scholarly journals Toxocara(Nematoda: Ascaridida) and Other Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eggs Contaminating Soils in Selected Urban and Rural Areas in the Philippines

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vachel Gay V. Paller ◽  
Emmanuel Ryan C. de Chavez

The extent of contamination of soils with soil transmitted helminthes (STH) eggs, particularlyToxocara, was determined in selected urban and rural towns of Laguna, Philippines. Soil samples were collected from public schools, house yards, and empty lots. Results revealed that, of the 1480 soil samples collected, 460 (31%) were positive for STH eggs.Toxocarasp. was the most prevalent (77%), followed byAscarissp. (11%), hookworms/strongyles/free-living nematodes (7%), andTrichurissp. (5%). Some soil physicochemical parameters were also determined and associated withToxocaraeggs prevalence and density in soil. Results revealed thatToxocarasp. eggs were most prevalent in less acidic, relatively high temperature and high moisture soil conditions. They were also prevalent in sandy, silty, and loamy soil textures but less prevalent in clayey. No significant differences were found between depth 1 (0–5 cm) and depth 2 (6–10 cm). This study revealed thatToxocarasp. eggs are ubiquitous and the extent of contamination in soils from the selected towns of Laguna is relatively high. Hence, the data generated in this study can be used in promoting public awareness, particularly for pet owners and local health officials, for effective prevention and control of this parasitosis.

Author(s):  
Vandon Borela

Purpose: The aim of this research study is to evaluate the implementation of Alternative Learning System (ALS) curriculum offered to juvenile delinquents in urban and rural areas in the Philippines. The study also aims to determine whether the current education programs meet the needs of the juvenile delinquents with reference to Juvenile delinquency acts. The study is an attempt to highlight the aspects of Alternative Learning System (ALS) that should be developed.  Approach/Methodology/Design: The study is qualitative and conducted in Marikina City and Rizal province, the Philippines. This study used exploratory study analysis. The respondents are the Alternative Learning System (ALS) teachers. For data collection, three semi-structured interviews were employed and the respondents’ answers were categorized using analytical coding to compare and analyze the implementation of the ALS curriculum for juvenile delinquents. Findings: The interpretation and analysis of the data collected shows that the ALS teachers from both the rural and urban areas have the same experiences on the implementation of the ALS program for juvenile delinquents in terms of curriculum, instruction and assessment. Furthermore, the teachers gave an emphasis that once the juvenile delinquents undergo the program, they are given a new hope and new direction in life to pursue their dreams. Lastly, the teachers from both areas have the same suggestions for the improvement of the implementation of the program, such as additional funds for the development of quality learning materials, increasing the number of learning centers, and designing various forms of assessment.  Practical Implications: The study will contribute positively to the understanding of Alternative learning System. The significance of this study lies in the comparison of the alternative learning system curriculum and how it is implemented to the juvenile delinquents in urban and in rural areas. Originality/value: This study engages ALS teachers in assessing the ALS curriculum, reflecting actual experiences to meet the expectations and needs of the juvenile delinquents.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulshan Ara Akhter ◽  
Farzana Islam

Acid violence is a barbaric form of violence in Bangladesh. Acid violence also called acid throwing or vitriolage, is defined as the act of throwing of strong corrosives on face and body of a person with the intention of causing permanent disfiguration, intense pain, scarring and sometimes blindness. All of these injuries are considered as ‘grievous hurt’ under section 320 of B.P.C (Bangladesh Penal Code). For the last few years it is on the rise in both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. The perpetrators are mostly men and adolescent boys. The overwhelming majority of the victims are women and many of them are girls and young females. Recently, however, there have been acid attacks on children, older women and also men. These attacks are often the result of family and land dispute, dowry demands or a desire for revenge due to failure in love affairs or marriage proposals. It is considered as one of the extreme forms of repression and violation of women’s right. This review article is aimed to focus on the present situation of this barbaric act of vengeance against women and young adolescent girls with regard to frequency, causes, long term consequences and creating public awareness on the issue by tightly regulating the sale and transport of acid as well as enacting harsher penalties for perpetrators. Data collection is based on information from Dhaka Medical College hospital, One Stop Crisis Center (OCC), Acid Survivors’ Foundation, Naripokkho Action Aid and several Dhaka based organizations. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/imcj.v7i1.17744 Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2013; 7(1): 18-20


Author(s):  
Xinyi Chen ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Xiaomeng Wang ◽  
Chengliang Chai ◽  
Kui Liu ◽  
...  

Few provinces in China have recently conducted population-based surveys on tuberculosis (TB) awareness at the provincial level. Hence, we conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study to evaluate the level of awareness of TB knowledge among residents of Zhejiang Province, China from October 2018 to December 2018. A total of 7174 individuals were randomly selected to participate in this survey. The rate of awareness of key information on TB was found to be 48.0%. The study’s participants exhibited a good understanding of the transmission route (80.8%), curable outcome (78.3%), and designated treatment sites (67.0%) of TB. The rate of awareness of suspicious TB symptoms (36.1%) and the relief policy on diagnosis and first-line therapeutic drugs (38.0%) were found to be relatively low among the respondents. People living in rural areas, those who were less educated, and students all showed a low level of awareness of key knowledge about TB. In conclusion, residents in Zhejiang Province generally lacked key information about TB, which is not conducive to the early detection and treatment of TB. Corresponding efforts should be made for different groups of people to achieve favorable effects on the prevention and control of TB.


2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. P1594-P1594
Author(s):  
A. Roy ◽  
P. A. Praveen ◽  
K. Anand ◽  
A. Ritvik ◽  
R. Lakshmy ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harish Kumar Tiwari ◽  
Jully Gogoi-Tiwari ◽  
Ian D. Robertson

AbstractRabies is an acute encephalitis caused by a lyssavirus. It is primarily transmitted through bites of infected dogs which results in the worldwide death of an estimated 59000 humans every year. The disease is preventable through the application of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and its elimination has been demonstrated in many countries by applying multiple interventions simultaneously. Nonetheless, rabies is still widespread in many developing countries, primarily due to the poor implementation of intervention strategies that include inadequate dog-bite wound management practices, unavailability/unaffordability of PEP by the communities, failure to control the disease in free-roaming dogs and wildlife, improper dog population management, weak surveillance and diagnostic facilities and a lack of a One Health approach to the disease. In this review, strategies to control dog-mediated rabies through a One Health approach were discussed. We recommend applying multiple interventions against the disease by involving all the concerned stakeholders in selected urban and rural areas of the countries where rabies is endemic. An empirical demonstration of disease freedom in the selected areas through a One Health approach is needed to convince policymakers to invest in rabies prevention and control on the national level. This multifaceted One Health control model will enhance the likelihood of achieving the goal of global rabies eradication by 2030.


Author(s):  
Zin Mar Htun ◽  
Aree Laikul ◽  
Watcharapol Pathomsakulwong ◽  
Chompoonek Yurayart ◽  
Tassanee Lohnoo ◽  
...  

Pythium insidiosum causes pythiosis, a fatal infectious disease of humans and animals worldwide. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to improve the clinical outcome of pythiosis. Diagnosis of P. insidiosum relies on immunological, molecular, and proteomic assays. The main treatment of pythiosis aims to surgically remove all affected tissue to prevent recurrent infection. Due to the marked increase in case reports, pythiosis has become a public health concern. Thailand is an endemic area of human pythiosis. To obtain a complete picture of how the pathogen circulates in the environment, we surveyed the presence of P. insidiosum in urban (Bangkok) and rural areas of Thailand. We employed the hair-baiting technique to screen for P. insidiosum in 500 water samples. Twenty-seven culture-positive samples were identified as P. insidiosum by multiplex PCR, multi-DNA barcode (rDNA, cox1, cox2), and mass spectrometric analyses. These environmental strains of P. insidiosum fell into clade-I and -II genotypes and exhibited a close phylogenetic/proteomic relationship with Thai clinical strains. Biodiversity of the environmental strains also existed in a local habitat. In conclusion, P. insidiosum is widespread in Thailand. A better understanding of the ecological niche of P. insidiosum could lead to the effective prevention and control of this pathogen.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-131
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Moskal-Szybka ◽  
Justyna Borek

AbstractIntroduction. Transplantation (from Latin transplantare – transplant and plantare – plant), also called organ transplantation, is a safe, effective, and in some cases the only available treatment method giving hope for recovery for patients with end-stage organ failure (such as failure of heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas). It involves replacement of a diseased organ or tissue with healthy one obtained from another person. It is a specific treatment that requires social acceptance. Despite the efforts being made by the Polish transplantation community, low public awareness and lack of knowledge on organ donation are still significant barriers to the development of transplantation program in Poland [1].Objective. Recognition of knowledge and attitudes of Subcarpathian Province’s inhabitants towards organ transplantation.Material and methods. The survey conducted in 2018 included 187 inhabitants of urban and rural areas of the Subcarpathian Province with non-medical background. A method of diagnostic survey with a questionnaire was used. The research tool was a proprietary questionnaire containing mostly single-choice questions. The questions in the survey were closed-ended.Results and conclusons. The level of knowledge of most respondents (56.9% of the respondents from urban areas and 57.4% of the respondents from rural areas) was moderate. High level of knowledge was presented by fewer respondents: 34.7% of those from urban areas and 31.3% of those from rural areas. Low level of knowledge was reported by 8.3% and 11.3% of the respondents from urban and rural areas, respectively. No significant differences in knowledge of organ transplantation were seen between the respondents from urban and rural areas. The results of this research show insufficient knowledge concerning organ transplantation in the surveyed population. Most respondents declare their willingness to donate organs when needed. Both our research presented in this paper and reports by other authors suggest the need for educating the public in order to encourage broad social acceptance for transplant medicine.


Author(s):  
Raman D. Damor ◽  
Jyotsna F. Maliwad ◽  
Kalpita S. Shringarpure ◽  
Bansari L. Chawda ◽  
Neelam N. Pandya ◽  
...  

Background: Dengue fever is one of the major public health problems among all the vector born diseases. It is an emerging disease of tropical and sub-tropical regions, affecting urban, peri-urban and rural areas. Twenty five cases of dengue fever were reported in our hospital and other private hospitals from Undera village, which is in the peri urban area of Vadodara, so an investigation was carried out. The objective of this study is to find out the incidence and demographic details of people affected by fever during the outbreak and to find the environmental factors responsible for the outbreak.Methods: Community based, cross-sectional, direct interviewing of community members of Undera village in Vadodara district was carried out on 21st August 2017 and 23rd August 2017.Results: In this outbreak investigation, 219 fever cases were reported from 2930 population residing in 645 houses. There were 25 confirmed cases of dengue fever, out of which three deaths were reported. This included one pregnant woman during this outbreak. Seventy percent of fever cases were in the age group 0-30 years. Daily wagers were affected more than other occupations. At least one fever case was reported from 109 houses. Breeding places for mosquitoes were observed surrounding the houses from were fever cases reported.Conclusions: The dengue fever outbreak was confirmed through laboratory as well as clinico-epidemiological correlation with confirmed clinical picture and presence of breading places of Aedes mosquitoes. The fatality rate was 12% and there were three complicated deaths.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Nonthapan Phasuk ◽  
Ratee Kache ◽  
Kanjana Thongtup ◽  
Saowalee Boonmuang ◽  
Chuchard Punsawad

Soil is considered the primary source of Toxocara transmission to humans, especially children. The status of soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in southern Thailand is unknown. This study aimed at estimating the soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in public schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. Soil samples were collected from 12 public schools between August and September 2017. At each site, ten soil samples were collected from the following five types of locations: (1) playgrounds, (2) football fields, (3) sidewalks, (4) schoolyards, and (5) areas around cafeterias. In total, 120 samples were examined for Toxocara eggs with a modified flotation method using a sucrose solution. Toxocara eggs were detected in 8 (66.7%) of the 12 studied public schools. Of the 120 soil samples, 22 (18.3%; 95% CI: 11.9, 26.4) were contaminated with Toxocara eggs. The highest levels of Toxocara egg contamination were observed in playgrounds (41.7%; 95% CI: 22.1, 63.4), followed by football fields (20.8%; 95% CI: 7.1, 42.2), sidewalks (12.5%; 95% CI: 2.7, 32.4), and schoolyards (12.5%; 95% CI: 2.7, 32.4). There were significant differences in the distribution of Toxocara eggs across location types p<0.05. The findings demonstrated that the soil samples from public schools were contaminated with Toxocara eggs. Playgrounds were the most heavily contaminated locations. Teaching children proper handwashing steps and discouraging geophagia should be implemented to reduce the distribution of Toxocara and limit future Toxocara infections.


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