Browsing by Author "Clemente, Isabel"
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- Comparing concentration methods: Parasitrap® versus Kato-Katz for studying the prevalence of helminths in Bengo province, AngolaPublication . Mirante, Clara; Clemente, Isabel; Zambu, Graciette; Alexandre, Catarina; Ganga, Teresa; Mayer, Carlos; Brito, MiguelBackground: Helminth intestinal parasitoses are responsible for high levels of child mortality and morbidity. Hence, the capacity to diagnose these parasitoses and consequently ensure due treatment represents a factor of great importance. Objectives: The main objective of this study involves comparing two methods of concentration, parasitrap and Kato-Katz, for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitoses in faecal samples. Methods: Sample processing made recourse to two different concentration Methods: the commercial parasitrap® method and the Kato-Katz method. Results: We correspondingly collected a total of 610 stool samples from pre-school and school age children. The results demonstrate the incidence of helminth parasites in 32.8% or 32.3% of the sample collected depending on whether the concentration method applied was either the parasitrap method or the Kato-Katz method. We detected a relatively high percentage of samples testing positive for two or more species of helminth parasites. We would highlight that in searching for larvae the Kato-Katz method does not prove as appropriate as the parasitrap method. Conclusion: Both techniques prove easily applicable even in field working conditions and returning mutually agreeing results. This study concludes in favour of the need for deworming programs and greater public awareness among the rural populations of Angola.
- Epidemiologia das hemoglobinopatias: variabilidade genética da hemoglobina e de enzimas eritrocitárias no Hospital Provincial do Bengo, Caxito, AngolaPublication . Brito, Miguel; Tchonhi, Chissengo Lucama; Mayer, Carlos; Reis, Ana; Deus, Inês; Clemente, IsabelAs hemoglobinopatias são doenças hereditárias resultado de alterações na síntese de cadeias de globina e incluem alterações estruturais e talassemias que são provocadas pela produção diminuída de globina. Se não for diagnosticada e tratada, muitas das hemoglobinopatias resultam em morte nos primeiros anos de vida. Dada a importância do tema e a escassez de dados no nosso meio iniciou-se o estudo das mesmas no Hospital Provincial do Bengo (HGB).
- Impact of annual albendazole versus four-monthly test-and-treat approach of intestinal parasites on children growth: a longitudinal four-arm randomized parallel trial during two years of a community follow-up in Bengo, AngolaPublication . Gasparinho, Carolina; Kanjungo, Aguinaldo; Zage, Félix; Clemente, Isabel; Santos-Reis, Ana; Brito, Miguel; Sousa-Figueiredo, José Carlos; Fortes, Filomeno; Gonçalves, LuziaMalnutrition and intestinal parasites continue to have serious impacts on the growth and cognitive development of children in Angola. A longitudinal four-arm randomized parallel trial was conducted to investigate if deworming with a single annual dose of albendazole (annual-ALB) or a four-monthly test-and-treat (4TT) intestinal parasites approach at an individual or household levels improve nutritional outcomes of pre-school children in Bengo province. Children with intestinal parasites (n = 121) were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to arm A1: annual-ALB*individual level; A2: annual-ALB*household level; A3: 4TT*individual; and A4: 4TT*household level. At baseline, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 months of follow-up, growth was assessed by height, weight, height-for-age, weight-for-height, weight-for-age, and mid-upper arm circumference. Intention-to-treat analysis was done using a non-parametric approach, mixed effect models, and generalized estimating equations (GEE). Initially, 57% and 26% of the children were infected by Giardia lamblia and Ascaris lumbricoides, respectively. This study did not show that a 4TT intestinal parasites approach results in better growth outcomes of children (height, weight, HAZ, WAZ, WHZ, and MUACZ) when compared with annual ALB, with exception of height and WHZ using the GEE model at 5% level. Positive temporal effects on most nutrition outcomes were observed. Implementing a longitudinal study in a poor setting is challenging and larger sample sizes and ‘pure and clean’ data are difficult to obtain. Nevertheless, learned lessons from this intensive study may contribute to future scientific research and tailor multidisciplinary approaches to minimize malnutrition and infections in resource-poor countries.
- Resultados preliminares do rastreio neonatal de doenças das células falciformes no Hospital Geral do Bengo, Caxito, AngolaPublication . Brito, Miguel; Reis, Ana; Tchonhi, Chissengo; Clemente, Isabel; Deus, Inês; Mayer, CarlosAs Hemoglobinopatias são doenças hereditárias com uma prevalência de 10 a 30% de portadores na população africana. As alterações das hemoglobinas envolvem a síntese estrutural e quantitativa dos aminoácidos que compõem as diferentes cadeias de globinas. A Doença das Células Falciformes compreende um grupo de hemoglobinopatias que apresentam um conjunto de sinais e sintomas, sendo a forma mais grave da doença. Dada a importância do tema e a escassez de dados no Caxito, Angola, iniciou-se o rastreio Neonatal de Doenças das Células Falciformes no Hospital Geral do Bengo (HGB), onde se localiza o CISA (Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Angola). Objetivos: - Determinar a frequência de recém-nascidos normais (AA), portadores (AS) e patológicos (SS); - Calcular os valores médios dos índices hematrimétricos por classe fenótipica.