Biomedical subjects

A O Barry

Publications and source records attributed to A O Barry.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

[Impact of snakebites in rural environment: community survey in the rural development community (DRC) of Frilguiagbe, Republic of Guinea].

An exhaustive study has been carried out in the rural development community (DRC) of Frilguiagbe, located at 115 km from Conakry in the Conakry-Kindia highway. It concerns a population of 23,442 inhabitants divided into 3,047 households. The survey was carried out at three levels:--community level;--health centres;--traditional healers. In the household survey made between 2002 and 2003, 175 snakebites cases were recorded. In health centres, only two (2) cases were recorded from 1993 to 2003. On the other hand, 80% (=140) of the cases registered in the households have consulted a traditional healer. On the whole, there were 9 deaths (5%). Such a result shows that the collect of information from the consultation registers is not appropriate to appraise the importance of envenomations in our country.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[Problems with envenomations in Guinea].

Only a few years after its creation, the Kindia Pasteur Institute (currently Institut de Recherche de Biologie Appliquée de Guinée, IRBAG), owing to its geographical situation, began regularly supplying the Paris Pasteur Institute with snake venom for manufacturing antivenom. The diversity of the biotopes in Guinea due mainly to the diversity of vegetation (savannah, forest, mangrove) and altitudes (coastal zone, mountains of Fouta-Djalon and mountain of High Guinea), induces a wide variety of the herpetological fauna. Envenomations are consequently a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in a country where agriculture is an important economic activity. Unfortunately, precise statistics for envenomations are unavailable. A retrospective study was performed based on IRBAG registers (1980-1990). A total of 584 snakebites were reported with a 2.2% case fatality rate. Between 1997 and 1999, 379 cases of snakebites were reported with 18.2% death, mainly due to the lack of antivenom, and 2.1% amputations. By combining the fang marks and victim or relative assessments, we were able to identify most of the snakes involved in the envenomations: Naja (21.3%), Bitis (15%), Dendroaspis (12.4%) and Causus (12.9%). In 38.2% of the cases, the snake was not identified. This survey confirmed that envenomations are a problem in Guinea. However, more studies are necessary to appreciate the real importance of the herpetological Guinean fauna and its consequences on morbidity and mortality in order to improve the management of envenomations.

Academies and Institutes↗

PubMed2001

[Malaria prevalence survey in 24 Guinean villages in the Kindia area].

The authors report the results of a survey of malaria prevalence carried out from October to December 1998 in 24 villages located upstream of the Garafiri dam, in the Kindia area. The parametre used for the assessment of prevalence was the Plasmodium index. The gametocyte and spleen indexes were also recorded. The prevalence observed (34,7%) confirms the presence in this area of stable malaria mostly transmitted by Anopheles gambiae in tropical Africa. This prevalence rate is compatible with the epidemiological data of the Ministry of Health.

Adolescent↗