Publications by authors named "P Makaula"
Background: Intestinal schistosomiasis was confirmed endemic in Mangochi District, Malawi, in May of 2018 following an unexpected encounter with discreet populations of Biomphalaria spp. freshwater snails during routine malacological surveillance activities. Since then, only limited malacological surveillance of Biomphalaria has been carried out, and so the distribution of Biomphalaria populations in this area is currently unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo shed first light on caprine schistosomiasis and its zoonotic potential in Malawi, we conducted a molecular epidemiological investigation, sampling goats ( = 230) across three districts, using faecal miracidia hatching test. Molecular genotyping of miracidia later revealed the prevalence of to be 0.0 % in Nsanje District ( = 30), 16.
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- Researchers studied intestinal schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni in children living along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi, five years after a disease outbreak, using advanced diagnostic techniques.
- They utilized various methods including microscopy and real-time PCR on fecal and urine samples to assess infection rates and found that the prevalence of S. mansoni varied greatly based on the diagnostic tool used.
- The study highlighted that while fecal-egg microscopy had very low sensitivity, the point-of-care test showed moderate sensitivity depending on how results were interpreted, also revealing notable DNA presence of another species, S. haematobium, in the samples.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers collected demographic and health data, along with urine and semen samples from 22 men, finding high rates of schistosome infection and co-infection with HPV and other STIs.
- * The study highlights the complex interactions between zoonotic and hybrid schistosomes in causing MGS, illustrating significant challenges for diagnosis and treatment in low-resource areas.
Article Synopsis
- A study in Malawi found a high prevalence of bovine schistosomiasis in cattle, with around 49.1% infected based on a miracidia hatch test, though there were notable differences in infection rates across different areas.
- In a specific herd near Lake Malawi, researchers used GPS tracking to monitor infection levels, discovering that while treatment was initially effective, reinfection occurred, especially in younger cattle.
- The findings highlight the need for a One Health approach to control schistosomiasis, addressing the interconnected issues of human and animal health, particularly in the context of zoonotic disease transmission in areas like Mangochi District.