By THOMPSON YAMPUT

A Parasitologist, Prof Patrick Amidu-Audu, has warned that parasitic infections pose a serious threat to the wellbeing and existence of humans and livestock in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Amidu-Audu, a lecturer in the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), made this known while delivering a paper during the 14th Inaugural Lecture of the university.

The don said unless drastic measures were taken by governments and World Health Organisation (WHO) parasites would continue to ravage lives of humans and livestock on the African continent.

In his lecture, “Ubiquitous of Parasites, Keeping the Tricksters at Bay”, the lecturer did justice to some of the parasitic diseases that are endemic in Nigeria and Africa.

He noted that the parasitic contamination of sachet water known as “pure water”, arising from poor hygienic practices, lack of basic sanitation, bad water storage facilities and poor treatment of water, poses a potential risk to the populace.

“Most pure water in Nigeria are not really pure as being called, but are below the WHO Standard, and therefore, are of doubtful quality, thereby posing health risk to consumers

“The resistance of parasites to anti-parasitic drugs has become an issue of great concern and our effort to identify cheap and easily available substitutes to wrestle parasites has revealed some potential anti-parasitic plants.

“The good news is that we have identified and confirmed the parasitic efficacy of 15 indigenous plant extracts that might be useful in the control of some parasitic diseases.

“This effort is very important because, even as the host (human or livestock) tries to avoid unwanted pathogenic, potent, prolific, parasitic guests, the parasites, tries to have an intimate relationship with its host so that it becomes a permanent guest.

“At some points in their relationship, each partner tries to out-smart the other in order to remain independent of the other, an interaction that might lead to the death of either host or parasite,” he asserted

Amidu-Audu added: “To end the contests between parasites and hosts, the Federal Government should adequately fund research works towards molecular identification and characterization of non-virulent strains of Ehrlichia ruminantium to reduce the impact of heartwater.”

He said that could serve as potential candidate for developing endothelial cell culture vaccine against heartwater as it is the case with a strain of Anaplasma centrale widely used as vaccine (Anaplaz®) against pathogenic species, Anaplasma marginale.

According to him, this and other related vaccines are being produced in Australia and exported to South East Asia, Latin America and Africa.

He said since raw fruits and vegetables are common vehicles for the transmission of parasites, “there is need for the Local Health Authorities (LHA) to educate the public on the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal, indiscriminate defecation, using untreated water for irrigation on farmlands, using human and animal faeces as manure.”

The don also suggested basic amenities such as safe drinkable water, better housing, efficient public toilets and sewage disposal treatment system to curb the menace of NTDs and STHs should be provided to reduce contact with breeding sites especially in endemic communities.

Earlier, FUL Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, expressed gladness that the subject of the lecture touches upon a critical aspect of the natural world and its impact on life forms, both small and large.

The VC said, “The ubiquitousness of parasites challenges us to delve deeper into the intricate workings of ecosystems, reminding us of the delicate balance that exists within nature.”

“With Prof Patrick Amidu-Audu’s extensive expertise in this field, we are certain to gain profound insights into the strategies to combat these cunning tricksters that seek to disrupt this equilibrium,” he said.

NAN reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) says parasitic infections are diseases caused by organisms that live off of another living thing.

The WHO said they can cause fever, fatigue, intestinal symptoms, skin rashes or neurological symptoms. You can get them from contaminated food, water or surfaces, bug bites and eating undercooked meat.

NAN reports that the WHO in a report said many devastating diseases in tropical areas of the world are the result of infection with parasites.

In these regions, it added, the combination of climate and poverty contribute to the transmission of parasitic infections.

Some parasites, like malaria, are a common cause of death, while others, like parasitic nematodes can lead to disfigurement, blindness and severe economic hardship.

The WHO report on the leading causes of death world-wide shows that one-third of all deaths are due to infectious and parasitic diseases.

It is estimated that about 1.5–2.7 million people die from malaria each year which is about the same that die from HIV/AIDS.

The UN also warned that many tropical and subtropical areas, the prevalence of parasitic infections is on the rise due to rapid and unplanned growth of cities, which creates additional breeding sites for the mosquitoes that transmit the parasites responsible for malaria and filariasis. (NAN)

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