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Biomedical subjects

H Nsanzumuhire

Publications and source records attributed to H Nsanzumuhire.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1981

A third study of case-finding methods for pulmonary tuberculosis in Kenya, including the use of community leaders.

Five methods of identifying tuberculosis suspects were investigated in the Machakos District of Kenya by: (1) 3-monthly interrogation of the Community Elders, (2) interrogation of household heads, (3) identifying suspects amongst outpatients attending local health units, (4) examination of patients registered during the previous 10 years in the District Tuberculosis Register and also (5) their close contacts. Sputum was bacteriologically examined by smear and culture from suspects found by all the methods. The initial interrogation of the Elders yielded 216 suspects, of whom 9 were culture-positive, including 6 smear-positive. Reinterrogating the Elders 4 times at 3-monthly intervals produced a further 114 suspects including 4 culture-positive cases (3 being smear-positive). The examination of a second sputum specimen from suspects after a 3-month interval yielded 4 further culture-positive cases (all smear-negative) but the examination of a third specimen after a further 3 months yielded no further cases. A single interrogation of 1093 household head suspects yielded 22 culture-positive cases, including 11 smear-positive. The response in 5 health units covering a population of about 24 500 was poor. During a 2-year period only 109 suspects were recorded; 7 were culture-positive, including 3 smear-positive. Of 61 cases of tuberculosis registered during the previous 10 years, 8 were currently culture-positive, 5 being smear-positive. Of 318 household contacts of these cases, 6 were culture-positive cases, 2 being smear-positive. The problems presented by different active case-finding methods are discussed, identifying those that appear promising and those unpromising.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

A second study of the use of community leaders in case-finding for pulmonary tuberculosis in Kenya.

This is the second study of case-finding activities for tuberculosis suspects undertaken in 2 locations of Machakos District. Three methods were investigated, namely (1) the requestioning of the Community Elders 1 year or more after a first questioning in the original study, (2) the examination of patients registered in the District Tuberculosis Register from 1969--1974 and (3) the examination of their close contacts. Requestioning the Elders produced a total of 421 suspects, 129 (31%) of whom had not been identified a year previously. The yield of freshly identified smear-positive, culture-positive cases was 0.7 per 100 suspects examined and of all culture-positive cases was 1.7. However, all the smear-positive and 1.0 per 100 of the culture-positive cases were old patients who had previously been registered in the District Tuberculosis Register. Of the 181 patients with tuberculosis in the Register bacteriological results were available for 97; of these 6 were smear-positive, 9 culture-positive--yields of 6.2 smear-positive, culture-positive cases per 100 registered persons examined. The corresponding yields for the 63 persons who had been registered as having pulmonary disease were 9.5 and 14.3. Of the 9 culture-positive, 7 had strains resistant to isoniazid, but all were sensitive to streptomycin. The examination of the 628 close contacts of the registered patients produced only 3 culture-positive cases, none of whom was smear-positive--a yield of 0.5 culture-positive cases per 100 contacts examined. All 3 strains were sensitive to isoniazid and streptomycin.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed1975

The bacteriological ecosystem of the skin of children in an African tropical envirovment (Tanzania).

Using a standardized method for sampling, the aerobic microbial flora of the skin of ninety-five children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was studied qualitatively and quantitatively. The subjects comprised three groups; group A, thirty-seven normal infants (below the age of 1 year); group B, twenty-nine infants with various bacterial skin lesions; and group C, twenty-nine nursery school children between 4-5 and 7 years. The following observations were made: (I) The quantitative results indicated; (a) great variation between individuals, which was more marked among the females; (b) lower bacterial counts in infants than in older children; (c) counts were not affected by the presence of infection or state of cleanliness; (d) there were some differences between females and males and between different ethnic groups. (2) Qualitatively, the types of organisms isolated were similar to those reported elsewhere. There were differences in carrier rates of many organisms but these were most striking with Staphylococcus aureus and Staph. albus. It is concluded that there are great differences in carrier rates between persons in a tropical African environment and those studied elsewhere. These difference may be due to environmental, geographical or ethnic factors. Such observations call for more studies in this area to establish the normal flora.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1975

Scabies and other skin diseases in pre-school children in Ujamaa villages in Tanzania.

A survey of skin diseases was carried out in pre-school children in five Ujamaa villages in Rufiji district and 532 children (5.3% of the total population) were screened. The results showed that scabies was the commonest skin problem affecting 31% of the children. Primary pyoderma and fungal infections were relatively less common and accounted for 7.0 and 2.4% respectively. Staphylococcus aureus, Group A beta haemolytic streptococci and Corynebacterium diphteriae were the commonest pathogeneic bacteria isolated from both infected scabies and primary pyoderma. Tinea capitis was similarly the commonest fungal infection and Microsporium audouinii was the main pathogen. The high prevalence of scabies was attributed to poor hygiene, overcrowding with intimate personal contact. The low prevalence of pyoderma was due to the fact that we did not include secondarily infected scabies and eczema amongst the cases of pyoderma.

Child↗
PubMed1975

Bacterial skin infections in preschool and school children in coastal Tanzania.

In coastal Tanzania, 1,855 preschool and school children were studied for pyoderma (superficial bacterial infections of the skin exclusive of secondarily infected scabies) and for scabies. The predisposing personal, socleoeconomic, and hygienic variables for both conditions were studied also. Pyoderma lesions and some secondarily infected scabies were cultured aerobically for bacterial isolates and the predisposing factors were determined by interviews, home visits, and physical examinations. Pyoderma was present in 6.9% and scabies in 16.6% of the children; both combined totalled 23.5% of the children. Both conditions were more common in rural than in urban environments, but scabies was most common in populations with poor socioeconomic and hygienic conditions. The predisposing factors included trauma, insect bites, hot and damp coastal weather, and poor socioeconomic and hygienic conditions.

Adolescent↗