Abstract/Overview Background Malaria causes the greatest public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa where high mortality occurs mainly in children under 5 years of age. Traditionally, malaria has been reported mainly in the lowlands endemic regions of western Kenya, while the highlands of the Rift Valley have been relatively free except for the sporadic epidemics in some areas. Baringo County is located in the Kenyan highlands. The county generally experiences seasonal transmission of mal...
Abstract/Overview Human peripheral blood BCRμ+ B cells express high levels of CD23 and circulate preloaded with IgE. The Ag specificity of CD23-bound IgE presumably differs from the BCR and likely reflects the Ag-specific mix of free serum IgE. CD23-bound IgE is thought to enhance B Cell Ag presentation to T cells raising the question of how a B cell might respond when presented with a broad mix of Ags and CD23-bound IgE specificities. We recently reported that an increase in CD23+ B cel...
Abstract/Overview Resistance to schistosomiasis is associated with increased levels of serum parasite-specific IgE. IgE exerts its functions through its cellular receptors, FcεRI and FcεRII/CD23; however, its functional significance requires further characterization in humans. We previously reported that increased levels of CD23+ B cells correlate with resistance to schistosomiasis in hyper-exposed populations and sought to define their potential function and relationship with IgE. We f...
Abstract/Overview Schistosomiasis is caused by parasitic trematodes. Individuals can accumulate hundreds of intravascular worms, which secrete a myriad of antigenic molecules into the bloodstream. Some of these molecules suppress immunity to microbial Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, such as lipopolysaccharides, which may increase host susceptibility to coinfecting pathogens. We show that schistosomiasis is associated with extremely high levels of endotoxemia as well as high mobility gro...
Abstract/Overview Background: Achieving optimal iron status in children in malariaendemic areas may increase the risk of malaria. Malaria itself may contribute to iron deficiency, but the impact of an interruption in malaria transmission on the prevalence of iron deficiency is unknown. Objectives: We aimed to determine whether 1) iron status improved in children living in 2 Kenyan villages with a documented cessation in malaria transmission and 2) changes in iron status correlated with ch...
Abstract/Overview Background: MB2 is a novel Plasmodium falciparum antigen of unknown function expressed in pre-erythrocytic and blood stages of infection in the human host. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-10 responses to other P. falciparum antigens have been associated with protection from clinical malaria, but these responses have not been studied for MB2. The present study was undertaken to characterize IFN-γ and IL-10 responses to P. falciparum MB2 antigen in adults l...
Abstract/Overview Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is associated with B cell activation and exhaustion, and hypergammaglobulinemia. How these changes influence B cell responses to coinfections such as malaria is poorly understood. To address this, we compared B cell phenotypes and Abs specific for the Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidate apical membrane Ag-1 (AMA1) in HIV-infected and uninfected adults living in Kenya. Surprisingly, HIV-1 infection was not associat...
Abstract/Overview Delay in care seeking at health facilities for malaria related fever results into mortality of several children under five years. Both hospital and home-based care practices have contributed to delay in seeking care at the health facilities. However, few studies have investigated how home-based practices contribute to the delay. This study therefore employed a descriptive cross-sectional study to identify home-based practices that lead to delay in seeking care at health ...
Abstract/Overview We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases and the practice of one health approach in the surveillance of zoonoses in the community. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 randomly selected districts of Nyanza province, Kenya. One hundred and ten randomly-selected PHWs were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on their knowledge, attitudes and ...
Abstract/Overview Superficial fungal infections are common among school-going children due to their involvement in practices that promote the spread at school or home. However, practices, knowledge and attitude of these children on prevention and control of fungal infection are poorly understood. This study assessed the practices, knowledge and attitude on the prevention and control of fungal infections among 163 children aged 5-12 years in western Kenya. A cross-sectional study design an...
Abstract/Overview Demographic factors significantly influenced the uptake of cervical cancer screening. This study aimed at finding out the determinants of uptake of cervical cancer screening services among women of reproductive. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 6 wards in Bondo sub county, Siaya County Kenya. A sample size of 379 was identified from the study population. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data by trained research assistants.
Abstract/Overview How food production first entered eastern Africa ~5000 years ago and the extent to which people moved with livestock is unclear. We present genome-wide data from 41 individuals associated with Later Stone Age, Pastoral Neolithic (PN), and Iron Age contexts in what are now Kenya and Tanzania to examine the genetic impacts of the spreads of herding and farming. Our results support a multiphase model in which admixture between northeastern African–related peoples and east...
Abstract Strong preferences are revealed when patients fail to utilize their nearby facilities and seek health care services at another facility. Bypassing rates for childbirth has been documented in literature and it ranges between 30% and 70 %. At Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital similar observation is made with majority of the women delivering at the facility having bypassed their nearby county health facilities. Thus, the current study sought to identify the individual and health facil...
Abstract/Overview The study investigated the relationship between social support, resilience and drug abuse. A correlation research design was used, and adolescents between the age group of 14-23 years in four secondary schools in Koboko Town Council were randomly selected using a simple random sampling technique and 50 respondents were selected from each school bringing the total to 200 respondents. A three set structured questionnaire which measured adolescent resilience, social support...
Abstract/Overview Low birth weight (LBW) is a major determinant of morbidity, mortality and disability in infancy and childhood and has a long-term impact on health outcomes in adult life. It results in substantial costs to the health sector and imposes a significant burden on society as a whole. This study sought to determine risk factors associated with LBW deliveries in Pumwani Maternity Hospital (PMH), Nairobi, Kenya. It focused on LBW and maternal socio-demographic characteristics, l...