ABSTRACT Drug treatment of malaria is being hampered by the emergence of drug resistant strains of malaria parasites. Rapid methods for monitoring patients' response to treatment, applicable to field conditions, would aid management and control of drug resistant P. falciparum infect ions. In this study, mutation specific polymerase chain reaction assays using 3'-mismatched oligonucleotide primers which annealed to the wild or mutated parasites gene encoding dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylat...
Abstract Natural organic matter (NOM) is a generic term for a mixture of organic, slightly watersoluble components found in soil, sediment and natural waters, which represents severe challenges for the process control in water treatment plants as well as water distribution systems. The effective removal of NOM during drinking water treatment requires a good understanding of its character. The current study aimed to identify and quantify NOM present in the Windhoek Goreangab Operating Company...
ABSTRACT Small mammals host diverse communities of both ectoparasites (e.g. fleas and ticks) and endoparasites (e.g. bacteria and viruses). Some parasites are vectors of diseases that infect both humans and wildlife. The main objective of the study was to discover and molecularly characterize novel Hantaviruses and Arenaviruses and to determine the prevalence and intensity of fleas on small mammals in selected areas of Namibia. Small mammals were trapped from six different regions and screen...
ABSTRACT Diospyros lycioides and Euclea divinorum commonly known as muswiti and mutakula respectively in Zambezi region are indigenous to Namibia and belong to the family Ebenaceae. The twigs and roots from these plants are commonly used as chewing sticks in Namibia. If properly used, the chewing sticks have proven to be effective in removing dental plaque due to mechanical cleaning and enhanced salivation. Chewing sticks from other plants have been shown to display antimicrobial activities ...
Abstract Oshikundu/Ontaku is a nonalcoholic, acidic, opaque fermented beverage. It is comprised of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) meal/flour, commonly known as mahangu, malts of pearl millet or sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench) and/or brans (pearl millet). Brewing of oshikundu remains an art in households with no empirical improvement of a controlled fermentation flow process to give a consistent product. Some of the major limitations to the formal commercialisation of thi...
INTRODUCTION The damming of the Volta River in Ghana has stimulated an interest in the fisheries potential of the new lake.
ABSTRACT Malaria is on the decline in Namibia and the country is moving towards pre-elimination of the disease. However, some communities preferring traditional medicines and not accepting allopathic medicine may prevent elimination. Ethnomedicines need to be integrated into mainstream malaria case management to achieve malaria elimination by 2020. To do so, they need to be documented and validated to allow their safe and effective use. Seven indigenous plants were investigated for antiplasmo...
ABSTRACT Maternal mortality is a major health concern in Namibia as it is the case in most countries. The rate at which women are dying due to pregnancy related causes is high and the cause as well as risk factors are not well explored. The main objective of this research was to identify the causes and risk factors associated with maternal mortality in Namibia and thus the study described the socio-demographic characteristics and three delays that lead to maternal deaths in Namibia. The paper...
ABSTRACT This study explored the impact of small-scale mining activities on the environment in two regions in Namibia: Erongo (examples: Uis, Neu Schwaben, Xoboxobos) and Omaheke (example: Otjinene). Limited research is done on the activities of small-scale mining in Namibia which results in unavailability of data. Although recent studies reveal that about 5 000 to 10 000 Namibians work as small-scale miners, information about mining activities in Namibia remain a rare commodity. Small-scale ...
ABSTRACT This study explored the impact of small-scale mining activities on the environment in two regions in Namibia: Erongo (examples: Uis, Neu Schwaben, Xoboxobos) and Omaheke (example: Otjinene). Limited research is done on the activities of small-scale mining in Namibia which results in unavailability of data. Although recent studies reveal that about 5 000 to 10 000 Namibians work as small-scale miners, information about mining activities in Namibia remain a rare commodity. Small-scale ...
ABSTRACT Namibia had a tuberculosis (TB) case notification rate of 589 per 100 000 population in 2010. TB diagnostic methods, especially the conventional microbial culture to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), takes long to produce results and those with active TB can spread the infection and treatment is delayed. Immunodiagnosis of TB by interferon-gamma (IFN-ɣ) release assays is relatively very rapid, in comparison to culture, as results can be obtained within 24 hours. T...
ABSTRACT It is generally assumed that herbivores acquire gastrointestinal anthrax by ingesting spores, hence information on foraging behaviour of ungulates can be a fundamental component in understanding epidemiology of anthrax. This study investigated seasonal foraging behaviour in relation to the timing of anthrax mortalities in zebras (wet season, anthrax peak) and elephants (dry season, anthrax peak) in Etosha National Park. Zebra diet composition and foraging efficiency was determined us...
Abstract The genus Ganoderma Karst. (1881) is the largest and most complex genus of polypore fungi, characterized by the presence of pores instead of the gills on the lower side of the fruiting body. The colonisation of Ganoderma species on trees is noticed by the appearance of their cap shaped, hard, crusty and shiny fruiting bodies. Ganoderma extract have been used for centuries in Asia’s traditional medicine and to date Ganoderma mushrooms are an important source of modern medicinal and ...
Abstract The savanna biomes are characterised by a coexistence of two antagonist – woody plants and herbaceous plants in defiance of competition theories. Scientific efforts to understand this unique coexistence are still largely inconclusive; various theories have been proposed, but no unanimous theoretical framework exists to date. Among these theories, the root niche-partitioning model offers the most popular, yet the most controversially debated viewpoint. It argues that this coexistenc...
ABSTRACT Medicinal plants are a rich source of phytochemicals, and are used traditionally for treatment of many ailments, and thus are of great ethnomedicinal importance. This study presents work on phytochemical analysis, in vitro antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity evaluation of medicinal plant Hydnora abyssinica. H. abyssinica is a medicinal plant indigenous to Namibia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa and Sudan. Preliminary phytochemical screening was done by co...