Study of Rwandese medicinal plants used in the treatment of diarrhoea I.

A series of 20 medicinal plants used in the Rwandese traditional medicine to treat diarrhoeal diseases has been screened for antibacterial activity against several Salmonella and Shigella and for antidiarrhoeal activity on mice. Fifty percent of the plants tested showed antibacterial activity against one or more microorganisms and 65% showed antidiarrhoeal activity.

Treatment of bacillary dysentery: a comparison between enoxacin and nalidixic acid.

A prospective randomized study has been conducted in Rwanda to compare the efficacy of enoxacin versus nalidixic acid for the treatment of bacillary dysentery in adults. Seventeen patients received nalidixic acid and 21 received enoxacin. All isolates (37 shigella, 1 campylobacter) were sensitive in vitro to the two drugs.