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Monday, 13 August 2018
Typhoid and paratyphoid fever
Typhoid and paratyphoid fever are infections
caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi and
Salmonella Paratyphi. These infections are
mainly seen in people who have travelled
overseas to places with poor sanitation, such as
parts of Africa, Asia, South and Central America
and the Middle East.
Infections acquired in Australia are rare.
Read more about healthy international travel.
How do you get typhoid and
paratyphoid fever?
Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi can
be found in the blood, faeces (poo) and urine of
infected people, depending on the stage of the
illness. You become infected by taking in the
bacteria through your mouth.
This can be by drinking water or eating food
contaminated by sewage or food prepared by
people who are carriers of the bacterium.
You can also get typhoid and paratyphoid fever
if you come into contact with microscopic
amounts of faeces and urine from an ill person.
This may occur directly by close personal
contact, or indirectly by touching contaminated
surfaces such as taps, toilet flush buttons, toys and nappies.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Typhoid and paratyphoid fever affects the
whole body, not just the digestive system.
The start of symptoms for typhoid fever is
gradual and may begin with increasing
tiredness between 3 to 30 days (usually 8 to 14
days) after you have taken in the bacteria.
Symptoms can include:
tiredness (lethargy)
headache
fever
stomach pain
constipation or severe diarrhoea
rose coloured spots on the body
weight loss.
Paratyphoid fever has similar symptoms, but
the illness tends to be milder, with symptoms
usually beginning 1 to 10 days after taking in
the bacteria.
How do I know I have typhoid or
paratyphoid fever?
There are other infections that have symptoms
similar to typhoid and paratyphoid fever.
Laboratory testing of a faecal, urine or blood
specimen is necessary to confirm that
symptoms are due to infection with Salmonella
Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.
How are typhoid and paratyphoid
fever treated?
Typhoid and paratyphoid fever can be life-
threatening without appropriate treatment.
People with suspected or confirmed typhoid or
paratyphoid fever should:
drink plenty of fluids such as plain water or
oral rehydration drinks (available from
pharmacies) to avoid dehydration.
Dehydration is especially dangerous for
babies and the elderly.
avoid anti-vomiting or anti-diarrhoeal
medications unless these are prescribed or
recommended by a doctor.
take antibiotics as prescribed by a doctor –
these are usually required to relieve
symptoms and to reduce long term carriage
of the bacteria.
If you experience severe or prolonged
symptoms visit a doctor.
What do I do if I have typhoid or
paratyphoid fever?
Do not go to work or school for at least
24 hours after symptoms have finished.
People with typhoid or paratyphoid fever
who work in a high risk setting, including
health care, residential care or child care, or
handle food as part of their job, will be
contacted by their local public health unit to
discuss extra precautions and testing that
will be required before they can be cleared
to return to work.
Wash and dry your hands thoroughly after
going to the toilet.
Avoid preparing or handling food and drinks
for other people until at least 24 hours after
your symptoms have finished. If you must
handle or prepare food, thoroughly wash
your hands beforehand to reduce the risk of
spreading the infection to others.
Immediately remove and wash any clothes
or bedding contaminated with vomit or
diarrhoea using detergent and hot water.
After an episode of diarrhoea or vomiting,
clean contaminated surfaces (for example
benches, floors and toilets) immediately
using detergent and hot water. Then
disinfect surfaces using a bleach-based
product diluted according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.
Clean carpet or soft furnishings
contaminated with diarrhoea or vomit
immediately using detergent and hot water
and then steam clean.
How can typhoid and paratyphoid
fever be prevented?
When travelling
When travelling to developing countries,
especially in Asia, the Pacific islands, Africa,
the Middle East and Central and South
America, you should avoid:
salads and fresh fruit juices
raw or cold seafood, including shellfish
raw or runny eggs
cold meat
unpasteurised milk and dairy products
(including ice-cream)
ice in drinks and flavoured ice blocks.
Fruit that you peel yourself is usually safe.
Remember – ‘cook it, boil it, peel it, or leave it’.
Use bottled water or disinfect water (by boiling,
chemical treatment or purifiers) for drinking and
brushing teeth.
Read more about healthy international travel.
Is there a vaccine for typhoid and
paratyphoid fever?
A typhoid fever vaccine is available and can
provide some protection for travellers to high
risk areas overseas. There is no vaccine for
paratyphoid fever. See your doctor or travel
medicine specialist at least 2 months prior to
departure to see if any vaccinations or
medications are recommended.
Where to get help
See your doctor
Saturday, 31 March 2018
Lassa fever: Lagos on surveillance red alert – Official
The Lagos State Government says it is maintaining relevant surveillance activities through its disease surveillance unit to prevent the spread of Lassa fever in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said in a statement that prevention and control of the disease, however, remains a shared responsibility of all citizens.
“Isolation wards have been prepared to manage suspected and confirmed cases, health workers have been placed on red alert and community sensitisation activities intensified.
“There is need the public to ensure and maintain adequate personal hygiene and environmental sanitation at all times as part of prevention and control measures against the spread of Lassa fever in the state,’’ Idris said.
The commissioner urged the public to store house-hold refuse in sanitary refuse bags or dust bins with tight-fitting covers to avoid infestation by rats and rodents.
He also urged people to dispose refuse properly at designated dump sites and not into the drainage system and store food items in rodent-proof containers.
According to him, by so doing, a habitable and conducive environment, and a disease-free state can be achieved.
“Members of the public are further advised to avoid contact with rats and to always cover their food and water properly.
“Cook all your food thoroughly, as well as block all holes in the septic tanks and holes through which rats can enter the house and clear rat hideouts within the premises,’’ he said.
The commissioner urged health workers in public and private hospitals to ensure they observed universal safety precautions and complied with infection prevention and control measures when dealing with patients.
He also stressed the need for workers to wear appropriate personal protective equipment like hand gloves, facemasks, goggles and overalls when attending to cases.
“Safety boxes should be used for collection of used needles and syringes and general medical waste must be properly sorted out in colour-coded bags and disposed in line with international standards.
“Hands must be washed often with soap and running water or application of hand sanitisers after each contact with patients or contaminated materials and instruments must be autoclaved.
“Also hospital mattresses must be covered with plastic sheets to prevent contamination.
“The plastic sheets must be large enough to cover the entire mattress, be waterproof, and be thoroughly disinfected after discharge of patients,’’ Idris said.
According to him, Lassa fever is an acute viral infection caused by the Lassa virus that is associated with symptoms such as persistent high fever, general weakness of the body, malaise headache, sore throat, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.
He said that the disease could progress into a severe form where the patient develops facial swelling, fluid in the chest.
He said also that the patient could develop bleeding from the mouth, nose and the gut; low blood pressure, shock, disorientation, coma, and kidney and liver failure.
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Dangers Of Self-Medication

Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Negative effect of genetically modified foods
In Far away United States Of America, a war has been raging of recent-the war against Monsanto, the food giant that spearheads the research into and production of genetically modified foods, foods manufactured using the activities of genetically modified organisms, GMO. Their Congress has passed a bill that makes it against the law to label foods on the market shelves as being a product of genetically modified organisms. The debate was that, given the fact of an overwhelming evidence that genetically modified foods are harmful to humans, and government insistence that only genetically modified foods are the best for the country, every food that contains GMO should be labeled so that Americans have a choice in deciding whether to buy the GMF or the naturally produced foods. In fact, in recent times, there has been several recalls of shelf foods due to the fact that they were deemed to have used undeclared chemicals in their production.
The government has been at war with the farmers who produce and sell directly to consumers without resort to genetics, with the accusation that their foods are contaminated with the Salmonella species of bacteria. Salmonella is the main causative agent for diarrhea. For example, American federal and state regulators are seeking legal sanctions against farmers in Maine, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California, among others. These sanctions include injunctions, fines, and even prison sentences for farmers who fail to join the genetic bandwagon.
Genetic modification of foods started in the nineteen eighties. The biotechnology giant Monsanto began to genetically alter corn to withstand its activities in trying to round up their weed clearing agenda-or herbicide roundup, as it was generally referred to. The goal was to eradicate weeds but not crops and resist a corn pest called the corn borer. These small changes in the Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA, the building blocks of proteins in the body, of the corn are expressed by the plant as proteins. Those proteins act as allergens, provoking a disorder marked by the overproduction of a type of white blood cell called an eosinophil.
The U.S. government started approving GMO corn and soybeans for sale in the mid-1990s, and today, 88% of corn, and 93% of soybeans, are the transgenic varieties. According to my findings, due to cross-pollination via winds, birds, and bees, there's no such thing anymore as a GMO-free corn crop in the U.S. "It's almost impossible to find a corn source in the United States that doesn't have the [protein] in it," Dr. Mansman, an allergist who works in a Virginia hospital, told an American Magazine.
Beyond all the hype, beyond all the gobbledygook, GMFs have become the stable shelf food in Europe and America, and the idea has become acceptable in other parts of the world. In fact the Nigerian National assembly has hurriedly passed the bill to back the genetically modified foods production in the country. Former President Goodluck Jonathan set up a committee to vet the so called biosafety bill as passed by the National Assembly before he could sign it into law. Then, participants at the 10th anniversary of African Agricultural Technology Foundation, AATF seminar say Nigeria's dream of achieving food sufficiency in 2015 will be a mirage, unless the country adopts biotechnology in the agricultural sector. Even Olusola Saraki, a senator and chairman senate committee on environment and ecology, who is currently the Senate President, decried the delay in signing the bill into law. "As a matter of fact, the benefits of signing the bill into law by Mr President are numerous," he said." These include regulating the safe application of biotechnology in Nigeria to harness benefits in fields of agriculture, medical, environment sustainability and industrial growth." Further more, the law will promote technological and material transfer for research collaboration and commercialization in biotechnology." According to him, since 1996, biotechnology-driven crops had been commercially planted and their adoption had increased steadily, with over 8.5 million planting them in 21 countries, with most African countries developing biosafety.He also noted that all over the world, scientists, who recognized the benefits of the technology, had been at the forefront of the call for safety and regulation of activities in the field of biotechnology. "Therefore, there is the need for Mr. President to assent to the bill in the interest of our nation and the attendant economic and employment opportunities that come with it," he had said. "If this feat is achieved, Nigeria, as a nation, would be sufficient in food production and thereby, save the cost of annual food importation and diversify same into a value chain mechanism."
But the question is, how safe is BMF? Investigations indicate that even scientists at the forefront of the promotion of biotechnology are coming out to speak against it. Most food literature focuses on poor nutritional quality of canned and pre-packaged food, which is the only source of food to certain urban people who have no access to fresh foods from the farm. Chemicals found in food packaging are unhealthy-as, for example, Bisphenol A, or BPA. This chemical has been banned from baby bottles and sippy cups in the United States but find ways into the stable consumption of the nouveau-rich in Nigeria. Since it is used to line food cans, intended as a protective barrier between the metal and the can's contents, BPA actually leaches into the food we eat. The effects of leaching BPA are likely most detrimental for pregnant women, babies and children. This chemical has been linked with obesity, cancer (breast and prostate), early onset of puberty, Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD and retardation of development of brain and nervous systems. The case of early puberty has been a serious societal issue that results in increased rape cases and pedophilia simply because the children look older than they actually are. And Monsanto and other companies are at the forefront of these drugs. France has banned the use of BPA in the preservation of canned foods with effect from 2015. Soon, other European countries will follow suit. Apart from BPA, Aspartmine is another chemical. Aspartame has been linked to several different cancers and even degenerative brain conditions. Consuming aspartame regularly will burn out neurons and has been linked to headaches, mood alterations and even brain tumors. It is regarded as a healthy and sweeter alternative to sugar, though it actually causes diabetes and may also cause obesity. It was developed in a bio-weapons laboratory from excrement from bacteria culture and bleached with other chemicals by Monsanto corporation. It is currently sold under different brand names and used in food seasonings. Unfortunately this chemical, originally sold by Monsanto Corp, is now being re-branded under different names There are currently efforts underway to include aspartmine in milk and so called diet products-"low sugar" or "sugarless" drinks, even though aspartame is contained in many products already that do not list it as one of the ingredients. But by far the most important of these products are the genetically modified foods. "Introduction of genetically modified food has raised a number of fears, some genuine and some irrational," says Dr.Leo d'Souza, a Jesuit priest and biotech researcher. "Human fears, whether genuine or irrational, have to be attended to." These fears are currently being expressed by Nigerians who are skeptical of the benefits of the foods. For example, The Daily Trust Editorial of 26 June 2013 was particularly critical of the bill. "It may come as something of a surprise," the paper wrote, "to some, even shock to many, that such a profound policy step would be taken without as much as consultation with the public." The paper continued: "Still, even in advanced nations that have pioneered the technology and fully embraced the crops, controversies over them linger. Scientists have raised concerns about their effect on human health and on the environment. It is alleged that the crops damage the soil and that large quantities of fertilizers and hazardous chemicals are required to successfully cultivate them. And for particularly the developing world, GM crops portend another challenge of having to depend on giant companies in the West for seed imports to replant as some of the crops do not have seeds or those with seeds cannot produce high-yield varieties when they are planted. Unless these allegations about the disadvantages of the crops are satisfactorily addressed, it would be premature to expose Nigerian farmers to GM seeds when the technology is still in its infancy in the country, if at all." The paper insisted that the main challenge now is that a large percentage of the national arable land is not being put under cultivation. " Since the advent of the oil boom nearly four decades ago, successive governments have paid scant attention to agriculture as a national security issue. This is the time to do it, by going back to agriculture, which offers better food and economic security than oil. Efforts should also be made to find a solution to the huge post-harvest losses that farmers suffer. If these and many other steps are taken, the country may in the end find it does not have any need for inorganic substances like GM crops to feed the people," the paper concluded.
A group known as the Mother Earth Foundation frowned seriously at the proposed bill. In a statement signed by Nnimo Bassey, Director of the organization, noted that African countries have been generally resistant to the policy. "Contrary to the claims of the{minister of science and technology), Burkina Faso has not introduced GMOs into their food.", Bassey said, "That country planted genetically engineered cotton otherwise called Bt Cotton. The first harvest of that cotton last year was a big disappointment as the farmers got short fibre cotton rather than the long fibres they harvested from the conventional cotton they were used to planting. South Africa is the most problematic on the continent when it comes to the regulation and introduction of GMOs. Public resistance have been strong, but the historical political context must also be considered in understanding the path the nation began to toe and the difficulties in ensuring a transition from certain routes. Studies by the African Centre for Biosafety has revealed that corn products supplied by Tiger Brand in South Africa to companies including to Dangote Foods, a Nigerian conglomerate, has high GMO corn contents. This revelation ought to drive the Nigerian government to order an investigation into the importation of unwholesome foods and food products into Nigeria rather than making announcement of backdoor moves to ambush Nigerians into eating GMOs without their consent." They noted that the widespread dependence on chemical inputs have led to the death of pollinators like bees and saddled the world with silent farms and forests without insects and other beneficial species. "Certainly Nigeria does not want to join the ranks of nations that hire or buy bees to pollinate their farms," Bassey noted. "We are not sure also that Nigerians want to toe a path that may lead to farmers pollinating their crops by hand," he concluded. A federal minister has recently indicated that one of the GMO companies has been approved to open up an office space in the country. "Yes, Monsanto may soon be in Nigeria", a source from the ministry of Agriculture said, "the honorable minister is all taken up with the program."
Studies have shown that GMO feeds have proven harmful to pigs. According to a report, "GM-fed females had on average a 25% heavier uterus than non-GM-fed females, a possible indicator of disease that requires further investigation. Also, the level of severe inflammation in stomachs was markedly higher in pigs fed on the GM diet. The research results were striking and statistically significant. The new study lends scientific credibility to anecdotal evidence from farmers and veterinarians, who have for some years reported reproductive and digestive problems in pigs fed on a diet containing GM soy and corn." Pigs have basically the same digestive structure with humans, and pork is a stable food in most countries. Most of these pigs are eaten by humans with accumulated GMO passed on to humans who consume them.
Genetically modified foods are a typical example of how man tries to show he can control nature. But the final effect will be a disaster to mankind, because, in the new time, every distortion of natural order will be violently corrected, resulting in so many hitherto unknown diseases. Unfortunately, this will coincide with the time of total collapse of World economy, amid political crisis and Natural disasters in a time that was described as a time of great tribulations.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Uche_Mbah and Re-published by Anifowose Victor Ayodeji
Phone number +234908030808291
Friday, 12 January 2018
Do you know that there is a connection between homocysteine and your heart and brain health?


Friday, 22 December 2017
Thursday, 21 December 2017
Hair Extensions: Are You Washing It in the Right Way?
Hair extensions do have the power to transform your look - at times - even dramatically. However, you need to take care of your extensions as well. There are times when after prolonged use, your extensions may start smelling. All you need to do is wash them in a bid to get rid of the smell.
Hair Extensions: Do some homework
And that's what the write up is about - ways in which you can wash your extensions. Professionals dealing with hair extensions might as well be able to help you considerably, but doing your homework in this regard will also turn out to be equally helpful. Browse further to discover.
Washing your Hair Extensions: Make sure You're doing it Right
Know the basics first. There are different types of hair extensions that you can use. The most commonly used are:
· Weaves
· Clip-ins
· Keratin Extensions
The Types of Extensions Explained
The washing instructions vary as per the type of extension you have got. Clip-in extensions entail a very small section of hair clipped in with the rest of your hair.
Weaves are obtained by the ones who look forward to adding more volume of hair to their natural hair. Keratin extensions are the ones where tiny strands of hair - tipped in keratin are glued to natural hair - near the roots.
The arrangement of each type of extension tells you that it's way easier to wash the clip-in extensions than the weaves. We will take a detailed look at the next segment.
The Differences
· First of all, let us tell you that irrespective of which type of extension you're washing, you will require resorting to the use of shampoos, moisturisers and conditioners. In this regard, it is your responsibility to educate yourself about the hair products that are specially designed for extensions.
· It is easier to wash the temporary clip-ins instead of the weaves. In case of the former, all you need is to detach the clip-ins and detangle the same - if required- and wash it with special shampoos and conditioners as has been mentioned above.
· Please take care of the fact that the water is neither too hot nor too cold-because hot water can end up damaging your hair and cold water can add grime to it. Additionally, do clean the place where the clip-in is to be washed-generally, it's the tub or the wash basin that people end up using, so make sure you're cleaning up in accordance.
· When it comes to washing weaves, you know that it needs work. You need to pre-treat your hair with moisturiser to prevent faster dry-out of the extensions. Treat your hair and scalp to get rid of unnecessary grime. Pre-treating your hair and clarifying your scalp will take much time.
However, you shouldn't apply shampoo to your hair without taking the previous steps.
Take Advice from Professionals
You must have consulted a salon for affordable hair extensions near you. It is prudent on your end to discuss washing instructions with them right when you are getting the extensions in the first place. They will be able to help you duly in this regard.
The author Cathy Smith has had relevant information on those who specialise in hair extensions in Gold Coast. She also has relevant information about places providing reliable yet affordable hair extensions in Gold Coast.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cathy_Smith/2201216
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9845080
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