Abdul k Kamara - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Abdul k Kamara

JCI insight, Jan 3, 2017

Sierra Leone was the most severely affected country in Western Africa during the 2013-2016 outbre... more Sierra Leone was the most severely affected country in Western Africa during the 2013-2016 outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD). Previous genome surveillance studies have revealed the origin, diversity, and evolutionary dynamics of the Ebola virus (EBOV); however, the information regarding EBOV sequences is insufficient, especially the clinical outcomes, given that the correlation between the clinical outcomes and the genetic evolution of EBOV is still not clear. Here, we collected and curated a comprehensive data set that includes 514 EBOV genome sequences from patients with confirmed EVD (including 60 sequences not previously studied), >87.5% of which have residence information and definitive clinical outcomes. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed 11 lineages of EBOV in Sierra Leone. The median-joining haplotype network showed that haplotypes that are associated with lethal outcomes tend to contribute more to the spread of the EBOV in Sierra Leone than those with live outcomes...

In serving this mission, IWMI concentrates on the integration of policies, technologies and manag... more In serving this mission, IWMI concentrates on the integration of policies, technologies and management systems to achieve workable solutions to real problems-practical, relevant results in the field of irrigation and water and land resources. The publications in this series cover a wide range of subjects-from computer modeling to experience with water user associations-and vary in content from directly applicable research to more basic studies, on which applied work ultimately depends. Some research reports are narrowly focused, analytical and detailed empirical studies; others are wide-ranging and synthetic overviews of generic problems. Although most of the reports are published by IWMI staff and their collaborators, we welcome contributions from others. Each report is reviewed internally by IWMI's own staff and Fellows, and by external reviewers. The reports are published and distributed both in hard copy and electronically (www.iwmi.org) and where possible all data and analyses will be available as separate downloadable files. Reports may be copied freely and cited with due acknowledgment.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2016

Sierra Leone is the most severely affected country by an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola virus di... more Sierra Leone is the most severely affected country by an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa. Although successfully contained, the transmission dynamics of EVD and the impact of interventions in the country remain unclear. We established a database of confirmed and suspected EVD cases from May 2014 to September 2015 in Sierra Leone and mapped the spatiotemporal distribution of cases at the chiefdom level. A Poisson transmission model revealed that the transmissibility at the chiefdom level, estimated as the average number of secondary infections caused by a patient per week, was reduced by 43% [95% confidence interval (CI): 30%, 52%] after October 2014, when the strategic plan of the United Nations Mission for Emergency Ebola Response was initiated, and by 65% (95% CI: 57%, 71%) after the end of December 2014, when 100% case isolation and safe burials were essentially achieved, both compared with before October 2014. Population density, proximity to Eb...

It is a great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to ILRI, the International Livestock ... more It is a great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to ILRI, the International Livestock Research Institute, and to this opening session of the workshop on 'Integrated water and land management research and capacity building priorities for Ethiopia'. We are delighted and honoured to host this event on ILRI's Addis Ababa campus in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Water Resources, the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO), the Ministry of Agriculture and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). We are particularly happy to have so many participants from partner organisations across the country and from abroad. You are very welcome.There is a family of 16 international agricultural research centres that work with many partners to improve agriculture and natural resources management around the globe. These are known as Future Harvest Centres. For those of you who can access the web, you will find more information about the Future Harvest Centres at www.futureharvest.org. ILRI and IWMI are parts of Future Harvest. Shortly, you will also learn more about IWMI and Future Harvest's priorities for research and management of water resources. ILRI was established in 1995 through the merger of the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA, a well-known institute in Ethiopia) and the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD) that was located in Kenya. What Ethiopians used to know as ILCA is now ILRI. In collaboration with many partners, ILRI conducts livestock related research in Asia, Africa and Latin America and it maintains close ties to many advanced research institutions in the more industrialised countries. It seeks to strengthen ties with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil societies whenever and wherever appropriate. Reducing poverty is a goal that we all share in common. As its goal, ILRI and its partners intend to reduce poverty and make sustainable development possible for livestock keepers, their families and the communities in which they live. It can become the unifying principle that drives future collaboration amongst all of us. Our vision is a world made better for the poor people in developing countries by improving agricultural systems in which livestock xii MoWR/

Acta Parasitologica

A myxospridian, Thelohanellus oculileucisci (Trojan, 1909) was found in the vitreous body of an e... more A myxospridian, Thelohanellus oculileucisci (Trojan, 1909) was found in the vitreous body of an eye of a dace, Leuciscus leuciscus (L.) from the river Bug near Kamienczyk, and Leuciscus idus from the river Vistula near Warszawa. The vegetative forms - several oval to round cysts, 0.4-0.5 mm in diameter, contained numerous, pear-shaped spores with one polar capsule at the narrower end. The parasite has not been noted until now in fish in Poland.

In spite of its major development challenges, Africa is showing signs of a reversed trend: econom... more In spite of its major development challenges, Africa is showing signs of a reversed trend: economies have been growing for the sixth consecutive year, conflicts are declining and many countries are now managing democratic political transitions. The continent now faces the best opportunity for growth in the past 30 years, as pessimism is gradually being replaced with greater confidence, assertiveness and optimism. The question that still remains critical is whether or not Africa will be able to sustain these positive trends. There is a consensus that for Africa to sustain this growth, it needs to harness science and technology in various sectors, integrate into global markets, and transform its economies to face the fierce global competition, in a world fueled by information and driven by knowledge. Against the background of declining knowledge infrastructure, brain-drain, limited support to research and development (R&D), outdated curricula and limited direct links between science a...

Global Health Action, 2015

Background and objectives: In 2012, Sierra Leone suffered a nationwide cholera epidemic which aff... more Background and objectives: In 2012, Sierra Leone suffered a nationwide cholera epidemic which affected the capital Freetown and also the provinces. This study aims to describe the characteristics and clinical management of patients admitted to cholera isolation wards of the main referral hospital in the Northern Province and compare management with standard guidelines. Design: All available clinical records of patients from the cholera isolation wards were reviewed retrospectively. There was no active case finding. The following data were collected from the clinical records after patients had left the ward: date of admission, demographics, symptoms, dehydration status, diagnoses, tests and treatments given, length of stay, and outcomes. Results: A total of 798 patients were admitted, of whom 443 (55.5%) were female. There were 18 deaths (2.3%). Assessment of dehydration status was recorded in 517 (64.8%) of clinical records. An alternative or additional diagnosis was made for 214 patients (26.8%). Intravenous (IV) fluids were prescribed to 767 patients (96.1%), including 95% of 141 patients who had documentation of being not severely dehydrated. A history of vomiting was documented in 92.1% of all patients. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) was given to 629 (78.8%) patients. Doxycycline was given to 380 (47.6%) patients, erythromycin to 34 (4.3%), and other antibiotics were used on 247 occasions. Zinc was given to 209 (26.2%). Discussion: This retrospective study highlights the need for efforts to improve the quality of triage, adherence to clinical guidance, and record keeping. Conclusions: Data collection and analysis of clinical practices during an epidemic situation would enable faster identification of those areas requiring intervention and improvement.

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2014

Background: This study describes phenotypic, genotypic and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of ... more Background: This study describes phenotypic, genotypic and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the strains isolated from the 2012 Sierra Leone cholera outbreak. Rectal swabs were collected from patients and cultured for Vibrio cholerae O1. Methods: The isolates were subjected to multiplex PCR, mismatch amplification mutation assay (MAMA) PCR, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and antibiotic sensitivity tests using disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) E-test following standard procedures. Results: Out of 17 rectal swabs tested, 15 yielded V. cholerae O1 biotype El Tor, serotype Ogawa. All the strains belonged to 'altered' variants as MAMA PCR result showed the presence of classical cholera toxin B. PFGE result revealed four pulse types. Using antibiotic disk diffusion, all the isolates were resistant to erythromycin, chloramphenicol, furazolidone, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT) except SL1 which was sensitive to chloramphenicol and SXT. All the isolates were sensitive to nalidixic acid, tetracycline, doxycycline, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin except SL2 which was resistant to nalidixic acid. However, variable sensitivity patterns were observed for kanamycin. The ranges of MIC were 0.125-0.50 mg/l, 0.003-0.023 mg/l and 0.38-0.75 mg/l for azithromycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline respectively. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that altered variants of V. cholerae O1 of four clonal types were responsible for the 2012 outbreak of cholera in Sierra Leone.

Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 2002

The reduction of state presence in irrigation and the transfer of management from government agen... more The reduction of state presence in irrigation and the transfer of management from government agencies to farmers or farming communities has become a widespread phenomenon, in response to the dual problem of low irrigation performance and constraints to public funding. The underlying principle is to encourage farmers and local communities to take responsibility for the management of local resources, and thereby limit external interventions to the provision information and institutional support services. As most of the schemes in question were not primarily designed for farmer management, experiences worldwide show a mixed picture of positive and negative results. The case of South Africa has recently received attention, as the few pilot schemes, especially in the Northern Province, do not seem to hold much promise of success. Current discussions on the subject raise a lot of issues and hypotheses about the subject of irrigation management transfer to farmers. The paper is an attempt to test some of these hypotheses in the African context, using the Arabie Scheme as a case study.

Conference …, 2005

Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa but it is also one of the poorest. It has trem... more Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa but it is also one of the poorest. It has tremendous land and water resources, but has had mixed experiences with promoting irrigation and other modern agricultural technologies. Promoting small-scale irrigation ( ...

Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 2005

The Borana rangelands occur in a semi-arid area in southern Ethiopia, characterized by extensive ... more The Borana rangelands occur in a semi-arid area in southern Ethiopia, characterized by extensive livestock production. The area is a valuable source of livestock that generates income and livelihoods for large numbers of rural dwellers, and export earnings for Ethiopia&amp;#39;s fragile economy. Despite the region&amp;#39;s high ecological potential vis-à-vis livestock production, the area is still in a crisis today with

… Association of South Africa held in …, 2003

There is growing evidence that many smallholder farmers can benefit from marketoriented agricultu... more There is growing evidence that many smallholder farmers can benefit from marketoriented agriculture. However, smallholders often face a number of barriers to accessing the markets. Smallholder market access is much cited as a factor that exacerbates the smallholder situation but little researched. This issue cannot be addressed completely without taking a holistic perspective that also takes into account the global trends in economic transformation that have a direct bearing on the current smallholder market access situation. A growing number of scholars advocate the need for an institutional analysis in trying to understand these issues.

The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 2009

Treadle pump (TP) technology has been promoted by Enterprise Works in West Africa as an alternati... more Treadle pump (TP) technology has been promoted by Enterprise Works in West Africa as an alternative to the traditional rope and bucket irrigation. The aim is to improve output and incomes and reduce poverty among farm households. This paper reports a short term (two years) assessment of the dynamics of its adoption and impacts, with a special focus on poverty

Center for the Study for African …, 1999

The Borana people are the predominant ethnic group on the Borana Plateau in southern Ethiopia. Th... more The Borana people are the predominant ethnic group on the Borana Plateau in southern Ethiopia. Though traditionally transhumant pastoralists, they have recently increased their reliance on crops. Rainfall in the region averages between 353 mm to 873 mm; variability in ...

The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,