Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine

49-52

Authors: Eunice A Owino

None.

56-62

Authors: Zelalem Gebretsadik Anebo, Nurrettin Abacioglu

Objective: To examine the frequency and profile of spontaneous reports of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) sent to Ethiopia's pharmacovigilance (PV) database system. Methods: The descriptive and retrospective study analysed spontaneous ADR complaints reported to the PV database by healthcare professionals between 2013 and 2018. Spontaneous ADR reports that reached the PV center and met the minimum reporting criteria were identified and assessed in terms of reporting rate, patient characteristics, type of ADRs, suspected drugs, report sources, and reporters’ profession. Results: A total of 657 spontaneous ADR reports were filed to the PV center between 2013 and 2018. During the study period, the reporting pattern of ADRs changed dramatically. The number of reports increased from 2013 (n=12) and peaked in 2015 (n=205), and then declined from 2016 to 2018 (n=144, 142 and 65 in 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively). Females had a higher percentage of reported cases (56.3%) than males (43.7%). The highest number of ADRs was reported in the age categories of 15-64 years (475, 72.3%), followed by 0-14 years (154, 23.4%), and 65 years and above (21, 3.2%). Pharmacists reported the majority of ADRs (81.7%), followed by health officers (7.2%), nurses (5.8%), and physicians (5.2%). Skin and subcutaneous tissue abnormalities were the most commonly reported ADRs. The anatomical therapeutic chemicals code class "anti-infective for systemic use" was the most usually suspected medication. Trimethoprim with sulfamethoxazole as a combination ADRs was the most commonly reported drug that cause ADRs (14.2%). Conclusions: The number of ADRs reported in Ethiopia was small and unpredictable compared to developed countries, indicating the performance of PV system and level of awareness of health care professionals towards ADR reporting was not satisfactory. In order to increase the frequency of spontaneous reports, more efficient PV methods and public policies must be implemented.

71-78

Authors: Guilherme S. Machado, Rosane L. Lopes, Simone S. C. Oliveira, Simone P. C. Freitas, Jacenir R. Santos- Mallet, André L. S. Santos, Denise Feder, Suzete A. O. Gomes

Objective: To investigate the morphological structure of ovarian follicular cells and biochemical parameters of both ovaries and fat bodies (sites of vitellogenesis) from Rhodnius (R.) prolixus infected with Trypanosoma (T.) rangeli. Methods: Adult virgin females of R. prolixus were fed upon a membrane apparatus containing heat-inactivated citrated rabbit blood and a suspension of T. rangeli epimastigotes (Macias strain). Females from the control group and all the males received parasitefree blood. Transmission electron microscopy was used to reveal the morphological aspects of ovarian follicle cells in both control and parasite-infected groups. Protein profile, proteolytic activities and Western blotting analyses were performed in either ovary or fat body samples of control and parasite-infected groups. Results: According to the ultrastructural data, T. rangeli infection elicited a degeneration process in the ovarian follicular cells of R. prolixus. Proteolytic assays indicated a reduction in the activity of aspartic peptidases in the ovary and fat body from parasite-infected group, while a significant increase in the cysteine peptidase activity was measured in both insect organs. Additionally, immunoblotting revealed that vitellogenin was overexpressed in the ovary of parasite-infected insects. Conclusions: T. rangeli infection seems to elicit an early programmed cell death in the ovarian follicle cells as well as induces the modulation on the activities of different peptidase classes in either ovaries or fat bodies and the overexpression of the vitellogenin in the ovary of R. prolixus.

87-89

Authors: Majed Hamdi Wakid, Angham Ahmed Almakki, Nouf Saleh Alsahaf, Mohammed Ali Almatrafi

Rationale: Human myiasis is the invasion of tissue or organs by fly larvae. This could be obligatory, facultative, or accidental. Patient concerns: A 4-year-old Saudi boy complained of fever over the past three days with multiple inflamed painful dermal furuncles and worms-like discharge. Diagnosis: Furuncular obligatory myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica. Interventions: Maggots were removed for identification. The wounds were cleaned with antiseptic dressings. Topical and oral antibiotics were applied. Outcomes: Seven days later, the wounds completely healed. Lessons: Although several reports correlated human myiasis with old age, low health status, mental retardation, and low socioeconomic status, but the patient in our case was a healthy child from a family with good socioeconomic status, good hygiene, no history of diseases or mental disability, but traveled to a village where the climate is suitable for fly breeding.

93-94

Authors: Rujittika Mungmunpuntipantip，Viroj Wiwanitkit

None.