Publications by authors named "Saidon Mbambara"
Ionising radiation (IR) is a form of energy that travels as electromagnetic waves or particles. While it is vital in medical and occupational health settings, IR can also damage DNA, leading to mutations, chromosomal aberrations, and transcriptional changes that disrupt the functions of certain cell regulators, genes, and transcription factors. These disruptions can alter functions critical for cancer development, progression, and treatment response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Amongst the cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors, hypertension (HT) and obesity appear to be prominent in post-menopausal women. The underlying mechanisms of HT development in menopause are not fully understood.
Aim: To determine the association between HT, obesity and dietary intakes in post-menopausal women from rural Zambia.
Article Synopsis
- Tick-borne pathogens are a growing public health concern globally, with limited data on tick-borne viruses in sub-Saharan Africa.
- In a study conducted in Zambia, 363 ticks from different species were analyzed, revealing that 5.2% of Rhipicephalus ticks harbored Shibuyunji viruses.
- The findings indicate that Rhipicephalus ticks could act as primary hosts for Shibuyunji virus and suggest that these viruses may exist in regions beyond their original discovery.
Background: Rapid diagnostic tests based on histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) detection are the primary tools used to detect Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections. Recent conflicting reports call into question whether α-HRP2 antibodies are present in human host circulation and if resulting immune complexes could interfere with HRP2 detection on malaria RDTs. This study sought to determine the prevalence of immune-complexed HRP2 in a low-transmission region of Southern Zambia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA rapid, on-bead enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) was adapted for use with dried blood spot (DBS) samples. This assay detected both biomarkers from a single DBS sample with only 45 minutes of total incubation time and detection limits of 600 ± 500 pM (LDH) and 69 ± 30 pM (HRP2), corresponding to 150 and 24 parasites/μL, respectively. This sensitive and reproducible on-bead detection method was used to quantify LDH and HRP2 in patient DBS samples from rural Zambia collected at multiple time points after treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dried blood spots are commonly used for sample collection in clinical and non-clinical settings. This method is simple, and biomolecules in the samples remain stable for months at room temperature. In the field, blood samples for the study and diagnosis of malaria are often collected on dried blood spot cards, so development of a biomarker extraction and analysis method is needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * A mosquito collection effort conducted in Macha, Choma District, revealed high prevalence of Anopheles squamosus, with over 40% of specimens identified, and some mosquitoes found carrying malaria parasites.
- * This study presents the first report of malaria infections in An. squamosus in Zambia, highlighting the need for further research into the species' behavior and implications for vector control strategies indoors.