been Candida spp, but increasingly molds and other yeasts have caused disease. Exophiala jeanselmei and members of the genus Rhinocladiella are dematiaceous moulds, which have been infrequently associated with systemic infection and have not been described as causes of fungemia.

Mixed infection caused by two species of Fusarium in a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient.

We report on a case of mixed infection caused by two species of Fusarium in a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient with lymphoma who was neutropenic due to chemotherapy. The patient showed the typical signs of a disseminated fusarial infection, with Fusarium solani isolated from skin lesions and F. verticillioides isolated from blood.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of itraconazole capsules as antifungal prophylaxis for neutropenic patients.

To evaluate the efficacy of itraconazole capsules in prophylaxis for fungal infections in neutropenic patients, we conducted a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Patients with hematologic malignancies or those who received autologous bone marrow transplants were assigned either a regimen of itraconazole (100 mg orally twice daily; n=104) or of placebo (n=106). Overall, fungal infections (superficial or systemic) occurred more frequently in the placebo group (15% vs.

Predictive value of a positive nasal swab for Aspergillus sp. in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in adult neutropenic cancer patients.

To evaluate the value of a positive nasal swab for Aspergillus in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis, we prospectively evaluated nasal colonization in 173 episodes of neutropenia in 92 patients with hematological malignancies. Weekly nasal swabs were taken, and the patients were followed until death or resolution of neutropenia. The outcome variables were the development of invasive aspergillosis, empirical antifungal therapy and death.