A prospective cohort study of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in three sites of Western Kenya.

Background: Malaria in western Kenya is currently characterized by sustained high Plasmodial transmission and infection resurgence, despite positive responses in some areas following intensified malaria control interventions since 2006. This study aimed to evaluate long-term changes in malaria transmission profiles and to assess patterns of asymptomatic malaria infections in school children aged 5-15 years at three sites in western Kenya with heterogeneous malaria transmission and simultaneous malaria control interventions.

Methods: The study was conducted from 2018 to 2019 and is based on data taken every third year from 2005 to 2014 during a longitudinal parasitological and mosquito adult surveillance and malaria control programme that was initiated in 2002 in the villages of Kombewa, Iguhu, and Marani.

Malaria vector bionomics and transmission in irrigated and non-irrigated sites in western Kenya.

Irrigation not only helps to improve food security but also creates numerous water bodies for mosquito production. This study assessed the effect of irrigation on malaria vector bionomics and transmission in a semi-arid site with ongoing malaria vector control program. The effectiveness of CDC light traps in the surveillance of malaria vectors was also evaluated relative to the human landing catches (HLCs) method.

A Search for Snail-Related Answers to Explain Differences in Response of to Praziquantel Treatment among Responding and Persistent Hotspot Villages along the Kenyan Shore of Lake Victoria.

Following a 4-year annual praziquantel (PZQ) treatment campaign, the resulting prevalence of was seen to differ among individual villages along the Kenyan shore of Lake Victoria. We have investigated possible inherent differences in snail-related aspects of transmission among such 10 villages, including six persistent hotspot (PHS) villages (≤ 30% reduction in prevalence following repeated treatments) located along the west-facing shore of the lake and four PZQ-responding (RESP) villages (> 30% prevalence reduction following repeated treatment) along the Winam Gulf. When taking into account all sampling sites, times, and water hyacinth presence/absence, shoreline-associated from PHS and RESP villages did not differ in relative abundance or prevalence of infection.

Current status of insecticide resistance among malaria vectors in Kenya.

Background: Insecticide resistance has emerged as one of the major challenges facing National Malaria Control Programmes in Africa. A well-coordinated national database on insecticide resistance (IRBase) can facilitate the development of effective strategies for managing insecticide resistance and sustaining the effectiveness of chemical-based vector control measures. The aim of this study was to assemble a database on the current status of insecticide resistance among malaria vectors in Kenya.

Safety, immunogenicity, and cross-species protection of a plasmid DNA encoding Plasmodium falciparum SERA5 polypeptide, microbial epitopes and chemokine genes in mice and olive baboons.

Incorporation of biomolecular epitopes to malarial antigens should be explored in the development of strain-transcending malarial vaccines. The present study sought to determine safety, immunogenicity and cross-species efficacy ofPlasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen 5 polypeptide co-expressed with epitopes of Bacille-Calmette Guerin (BCG), tetanus toxoid (TT) and a chemokine gene. Olive baboons and BALB/c mice were randomly assigned into vaccine and control groups.

A Comparison of Kenyan Biomphalaria pfeifferi and B. Sudanica as Vectors for Schistosoma mansoni, Including a Discussion of the Need to Better Understand the Effects of Snail Breeding Systems on Transmission.

In Kenya, schistosomes infect an estimated 6 million people with >30 million people at risk of infection. We compared compatibility with, and ability to support and perpetuate, Schistosoma mansoni of Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Biomphalaria sudanica, 2 prominent freshwater snail species involved in schistosomiasis transmission in Kenya. Field-derived B.

Capsular polysaccharide from Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides shows potential for protection against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.

Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a severe respiratory disease caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm) which is widespread in Africa. The capsule polysaccharide (CPS) of Mmm is one of the few identified virulence determinants.

Frequency of Epstein - Barr Virus in Patients Presenting with Acute Febrile Illness in Kenya.

Background: Most acute febrile illnesses (AFI) are usually not associated with a specific diagnosis because of limitations of available diagnostics. This study reports on the frequency of EBV viremia and viral load in children and adults presenting with febrile illness in hospitals in Kenya.

Methodology/principal Findings: A pathogen surveillance study was conducted on patients presenting with AFI (N = 796) at outpatient departments in 8 hospitals located in diverse regions of Kenya.

Experimental evaluation of inactivated and live attenuated vaccines against Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides.

The current control method for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Africa is vaccination with a live, attenuated strain of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm). However, this method is not very efficient and often causes serious adverse reactions.

Trypanosoma Infection Rates in Glossina Species in Mtito Andei Division, Makueni County, Kenya.

African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) transmitted cyclically by tsetse fly (Glossina spp.) is a major obstacle to livestock production in the tropical parts of Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the infection rates of trypanosomes in Glossina species in Mtito Andei Division, Makueni County, Kenya.