Background. The WHO targets to end HIV/AIDS as a public health problem by 2030. The introduction of the ambitious “90-90-90” strategy to attain this target is expected to be achieved by the year 2020. However, there is lack of regional data, especially on the third “90.” This study sought to assess the rate and associated factors of viral suppression among people living with HIV (PLWH) on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) at the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Clinic in a Ghanaian health facility.Method. The study design was a retrospective analysis of secondary data of 284 HIV registrants on HAART for at least 6 months at the ART Clinic from July 2016 to April 2019. Data on sociodemography including age, gender, marital status, education, and occupation as well as pharmacological (type of medication and duration on medication) and laboratory variable (current viral load results) were extracted from patients’ folders. Viral suppression and failure were determined using the WHO definitions (viral suppression as viral load 3 years as factors associated with viral suppression.

Background. Bloodstream infections are among the top causes of morbidity and mortality in people of all ages, especially in immunocompromised patients in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed at describing the epidemiology of bloodstream infections and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern over a nine-year period at St. Dominic Hospital, Akwatia, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Method. This study retrospectively analysed data from 4,489 patients who were referred to the Laboratory Department for blood culture and sensitivity testing from January 2009 to December 2017. Sociodemographic data included age, gender, and patients’ department. Blood culture results were retrieved from archival records in the laboratory. The authorities of St. Dominic Hospital granted approval for the study. Results. The incidence of bloodstream infection over the 9 years was 51.4 positive cultures per 100,000 hospital attendance. Staphylococcus aureus was the leading causative agent of bacteraemia for the first two scalar years (2009–2011 (38.9%) and 2012–2014 (42.2%)) while coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CoNS) (50.5%) was predominant for the last scalar year (2015–2017), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (169/587 (28.8%)). The highest incidence of bloodstream infections was recorded in the wet seasons (months of May (8.9 per 10,000 persons) and October (10.1 per 10,000 persons)). The bacterial isolates demonstrated high resistance to tetracyclines (390/531 (73.4%)), penicillins (1282/1669 (76.8%)), and sulphonamides (450/499 (90.2%)). Conclusion. Bloodstream infection and antimicrobial resistance are high in patients seeking healthcare in Akwatia. This therefore calls for concerted efforts aimed at reducing the incidence in the study area.

Annually, ten million cases of tuberculosis (TB) and about 1.8 million mortalities are recorded. Adherence to TB treatment not only reduces death outcomes but prevents prolonged sickness, transmission to others, and the development of multidrug-resistant TB. This study is aimed at determining the rate of treatment adherence, knowledge of TB infection, and the possible factors influencing adherence to TB treatment in the Ketu North District in the Volta Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional study design was employed. A semistructured questionnaire was used to obtain data from respondents. Adherence to TB treatment and knowledge level about TB infection were assessed. A Chi-square test analysis was used to determine the variables that were associated with treatment adherence. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine potential factors that contribute to treatment adherence. A total of 125 TB registrants were enrolled in the study. The majority (102 (81.6%)) adhered to the TB treatment regimen. However, the level of knowledge about night sweat being a symptom of TB infection was relatively low (78 (62.4%)). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the male gender was about three times more likely ( , ; ) to be associated with adherence to TB treatment. However, food availability ( , 95% CI (0.848-5.753); ) and household size ( , 95% CI (0.195-1.483); ) were not significantly associated with treatment adherence. In this study, adherence to TB treatment and the knowledge level of TB infection were high. However, the knowledge level of night sweat being a symptom of TB infection was relatively low. Being a male was significantly associated with treatment adherence. An intensified health education on the symptoms of TB infection is therefore recommended.

BACKGROUND፡ The study investigated intestinal parasitic infestations (IPIs) and possible risk factors associated with asymptomatic children under five (5) years in five (5) selected communities in the Ho Municipality.METHODS: The study design was cross- sectional, with a simple random sampling technique involving 150 asymptomatic children under 5 years from 5 selected communities (Klave, Hoe, Freetown, Dave and Godokpe) in the Ho Municipality. A questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographics and other relevant parameters. Direct wet preparation, formol-ether concentration and Modified ZN staining techniques were used for the identification of intestinal parasites from participants’ stool samples. The Fisher’s exact test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to determine the difference in IPIs proportions and assess the risk factors associated with IPIs respectively.RESULTS: The overall IPIs cases was 14% (21/150). Cryptosporidium spp was most predominant [5.3% (8/150)], followed by Entamoeba spp [3.3% (5/150)], Cyclospora cayetenensis [2.7% (4/150)], Ascaris lumbricoides [1.3% (2/150)], Giardia lamblia [0.7% (1/150)] and Strongyloides stercoralis [0.7% (1/150)]. Children in rural communities (23.4%) recorded significantly higher case rate compared to those in urban communities (9.8%0), (p=0.04). Lower educational attainment of mother [OR=0.55, 95% CI (0.37 – 0.83), p-value = 0.015] andresidence in rural communities [OR = 0.53, 95% CI (0.33 –0.88)], p-value = 0.025] were significantly associated with IPIs.CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic IPIs are quite prevalent among children under 5 years in the Ho Municipality. The study thus recommends active sensitization programs for parents/guardians on preventive measures and school health programs should be instituted in rural communities.

Background. Escherichia coli bacteria are Gram‐negative, non‐spore‐forming aerobes or facultative anaerobic rods. Some strains are pathogenic in men while others are commensals in the gut. The pathogenic strains cause a wide array of diseases by virtue of virulence factors. The commensal strains are generally categorized into phylogenetic groups A and B1. The aim of this study was to determine the association between phylogeny of E. coli isolates and virulence and sociodemographic characteristics of the study subjects. Method. This study was a cross‐sectional study carried out from July 2018 to June 2019. E. coli isolates obtained from different clinical specimens were subjected to polymerase chain reaction to determine their phylogenetic groupings and virulence. Results. The majority of the isolates belonged to phylogroup A 101 (74.8%), and the predominant virulent gene was fimA (88.9%). There was no significant correlation between phylogenicity and virulence, except for chuA which was found in all isolates that belonged to phylogroups clade I and D. None of the 101 isolates that belonged to group A had the chuA virulence gene. There was a significant association between patient age category and phylogenetic groups B1 and D. Conclusions. This study assessed the relationship between the phylogenetic distribution and the virulence profile of clinical isolates of E. coli. The virulence of isolates belonging to phylogroup A, which are generally considered as commensals, is alarming. Measures must therefore be put in place to control the spread of these virulent E. coli.

Background. Effective and successful treatment of infectious diseases is a significant gain in clinical settings. However, resistance to antibiotics, especially the last-resort medicines, including carbapenems and colistin is on the rise. Aim. The aim of this study was to detect carbapenemase production and colistin-resistant genes in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli. Method. The study was a cross-sectional study carried out from July 2018 to June 2019. One hundred and thirty-five nonrepetitive E. coli isolates obtained from various clinical samples were screened for carbapenemase production using meropenem (10μg) and imipenem (10μg) disks. Screened-positive isolates were further subjected to a confirmatory test using modified carbapenem inhibition method (mCIM). Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from all the isolates to detect colistin-resistant genes by polymerase chain reaction. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 8.00 for Windows and IBM SPSS version 26 (IMB Corp. New York, USA). Results. Of the 135 isolates, 2 were screened positive for carbapenemase production but tested negative to mCIM. With the colistin-resistant genes, only mcr-1 and mcr-2_700 bp were detected in 3 of the E. coli isolates, representing 2.2. The mcr-1 was detected in a high vaginal swab sample of a female aged between 65 and 84 years. Mcr-2_700 bp was also detected in urine and blood samples of the patients. Conclusion. The study investigated the presence of carbapenemase and colistin-resistant genes in E. coli organisms. The absence of carbapenemase in the isolates and the detection of colistin-genes call for strict infection prevention and control practices to prevent their introduction and spread to other bacterial species, respectively.