Publications by authors named "Vera Opoku"
Adherence to Hygiene Protocols and Doxycycline Therapy in Ameliorating Lymphatic Filariasis Morbidity in an Endemic Area Post-Interruption of Disease Transmission in Ghana.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Filarial lymphedema (LE) remains a global health issue even with efforts to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF), particularly in Ghana where preventive measures mainly focus on chemotherapy which isn’t helpful for those already affected.
- A clinical trial from 2018-2020 tested the effectiveness of strict hygiene combined with doxycycline (DOX) on 356 participants with different stages of LE in Ghana and was double-blind and placebo-controlled.
- Results indicated that while there was some improvement in LE across all groups, doxycycline did not significantly affect the progression of the disease, but adherence to hygiene practices showed strong benefits and potential for reducing acute attacks.
Background: Onchocerciasis causes chronic systemic inflammation. Several studies have used markers such as haemato-biochemical indices to predict the occurrence of systemic inflammation. This study assessed the variability and predictability of haemato-biochemical indices and blood composite ratios (BCRs) in microfilariae positive (MF+) and microfilariae negative (MF-) subgroups of onchocercomata participants.
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- Culicoides, or biting midges, are known carriers of Mansonella perstans, a parasitic nematode causing disease, particularly prevalent in some Ghanaian communities.
- The study sampled Culicoides species from various communities using different collection methods and identified six species, with C. imicola being the most common; C. grahamii was highlighted for its potential role in transmitting the parasite.
- Findings showed a greater abundance of Culicoides during the wet season and employed LAMP assays to suggest that C. grahamii is a key vector for M. perstans transmission in the region.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates genetic factors affecting susceptibility to lymphatic filariasis (LF), a disease caused by parasitic filarial nematodes, which can lead to serious conditions like lymphedema and elephantiasis.
- - Researchers analyzed genetic data from 1,459 LF cases and 1,492 asymptomatic controls of Ghanaian descent, identifying significant genetic variants linked to LF near the HLA-DQB2 and HLA-DQA1 genes.
- - The findings highlight the role of HLA-mediated immune responses in the disease's progression, while also showing that their genome-wide association study accounted for 24-42% of LF heritability.
Article Synopsis
- - A study in Ghana evaluated the impact of 15 years of mass drug administration (MDA) on lymphatic filariasis (LF), revealing CFA prevalence rates of 19.6% in Kassena Nankana East Municipal (KNEM) and 12.8% in Nabdam, with significant regional variation.
- - Out of 7,453 participants, the Og4C3 antigen was present in about 22.6% of selected individuals, while only 0.7% showed microfilariae, indicating a need for further testing methods against the existing WHO threshold for LF elimination.
- - Despite not meeting the original 2020 elimination target, the study suggests intensifying MDA efforts focused on
Treating is challenged by the low efficacy of registered antihelminthics. endobacteria provide an alternative treatment target because depletion results in amicrofilaremia in filarial infections with and infections. This open-label, randomized study sought to confirm that i) are present in in Ghana and ii) doxycycline treatment will deplete and cause a slow, sustained decline in microfilariae (MF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Culicoides (Diptera; Ceratoponidae) are tiny, stout, blood-sucking flies with a near worldwide distribution. When present, they are often considered a biting nuisance but in addition, they are involved in the transmission of pathogens to humans, domestic and wild animals. Data on Culicoides species in the South-West region of Cameroon dates back to the 1950s.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mansonellosis was first reported in Ghana by Awadzi in the 1990s. Co-infections of Mansonella perstans have also been reported in a small cohort of patients with Buruli ulcer and their contacts. However, no study has assessed the exact prevalence of the disease in a larger study population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: With the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in 2005, monitoring of anti-malarial drug efficacy, which includes the use of molecular tools to detect known genetic markers of parasite resistance, is important for first-hand information on the changes in parasite susceptibility to drugs in Ghana. This study investigated the Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance gene (pfmdr1) copy number, mutations and the chloroquine resistance transporter gene (pfcrt) mutations in Ghanaian isolates collected in seven years to detect the trends in prevalence of mutations.
Methods: Archived filter paper blood blots collected from children aged below five years with uncomplicated malaria in 2003-2010 at sentinel sites were used.