marie bissong - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by marie bissong

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, Apr 5, 2022

Background: The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Cameroon was recorded in Mar... more Background: The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Cameroon was recorded in March 2020. In response to the pandemic, most countries like Cameroon instituted a number of control measures to curb its spread accross the country. These COVID-19 control measures added to the fear of this disease within the population may have led to other detrimental health effects like: the pattern of hospitalizations and hospital outcomes. Methods: We did a cross-sectional study with data from in-patient admission records of children admitted to the pediatric ward of the Regional Hospital Bamenda over a 24 months period (1st of March 2019 to the 28th of February 2021). The pre-pandemic period in Cameroon (that is, the first 12 months, from March 2019 to February 2020) and the pandemic period (that is, the last 12 months, from March 2020 to February 2021) were compared. Results: A total of 2282 hospitalization records were included in the study. Most of the hospitalized children were males (57.23%). There was a 19.03% decline in pediatric hospitalizations during the first 12 months of the pandemic, which was statistically significant (p ¼ 0.00024). The causes of hospitalizations and mortality remained similar over both periods, with severe malaria, the leading cause of admissions. Hospital deaths before and during the pandemic were 1.6% and 1.9%, respectively. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant decline in pediatric hospitalizations during the first 12 months of the pandemic as compared to the same period before the pandemic. Hospital mortality and causes of hospitalizations remained similar over both the periods.

Veterinary World, Nov 30, 2022

Background and Aim: Livestock are associated with pathogenic microbes and farm workers play a sig... more Background and Aim: Livestock are associated with pathogenic microbes and farm workers play a significant role in the transmission of zoonotic diseases (ZDs). Lack of awareness of exposure risk among farmers may influence their farm practices, thereby enhancing the spread of diseases on farms and to the community. This study was aimed at evaluating the knowledge, risk perception, and prevention and control practices of ZDs among poultry farmers to provide baseline data for establishing a "One Health" practical approach to reducing ZD transmission in poultry farms. Materials and Methods: Using the exponential discriminative snowball technique, a community-based cross-sectional study involving poultry farmers was carried out in the Buea Health District from April to July 2021. Six feed-producing mills were used as focal points to identify and recruit farmers who were also referred to other farmers. Questionnaires were used to collect data related to participants' knowledge, risk perception, and prevention and control practices of ZDs. Descriptive analyses were performed for all variables while the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to determine associations at 95% confidence level. Results: In all, 183 poultry farms and 207 workers were enrolled in the study. Despite being aware that animal diseases can be transmitted to humans, most participants showed poor knowledge (54.6%), low-risk perception (51.7%), and poor prevention/control practices (54.1%) on ZDs. The majority did not consider coming in contact with birds' body fluid (blood) or apparently healthy birds to be a risk of infection. More participants with small farms (<500 birds) had low-risk perception of ZDs than those with larger farms (>1000 birds) (p = 0.03). Furthermore, most participants reported practicing hand washing but they neither used protective devices such as gloves and face masks, and >50% would not invite veterinary professionals to their farms. There was a significant association between risk perception and knowledge (p = 0.007; CI = 1.257-4.200) as well as between risk perception and prevention/control practice (p = 0.002; CI = 1.451-4.867). Conclusion: Poultry farm workers in Buea had poor knowledge and perception of ZD risk and this might have contributed to their poor prevention/control practices on the farms. Enhanced informal education of poultry farmers through training workshops and seminars will improve their knowledge and skills on ZD transmission risk and prevention.

African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology, 2015

Malaria parasitemia and HIV/AIDS coinfection is very common particularly in sub-Saharan Africa wh... more Malaria parasitemia and HIV/AIDS coinfection is very common particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where the burden of both infections fall. Therefore, an understanding of how the two infections interact is important for the control of both diseases. In Cameroon some studies have been carried out on the prevalence of malaria parasitemia in HIV with varying results. A high prevalence of malaria parasitemia among these individuals could imply the need for systematic screening and/or treatment of HIV individuals for possible malaria infection hence improving on the care of these individuals. A low prevalence could also imply limiting resources directed towards the diagnosis of malaria in HIV individuals. Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in HIV/AIDS individuals in Bamenda Regional Hospital (BRH) Treatment Center. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 310 HIV-positive individuals attending the BRH HIV/AIDS Treatment Centre during a period of 3 months from 1st of February to April 30th 2018. Participants' consent was obtained followed by sociodemographic and other useful data via a standardized questionnaire. Capillary blood samples were collected and malaria parasitaemia determined by blood smear microscopy. Results: An overall malaria parasitemia prevalence of 24.5% was observed in this study with mean parasite density of 150 trophozoites/µL. Malaria parasitemia prevalence was significantly higher in HAART naïve (37.5%) individuals than HAART experienced (23.81%) individuals (p<0.05). The differences in level of parasite density in relation to gender and marital status were statistically significant (p<0.05) while that of the various age groups was not significant (p<0.05). Lower CD4 count levels were significantly related to high density malaria parasitemia (p<0.05). Also the percentage of parasite density >400 trophozoites/µL was higher (80%) in those not using cotrimoxazole prophylaxis than those on cotrimoxazole prophylaxis (20%). Hence non-use of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis was significantly associated with high density malaria parasitemia (p<0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of malaria parasitemia in HIV/AIDS individuals was high in the study area and malaria parasitemia prevalence in HAART naïve individuals was significantly higher than in HAART experienced individuals. Also gender, marital status low CD4 count and non use of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis were significantly related to high density malaria parasitemia.

BJPsych Open

Background Tuberculosis remains a public health problem, particularly in developing countries. Pa... more Background Tuberculosis remains a public health problem, particularly in developing countries. Patients with tuberculosis often suffer from anxiety and depression, which is likely to affect adherence to the long course of tuberculosis treatment. Aims This study sought to investigate depression, anxiety and medication adherence among Cameroonian tuberculosis patients. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2022 across five treatment centres in Fako Division, Southwest Region, Cameroon. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews with tuberculosis patients using a structured questionnaire. Sociodemographic information was obtained, and the following tools were administered to participants: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Oslo Social Support Scale, and the Medication Adherence Rating Scale. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted to investigate determinants of depression and anxiety. Results A total of 375 participants were recruited ...

Background Livestock are associated with pathogenic microbes and farm workers play a signi cant r... more Background Livestock are associated with pathogenic microbes and farm workers play a signi cant role in the transmission of zoonotic diseases (ZDs). Lack of awareness of exposure risk among farmers may in uence their farm practices thereby enhancing the spread of diseases in farms and to the community. This study aimed at evaluating the knowledge, risk perception and prevention and control practices of ZDs among poultry farmers in order to baseline data for establishing a one health practical approach to reducing zoonotic disease transmission in poultry farms. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study involving poultry farmers was carried out in the Buea Health District from April to July 2021, using a multi-stage sampling technique. Six feed-producing mills were used as focal points to meet farmers and the snowball technique was used to trace the farms. Questionnaires were used to collect data related to participants' knowledge, risk perception and preventive and control practices of ZDs. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 25. Results In all, 183 poultry farms and 207 workers were enrolled in the study. Despite being aware that animal diseases can be transmitted to humans, most participants showed poor knowledge, poor risk perception and poor prevention/control practices on ZDs. Majority did not consider coming in contact with bird's blood/body uid or apparently healthy birds to be a risk of infection. More participants with small farm size (< 500 birds) had low risk perception to ZDs than those with larger farms (> 1000 birds) (P = 0.03). Furthermore, most participants reported practicing hand washing but they neither used protective devices such as gloves and face mask and > 50% would not invite veterinary professionals to their farms. There was signi cant association between risk perception and knowledge (P = 0.007; CI = 1.257-4.200) as well as between risk perception and prevention/control practice (P = 0.002; CI = 1.451-4.867). Conclusion Poultry farm workers in Buea have poor knowledge and perception on zoonotic disease risk and this has contributed to their poor prevention/control practices in the farms. Enhanced informal education of farm owners and workers through training workshops and seminars will improve on their knowledge and skills on zoonotic disease transmission risk and prevention.

African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology

Background: Mobile phones are increasingly associated with the transmission of pathogenic microbi... more Background: Mobile phones are increasingly associated with the transmission of pathogenic microbial agents. In the clinical setting where there is usually high exposure to pathogens, these devices may serve as vehicles for the transmission/spread of pathogens. This study determined the prevalence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones of health workers and the predisposing factors, in order to ascertain the risk of transmission of pathogenic bacteria through mobile phones.Methodology: This study was carried out in a private medical center at Mbouda, Cameroon, involving 78 health workers including health professionals (nurses, physicians, laboratory scientists) and hospital support workers (cleaners, cashiers and security guards), recruited by convenient sampling. Sterile swab sticks moistened with physiological saline were used to swab about three quarter of the surface of each phone. The swabs were cultured on MacConkey and Mannitol Salt agar plates which were incubated aerobi...

Odonto-stomatologie tropicale = Tropical dental journal, 2015

INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus affects virtually all tissues and organs the body including the ha... more INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus affects virtually all tissues and organs the body including the hard and soft issues of the oral cavity, manifesting with several complications. OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of oral diseases in diabetics and non-diabetics and to correlate oral diseases with glycaemic control. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was an observational study involving 149 diabetic patients recruited from hospitals in Southwest Region of Cameroon and 102 non-diabetic controls drawn from the general population. The study participants were aged 18 years and above. Data were collected using questionnaires, oral examination and laboratory tests. Oral examination was conducted to assess dental plaque, calculus, dental caries, periodontitis, gingivitis and candidiasis. Glycemic status was assessed by measuring glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels using standardized methods. RESULTS Thirty five out of 149 (23.5%) diabetic patients had gingivitis; 37 (24.8%) had periodontitis; 29 (19.5%...

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2019

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of serious in... more Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of serious infections in humans worldwide. Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis are the principal species that are frequently associated with vancomycin resistance determinants, thus usually implicated in hospital- and community-acquired infections in humans. The study aim was to determine the antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of VREs isolated from surface and groundwater samples that are used by humans in the North West Province, South Africa. A total of 170 water samples were collected and analyzed. Eighty-one potential isolates were screened for characteristics of Enterococcus species using preliminary biochemical tests, PCR assays and sequence analysis. The antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolates against nine antibiotics were determined and a dendrogram was generated to access the relatedness of the isolates. The isolates were screened for the presence of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes by multiplex PCR analysis. A total of 56 isolates were confirmed as Enterococcus species and the proportion of E. faecium (46.9%) was higher than E. faecalis (29%) and E. saccharolyticus (1.2%). Sequence data of E. faecium, E. faecalis, and E. saccharolyticus isolates revealed 97 to 98% similarities to clinical strains deposited in NCBI Genbank. Large proportions (44; 78.6%) of the isolates were resistant to vancomycin while 16 and 3.6% of the isolates possessed the vanA and vanB genes respectively. The MAR phenotype Vancomycin-Nalidixic Acid-Streptomycin-Chloramphenicol-Ampicillin-Oxytetracycline-Gentamycin-Nitrofurantoin-Sulphamethoxazole indicated that some isolates were resistant to all of the nine antibiotics tested. Cluster analysis of antibiotic resistance data revealed two major clusters. Sixteen (36.4%), 14 (27.3%), 3 (6.8%), and 2 (4.5%) of the VRE isolates possessed the gel, asa1, hyl, and esp virulence genes respectively while the cylA gene was not detected in the study. Multiple antibiotic-resistant enterococci were also resistant to vancomycin and possessed virulence determinants indicating that they can pose severe public health complications on individuals who consume contaminated water.

American Journal of Health Research, 2017

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the common bacterial infections in humans both in the c... more Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the common bacterial infections in humans both in the community and hospital settings. In spite of the availability and use of antimicrobial drugs, UTIs have shown increasing trends in recent years. Antimicrobial resistance among uropathogens is a serious health threat as this may complicate treatment, eventually resulting to more severe disease. Despite the importance of UTI, there is paucity of information on the aetiology of this disease especially in the Northwest Region. For that reason, the present study was designed with the aim to determine the spectrum of uropathogens and antimicrobial resistance of isolates in cases of symptomatic bacteriuria. To achieve this goal, midstream urine specimens were inoculated unto CLED media and isolates were identified using the Enterosystem 18R. Significant bacteriuria was considered with bacterial growth of ≥10 5 CFU/ml. Susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method and the accuracy of the dipstick test was determined using culture as a gold standard. Significant bacteriuria was observed in 50% of the participants and the predominant uropathogens isolated were P. aeruginosa (22.4%), Klebsiella spp (14.3%), S. aureus (14.3%), CNS (14.3%) and E. coli (12.2%). High resistance (80-98%) among uropathogens was observed against clindamycin, amoxicillin and doxycycline. For the dipstick test, leucocyte esterase and nitrite showed high sensitivity (93.9%) and specificity (100%) respectively, for detecting UTI. The results of this study highlights the importance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the aetiology of both community and hospital acquired UTIs. In addition, gentamicin is the most effective agent against uropathogens in the study area.

African health sciences, 2013

African Health Sciences, 2013

Background: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is common in diabetics and predisposes these patients ... more Background: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is common in diabetics and predisposes these patients to more severe urinary tract infections (UTIs). Reports on the prevalence and etiology of ASB especially in developing countries appear contradictory. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and etiology of ASB and antimicrobial resistance of urinary isolates in diabetics and non-diabetics. Methods: The study involved a total of 265 participants including 154 diabetes mellitus patients and 111 non-diabetics in Southwest Cameroon. Mid-stream urine was collected from consented subjects and each sample tested using the dipstick, microscopy and culture techniques. Isolates were identified using standard biochemical tests. Results: ASB was detected in 33.2% of participants; 38.3% in diabetics and 26.1% in non-diabetics (P = 0.03). Coagulasenegative staphylococci (CNS) were the predominant organisms (36.3%) isolated from urine in both diabetics and nondiabetics. Other isolates included Klebsiella sp (15.9%), Candida sp (13.7%), E. coli (10.8%) and Serratia sp (10.8%). Candida sp was isolated more from diabetics than non-diabetics (P = 0.01). There was no significant difference in resistance between diabetics and non-diabetics (P > 0.05). Most isolates showed multiple resistance and ciprofloxacin was the most active ingredient against bacterial uropathogens. Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of ASB in diabetics than in non-diabetics. A change in the aetiologic spectrum was observed with Staphylococcus sp accounting for majority of ASB. Most isolates showed multiple resistance in both diabetics and non-diabetics; therefore the need to speed up sensitization against antibiotic abuse in Southwest Cameroon.

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2011

Shiraz E-Medical Journal, 2018

Abstract. African tick-bite fever is an emerging infectious disease caused by the spotted fever g... more Abstract. African tick-bite fever is an emerging infectious disease caused by the spotted fever group Rickettsia, Rickettsia africae, and is transmitted by ticks of the genus Amblyomma. To determine the seroprevalence of exposure to R. africae and risk factors associated with infection, we conducted a cross-sectional study of persons in seven rural villages in distinct ecological habitats of Cameroon. We examined 903 plasma samples by using an indirect immunofluorescence assay for antibodies to R. africae and analyzed demographic and occupational data collected from questionnaires. Of the 903 persons tested, 243 (26.9%) had IgG/IgM/IgA reactive with R. africae. Persons from four of the seven village sites were significantly more likely to be seropositive ( P < 0.05), and lowland forest sites tended to have higher seroprevalences. These results suggest that African tick-bite fever is common in adults in rural areas of Cameroon and that ecological factors may play a role in the acq...

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major health problem worldwide. Diseases ... more Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major health problem worldwide. Diseases caused by these microorganisms most often are difficult to treat consequently, present with severe outcomes. Despite the increase association of MRSA in most hospital acquired infections, surveillance systems to control the spread of these infections are lacking especially in the developing countries. The present study is part of a major study developed to trail the incidence of multidrug resistant pathogens in clinical settings using available resources, with the aim to gather relevant data for the management and control of nosocomial infections. The specific objective of the current study is therefore to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of MRSA isolates from one of the largest hospitals in the country. This was a hospital based cross sectional study involving 114 participants, conducted between March and June 2016. Various clinical specimens were inoculated on ...

Science Journal of Clinical Medicine

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) and it accou... more Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) and it accounts for one third of all patients requiring renal replacement therapy in Africa. Diabetic patients with microalbuminuria (MA) have an increased risk of progression to macroalbuminuria and later to ESRD. So detecting MA which is a marker of DN helps to alert the clinician to intervene at a time when future renal damage is still preventable. The main goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of MA in diabetic patients at the Bamenda Regional Hospital. This study was a prospective cross sectional study involving diabetic patients at the Bamenda Regional Hospital. A random (spot) or first morning urine specimen was collected and MA was measured by a semi quantitative dipstick method using the URS-14H urine test strips. The prevalence of MA in the present study was 34.6%, which is high but similar to the results of other studies done in sub-Saharan Africa. Although MA was more common (50%) in individuals with diabetes more than 16 years, a high proportion (42.85%) of patients with MA had a duration of diabetes of ≤ 5years. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of MA with respect to age, gender and duration of diabetes. This study showed a high prevalence of MA in the diabetic population presenting at the Bamenda Regional Hospital. Consequently, measures of glycemic control should be enhanced in this population to prevent the progression to macroalbuminuria and ESRD.

BioMed Research International

Staphylococcus aureus is a major foodborne pathogen and commensal of the skin and mucous membrane... more Staphylococcus aureus is a major foodborne pathogen and commensal of the skin and mucous membranes of animals and humans. Its virulence relies on the production of a variety of toxins resistant to denaturing conditions. Increasing reports of S. aureus food poisoning and contamination of foods of animal origin elsewhere necessitates the investigation of these foods in Cameroon, to implement safety measures. This cross-sectional study evaluated S. aureus contamination in milk and beef in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, where cow milk is usually not pasteurized before consumption, and beef is the main source of protein. The distribution of antibiotic-resistant isolates and those with enterotoxin-producing potential was also investigated to provide data of public health and food safety benefit. S. aureus was isolated from 39 raw milk and 250 beef samples by standard methods. Confirmation of isolates was by PCR to detect the nuc gene. S. aureus was investigated for class...