Exploring the dynamic adult hard ticks-camel-pathogens interaction.

Unlabelled: The ability of ticks to interact and adapt to different ecologies and hosts determines their vectorial competence for various pathogens; however, ticks-livestock-pathogens interaction studies are limited. With our ticks-hosts-pathogens interface studies, we found 14 species of hard ticks feeding on various livestock. Ticks showed a strong preference for one-humped camels ().

Male involvement in maternal and child nutrition in low-income informal settlements, Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Maternal and child nutrition is a significant public health concern because adequate nutrition is essential for the health, development, and well-being of mothers and children. Men can play a critical role in improving maternal and child health, including through their involvement in the nutrition of the mother and child. However, little has been studied on male involvement in maternal and child nutrition; therefore, this qualitative exploratory study focused on the level of male involvement and factors influencing male involvement in maternal and child nutrition in low-income urban informal settings.

Providers' Competencies and Management Practices for Traditional Palliative Cancer Care Service Delivery in Kenya.

Background: Many people in developing countries are struggling with chronic diseases yet traditional health services remain under-utilized in the quest for universal health care. Thousands patronize these outlets for care yet little is known about provider's competence and how these competencies inform palliative care decisions and practices. The study documented traditional health practitioners (THPs) competencies and practices for traditional palliative cancer care service delivery in Kenya.

Composition, structure, and functional shifts of prokaryotic communities in response to co-composting of various nitrogenous green feedstocks.

Background: Thermophilic composting is a promising method of sanitizing pathogens in manure and a source of agriculturally important thermostable enzymes and microorganisms from organic wastes. Despite the extensive studies on compost prokaryotes, shifts in microbial profiles under the influence of various green materials and composting days are still not well understood, considering the complexity of the green material sources. Here, the effect of regimens of green composting material on the diversity, abundance, and metabolic capacity of prokaryotic communities in a thermophilic compost environment was examined.

Frequency and diversity of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales recovered from untreated wastewater impacted by selective media containing cefotaxime and meropenem in Ohio, USA.

As safe agents of last resort, carbapenems are reserved for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. The impact of β-lactam antibiotics, cefotaxime, and meropenem on the frequency and diversity of carbapenemase-producing organisms recovered from environmental samples has not been fully established. Therefore, this methodological study aimed at determining β-lactam drugs used in selective enrichment and their impact on the recovery of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) from untreated wastewater.

Gender and sociocultural factors in animal source foods (ASFs) access and consumption in lower-income households in urban informal settings of Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Gender shapes household decision-making and access for nutritious diets, including animal source foods (ASFs) that impact on child health and nutrition status. However, research shows that the poorest households in the urban informal settlements of Nairobi have low ASFs consumption. This study was conducted to explore further from a qualitative perspective the gender, sociocultural factors affecting household ASF consumption this study.

Molecular survey of cattle ticks in Burundi: First report on the presence of the invasive Rhipicephalus microplus tick.

A recent research study on prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in Burundi reported high prevalence and endemicity of Theileria parva, Anaplasma marginale and Babesia bigemina infections in cattle. Detailed information about tick species infesting animals, their distribution and genetic diversity in Burundi is outdated and limited. This study therefore assessed the prevalence and genetic diversity of tick species infesting cattle across agroecological zones (AEZs) in Burundi.

Consumer perceptions of food safety in animal source foods choice and consumption in Nairobi's informal settlements.

Background: Animal-source foods (ASFs) are high-quality nutrient-dense products key to reducing stunting and micronutrient deficiencies. However, their consumption among the poorest households in urban informal settlements is low. Several drivers beyond price, including health considerations have been reported to drive ASF choice and consumption among consumers.

Willingness to pay for improvements in rural sanitation: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey of three rural counties in Kenya.

Poor sanitation worldwide leads to an annual loss of approximately $222.9 billion and is the second leading cause of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY's) lost due to diarrhoea. Yet in Kenya, the slow rate and levels at which the household's access improved sanitation facilities remain a concern, and it is unknown if the cost of new technologies is a barrier to access.

Prevalence of tick-transmitted pathogens in cattle reveals that Theileria parva, Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale are endemic in Burundi.

Background: Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) constitute a major constraint for livestock development in sub-Saharan Africa, with East Coast fever (ECF) being the most devastating TBD of cattle. However, in Burundi, detailed information is lacking on the current prevalence of TBDs and on the associated economic losses from mortality and morbidity in cattle as well as the costs associated with TBD control and treatment. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the prevalence and spatial distribution of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in cattle across the major agro-ecological zones (AEZs) in Burundi.

Computed Tomography Scan Assessment of the Anatomy of the Pterygomaxillary Junction and Its Relevance in Le Fort I Osteotomy.

Knowledge of the morphometry and types of pterygomaxillary junction (PMJ) during Le-Fort I osteotomy is an important consideration in the reduction of intraoperative complications. The PMJ is known to display population variations and with the recent increase in these surgical interventions in Kenya, a detailed description of the PMJ is warranted. Computed tomography scan images of PMJ obtained from 63 patients were analyzed at the level of the posterior nasal spine to assess types and the morphometry of the PMJ.

Assessing antigenic drift and phylogeny of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus in Kenya using HA1 sub-unit of the hemagglutinin gene.

Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus emerged in North America in 2009 and has been established as a seasonal strain in humans. After an antigenic stasis of about six years, new antigenically distinct variants of the virus emerged globally in 2016 necessitating a change in the vaccine formulation for the first time in 2017. Herein, we analyzed thirty-eight HA sequences of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 strains isolated in Kenya during 2015-2018 seasons, to evaluate their antigenic and molecular properties based on the HA1 sub-unit.

Infestation mechanisms of two woodborer species in the mangrove Sonneratia alba J. Smith in Kenya and co-occurring endophytic fungi.

Insect damage on trees can severely affect the quality of timber, reduce the fecundity of the host and render it susceptible to fungal infestation and disease. Such pathology weakens or eventually kills the host. Infestation by two insect woodborer species (a moth and a beetle) is causing mortality of Sonneratia alba, a wide-ranging pioneer mangrove species of the Indo-Pacific.

Quality of sleep and risk for obstructive sleep apnoea in ambulant individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus at a tertiary referral hospital in Kenya: a cross-sectional, comparative study.

Background: Sleep disorders are common and associated with multiple metabolic and psychological derangements. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is among the most common sleep disorders and an inter-relationship between OSA, insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases has been established. Prevalence of sleep disorders in Kenyans, particularly in individuals with T2DM is unknown.

Changes in Blood Pressure Levels and Antihypertensive Medication Use before and after Renal Transplantation among Patients in Nairobi, Kenya: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

To determine the changes in blood pressure levels and antihypertensive medication use in the postrenal transplantation period compared to pretransplantation one. . A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out on renal transplant recipients at the Kenyatta National Hospital, a national referral hospital in Kenya.

Factors Associated with Uncontrolled Hypertension among Renal Transplant Recipients Attending Nephrology Clinics in Nairobi, Kenya.

Objective. To determine the factors associated with poor blood pressure control among renal transplant recipients in a resource-limited setting. Methods.