BackgroundIntestinal parasitic infections are a major health problem worldwide. In Kenya intestinal parasitic infections are highly prevalent especially in prisons due to poor and/or inadequate infrastructure. The aim of this study was to establish the risk factors associated with intestinal parasites infection among inmates of Kisii prison, Kisii county, Kenya.MethodsFresh stool samples of 384 inmates in Kisii prison aged 20 years and above, were screened for intestinal parasitic infections between February and August 2015. Stool samples were processed using direct fecal smear and formol-ether sedimentation techniques for confirmation then they were examined microscopically. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to establish the relationship of various factors and practices with the occurrence of intestinal parasites. The differences were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05.Results and discussionOf the 384 inmates screened, 95 (24.7 %) were infected with one or more intestinal parasites. Of the positive inmates, 58 (15.1 %) were infected with one species of protozoa while 24 (5.2 %) were infected with at least one species of helminthes and 13 (3.5 %) had mixed infections of species of intestinal parasites. Washing of hands before meals and after visiting toilets significantly reduced risk of infections (P < 0.05). The level of education was inversely related to the risk of intestinal parasites infection where by inmates at post primary education were least infected with intestinal parasites infection as compared to unschooled inmates (P < 0.05). Wearing of shoes was seen to significantly reduce parasitic infections (P ≤ 0.05). Duties assigned to inmates did not significantly determine the risk of intestinal parasitic infection (P > 0.05). Male inmates had significantly more intestinal parasites infections 57 (21.8 %) compared to females 28 (8.1 %) (P < 0.05). Inmates within ages 20–29 years were more infected (11.3 %) compared to the age group of >60 years (0.6 %) (P < 0.05). There was no statistical significant difference between the number of infections among the length of the jail terms (P < 0.05).ConclusionsPrevalence of intestinal parasites was high among inmates in the study area than the general population. Practices like wearing of shoes, washing of hands before meals after visiting a toilet and level of education affect the spread of the infections.

ABSTRACT. Objectives: Mortality and morbidity due to diarrheal diseases among children below the age of five has been increasing especially in the developing countries. This infection has not got attention like other health issues at national or regional levels. Documenting the risk prevalence and factors that influence the occurrence of the diarrheal diseases help to inform the and to develop preventive strategies for the county of study and the country at large. Results: There was high prevalence of gastro intestinal protozoan infection with 34(28.3%) children infected with either Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia or both (co infections). Female children were 2.1 times less likely to be infected with gastro intestinal protozoa than their male counterparts, though not statistic ally different (P=0.392). Keywords: Gastro intestinal protozoans, diarrhea, children under 5 years

Background : Pneumonia remains the leading cause of death in children under five worldwide, accounting for about 1.6 million deaths a year. Streptococcus pneumonia , has proved to be the most competent bacterial pathogen causing pneumonia infections among the infants and the elderly, leading to great morbidity and mortality. Currently there are over 94 different serotypes of Streptococcus pneumonia , and quite a number have emerged as drug-resistant strains which introduce a twist to the current treatment strategies. Detailed information of current antibiotic susceptibilities, resistance and serotype distribution will be important in designing new strategies for treatment and management of pneumococcal infections. Methods: A total of 309 S. pneumoniae isolates were collected from patients attending the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital between 2017 and 2018. Nasopharyngeal samples collected and serotyped using PCR. The samples were cultured and their sensitivity to drugs tested using various concentrations of; Oxacilin, Erythromycin, Tetracycline, Ofloxacin, Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and Chloramphenicol. Results: Out of the 309 samples collected, 235 were positive for S. pneumonia, although 10 of the samples had incomplete data. A total of 41 S. pneumonia serotypes isolated from the 309 samples with the most prevalent serotypes being; Non-typable (11%), 15B (7.6%), 19F (7.0%), 19A (6.7%), 23B (5.8%), 23F (5.3%), 6A (4.4%). All the serotypes were highly resistant to Oxacilin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, while showing high sensitivity to Erythromycin, Ofloxacin and chloramphenicol. The rate of sensitivity to Tetracycline was 75% with the other 25% showing intermediate sensitivity. Conclusions: The data collected showed a high rate of S. pneumonia (76%) consisting of various serotypes for various ages. The various serotypes isolated showed a marked resistance routinely used antibiotics for patient samples of various ages. The isolated serotypes also consisted of serotypes 19A, 6A, and 5B that are lacking in the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV 10). This data will provide relevant information for a better approach to both clinical treatment, management and prevention of infections with S. pneumonia.