Occupation-based practice in hand therapy - perspectives from a South African occupational therapy survey.

Introduction: Hand injuries affect occupational engagement and participation, yet anecdotal evidence reports a focus on body structures and functions within hand therapy. Failing to address occupational challenges may result in sub-optimal patient outcomes. In line with the growing body of evidence of positive outcomes relating to occupation-based practice (OBP), this article aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices towards OBP of occupational therapists treating hand-related conditions in South Africa.

Distribution and Prevalence of , and in African Ticks: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

In Africa, ticks continue to be a major hindrance to the improvement of the livestock industry due to tick-borne pathogens that include , and species. A systemic review and meta-analysis were conducted here and highlighted the distribution and prevalence of these tick-borne pathogens in African ticks. Relevant publications were searched in five electronic databases and selected using inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting in 138 and 78 papers included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively.

Neoehrlichiosis in Symptomatic Immunocompetent Child, South Africa.

We describe a case of neoehrlichiosis in an immunocompetent child with acute febrile illness in South Africa. Neoehrlichiosis was diagnosed by PCR on 16S rDNA from bone marrow aspirate. Phylogenetic analysis indicated an organism closely related to Candidatus Neoehrlichia.

A Phase 2A Trial of the Safety and Tolerability of Increased Dose Rifampicin and Adjunctive Linezolid, With or Without Aspirin, for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Tuberculous Meningitis: The LASER-TBM Trial.

Background: Drug regimens that include intensified antibiotics alongside effective anti-inflammatory therapies may improve outcomes in tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Safety data on their use in combination and in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are needed to inform clinical trial design.

Methods: We conducted a phase 2, open-label, parallel-design, randomized, controlled trial to assess the safety of high-dose rifampicin, linezolid, and high-dose aspirin in HIV-associated TBM.

Genetic diversity in Babesia bovis from southern Africa and estimation of B. bovis infection levels in cattle using an optimised quantitative PCR assay.

Babesia bovis is a causal agent of bovine babesiosis, a disease which leads to mortality and morbidity and impacts the cattle industry worldwide. We amplified, cloned and sequenced the B. bovis merozoite surface antigen-2b (msa-2b) gene (940 bp) and the near full-length 18S rRNA gene (1600 bp) from cattle samples from South Africa and Mozambique to determine sequence variation between B.

Successful treatment of babesiosis in a south-western black rhinoceros.

Under stressful conditions, black rhinoceroses that are sub-clinical carriers of can succumb to babesiosis. After 16 days in captivity, a five-year-old female black rhino captured for relocation presented with inappetence, abdominal discomfort and constipation. After chemical immobilisation, dry faecal balls were removed from the rectum, peripheral blood smears were made and blood collected into EDTA tubes.

Development of Cathepsin L-like Real-Time PCR Assays for the Detection of African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT) in South Africa.

African animal trypanosomosis (AAT), is an infectious parasitic disease of wildlife and livestock caused by multiple species and strains of . In South Africa, it is restricted to northern KwaZulu-Natal (NKZN) and caused by and . A cross-sectional study was done to determine AAT prevalence in 384 goat samples and identify trypanosome species circulating in 60 cattle at dip tanks that are on the interface with the Hluhluwe-uMfolozi game reserve in NKZN.

Corrigendum: Evaluation of self-reported confidence amongst radiology staff in initiating basic life support across hospitals in the Cape Town Metropole West region.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4102/sajr.v23i1.

Polyclonal antibody-based immunohistochemical detection of intraleukocytic parasites in roan and sable antelopes.

parasites commonly infect African wild artiodactyls. In rare roan () and sable () antelopes, sp. (sable)-associated calf mortalities constrain breeding programs.

Study protocol for a phase 2A trial of the safety and tolerability of increased dose rifampicin and adjunctive linezolid, with or without aspirin, for HIV-associated tuberculous meningitis [LASER-TBM].

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most lethal form of tuberculosis with a mortality of ~50% in those co-infected with HIV-1. Current antibiotic regimens are based on those known to be effective in pulmonary TB and do not account for the differing ability of the drugs to penetrate the central nervous system (CNS). The host immune response drives pathology in TBM, yet effective host-directed therapies are scarce.

Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) from semi-arid rangelands in South Africa harbour Hepatozoon canis and a Theileria species but apparently not Babesia rossi.

Despite the importance of disease as a wildlife management challenge in South Africa, baseline data on the epidemiology of pathogens occurring in free-ranging species has received little attention to date. Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) are a wide-ranging, abundant carnivore with substantial economic importance due to their role in livestock depredation. They are known reservoirs hosts of Babesia rossi, a virulent pathogen in domestic dogs in sub-Saharan Africa.

A shared pathogen: Babesia rossi in domestic dogs, black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) and African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in South Africa.

In sub-Saharan Africa, babesiosis in domestic dogs is caused primarily by Babesia rossi. Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas), which are subclinical carriers of B. rossi, were a likely reservoir host from which infection passed to domestic dogs.

Porcine Babesiosis Caused by sp. Suis in a Pot-Bellied Pig in South Africa.

Babesiosis is a worldwide, tick-borne disease of economic importance in livestock caused by spp., which are hemoparasitic piroplasms that target the host erythrocytes. Cattle, dogs, small ruminants, and wild ruminants are the species most commonly affected, while in cats, horses, and pigs, it is less frequently reported.

A one health investigation of pathogenic trypanosomes of cattle in Malawi.

Parasitic protozoan trypanosomes of the genus Trypanosoma cause infections in both man and livestock in Africa. Understanding the current spatial distribution of trypanosomes, herd-level factors associated with Trypanosoma brucei infection as well as local knowledge of African trypanosomosis is key to its prevention and control. A cross-sectional study was performed that sampled 53 livestock farmers and 444 cattle throughout Malawi.

Babesia bicornis, Theileria bicornis and Theileria equi in metapopulations of two black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) subspecies in South Africa and their potential impact on conservation.

The two black rhinoceros subspecies (Diceros bicornis bicornis and D. b. minor) in South African conservation areas are managed as separate metapopulations.

Evaluation of self-reported confidence amongst radiology staff in initiating basic life support across hospitals in the Cape Town Metropole West region.

Background: The immediate response to cardiac arrest is regarded as the most time-critical intervention. First responders for cardiac arrests in imaging departments are often radiology staff. The study aim was to determine radiology staff members' confidence in initiating basic life support.

Occurrence of tick-borne haemoparasites in cattle in the Mungwi District, Northern Province, Zambia.

Little is known about the occurrence of haemoparasites in cattle in communal grazing areas of Mungwi District of Northern Province, Zambia. Clinical signs and post mortem lesions are pathognomonic of mixed tick-borne infections especially babesiosis, anaplasmosis and East Coast fever. The main objective of this study was to screen selected communal herds of cattle for tick-borne haemoparasites, and identify the tick vectors associated with the high cattle mortalities due to suspected tick-borne diseases in the local breeds of cattle grazing along the banks of the Chambeshi River in Mungwi District, Northern Province, Zambia.

Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) are natural hosts of Babesia rossi, the virulent causative agent of canine babesiosis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Babesia rossi, which is transmitted by Haemaphysalis spp. and is highly virulent to domestic dogs, occurs only in sub-Saharan Africa. Since dogs are not native to the region, it has been postulated that the natural host of B.

Piroplasms in brown hyaenas (Parahyaena brunnea) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Namibia and South Africa are closely related to Babesia lengau.

The objective of our study was identification and molecular characterization of piroplasms and rickettsias occurring in brown (Parahyaena brunnea) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) from various localities in Namibia and South Africa. Whole blood (n = 59) and skin (n = 3) specimens from brown (n = 15) and spotted hyaenas (n = 47) were screened for the presence of Babesia, Theileria, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species using the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization technique. PCR products of 52/62 (83.

Confirmation of occurrence of in a dog in Windhoek, central Namibia.

Although there is evidence of high seroprevalence of antibodies to Babesia spp. in dogs in central Namibia, clinical babesiosis is rarely diagnosed. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, the vector of Babesia vogeli, is common in Namibia while Haemaphysalis elliptica, the vector of the highly virulent but morphologically indistinguishable Babesia rossi, has rarely been recorded, mainly in northern Namibia.

Molecular investigation of tick-borne haemoparasite infections among transhumant zebu cattle in Karamoja Region, Uganda.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a major constraint to cattle production in pastoral areas in Africa. Although information on tick-borne infections is important to prioritise control approaches, it is limited for transhumant zebu cattle in Karamoja, Uganda. We conducted a study to determine the occurrence and level of tick-borne infections among cattle in Karamoja Region.

Prevalence of pathogenic trypanosomes in anaemic cattle from trypanosomosis challenged areas of Itezhi-tezhi district in central Zambia.

Background: The measure of anaemia status using packed cell volume (PCV) can be a reliable indicator of African trypanosomosis (AT) in the absence of other anaemia-causing conditions. However, studies that have estimated prevalence of anaemia in cattle from AT endemic areas have rarely reported the prevalence of the disease in the anaemic cattle. Therefore we investigated the prevalence of AT in anaemic cattle at sites that had recently reported the disease in Itezhi tezhi district of central Zambia.

The epidemiology of tick-borne haemoparasites as determined by the reverse line blot hybridization assay in an intensively studied cohort of calves in western Kenya.

The development of sensitive surveillance technologies using PCR-based detection of microbial DNA, such as the reverse line blot assay, can facilitate the gathering of epidemiological information on tick-borne diseases, which continue to hamper the productivity of livestock in many parts of Africa and elsewhere. We have employed a reverse line blot assay to detect the prevalence of tick-borne parasites in an intensively studied cohort of indigenous calves in western Kenya. The calves were recruited close to birth and monitored for the presence of infectious disease for up to 51 weeks.