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Biomedical subjects

C J Shiff

Publications and source records attributed to C J Shiff.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1973

Molluscicide for the control of schistosomiasis in irrigation schemes: a study in Southern Rhodesia.

The development of large areas of irrigation farming in the south-eastern lowveld of Southern Rhodesia has produced the risk of severe transmission of schistosomiasis over an extent of some 30 000 ha. Control measures instituted by the Ministry of Health were primarily directed against the large and widely distributed snail populations by using molluscicides. The chemical was applied to the irrigation water by drip-feed methods once every 6-8 months. The drains, however, were treated routinely by pairs of rangers searching for snails and applying chemical where they were found. The efficacy of control operations has been assessed by longitudinal studies in children free from infection to determine the incidence of infection. The results indicate that transmission of both Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni has been reduced to a level below that measured in areas of the country where irrigation is not practised. The total annual cost for this work was US$ 54 800-55 500.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1973

The value of incidence for the assessment of schistosomiasis control; a study in Southern Rhodesia.

Rapid assessment of the rate of transmission of schistosomiasis is essential in any control programme. It has been demonstrated that, by following the pattern of infection developing during a longitudinal study in a cohort of children under 6 years of age, it is possible to calculate the incidence of schistosomiasis in the community represented by that cohort. Children who were found by survey to be free from active infection with schistosomes were examined at intervals of 1, 3, or 4 months to determine the rate at which infections of either Schistosoma mansoni or S. haematobium occurred. This gave an immediate measure of the rate of transmission during the period under study. The rate can be calculated for unit time- in this study figures were extrapolated to 120 days. Data are presented to show how the incidence measured reflects the efficiency of snail control procedures carried out in the different farming areas.

Animals↗
PubMed1966

Trials with N-tritylmorpholine (Shell WL 8008) as a molluscicide in Southern Rhodesia.

In the course of research into the effectiveness of new molluscicides for bilharziasis control, a recently developed compound, Shell WL 8008 (N-tritylmorpholine), has been tested in Southern Rhodesia, both in the laboratory and in the field. It is highly toxic to Bulinus (Physopsis) globosus, Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Lymnaea natalensis, all of which succumbed to the compound at a concentration of 1.0 ppm in a contact time of only 15 minutes. In experiments in reservoirs and natural watercourses, a concentrated aqueous suspension was sprayed on or just under the water surface, forming a white "blanket" that sank at a rate depending on temperature, amount of vegetation, and so on. The period of contact with snails is sufficiently long for the molluscicide to kill them as it sinks; this characteristic is of great importance in the economic treatment of large stagnant water bodies or slow-moving streams. The compound is highly piscicidal, but has little effect on a wide range of microfauna.

Molluscacides↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The rapid manual ParaSight-F test. A new diagnostic tool for Plasmodium falciparum infection.

A rapid manual test for Plasmodium falciparum, the ParaSight-F test, has been used on a series of patients in a holoendemic malaria area of coastal Tanzania. The test, which is an antigen capture test detecting trophozoite-derived histidine rich protein-II, is simple to perform and provides a definitive answer in about 10 min. It requires no special equipment and is read using a single drop of blood. When compared with 272 thick blood films examined microscopically by 2 observers and confirmed by the QBC malaria test, the ParaSight-F test had 88.9% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity. Detectable antigenaemia in a group of 40 people declined following treatment with Fansidar and by 10 d after treatment all but 4 individuals were antigen free. The remaining 4, although clear of peripheral parasitaemia, remained antigenaemic for 14 d. The test shows great promise for rapid effective diagnosis of P. falciparum in clinics and village health centres where there is no facility for microscopy. Because of its accuracy and rapid action it may even obviate the need for microscopical examination of blood films to diagnose P. falciparum malaria.

Adolescent↗