Browsing by Author "Okanya, Patrick W."

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    Manganese exacerbated chronic khat-induced neurological deficits, inflammation and organ toxicity in a mouse model
    (Springer, 2021-12-01) Chepukosi, Kennedy W.; Nyariki, James N.; Jillani, Ngalla E.; Okanya, Patrick W.; Isaac, Alfred Orina
    This study sought to determine whether chronic exposure to khat (Catha Edulis, Forsk) increases the vulnerability to the toxic effects of manganese (Mn2+), when co-exposed.Three (3)-week-old forty (40) Swiss albino mice were randomly divided into four groups (nā€‰=ā€‰10). The various groups received khat and manganese separately or both. The experiment was conducted for 132 days to mimic chronic exposure to khat, with manganese administration in the last twelve days.
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    Publication
    Post-vaccine rotavirus genotype distribution in Nairobi County, Kenya
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2020-11) Gikonyo, Joshua Ndung'u; Mbatia, Betty; Okanya, Patrick W.; Obiero, George F. O.; Sang, Carlene; Steele, Duncan; Nyangao, James
    BACKGROUND: Rotaviruses are primary etiological agents of gastroenteritis in young children. In Kenya, G1P8 monovalent vaccine (Rotarix) was introduced in July 2014 for mandatory vaccination of all newborns at 6 and 10 weeks of age. Since then, no studies have been done to identify the rotavirus genotypes circulating in Nairobi County, Kenya, following the vaccine introduction, hence the post-vaccine genotype distribution is not known.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the post-vaccine occurrence of rotavirus genotypes in children <5 years of age in Nairobi County, Kenya.METHODS: Stool samples were collected from children presenting with diarrhea for whom the vaccination status was card-confirmed. Fecal samples were analyzed for rotavirus antigen using a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit, followed by characterization by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, RT-PCR, and nested PCR genotyping, targeting the most medically important genotypes.RESULTS: The strains observed included G1P[8] (38.8%), G9P[8] (20.4%), G2P[4] (12.2%), G3[P4] (6.1%), G2P[6] (4.1%), and G9P[6] (4.1%). Mixed genotype constellations G3P[4][8] were also detected (4.1%). Remarkably, an increased prevalence of G2 genotypes was observed, revealing a change in genetic diversity of rotavirus strains. While the dominance of G1P[8] decreased after vaccination, an upsurge in G2P[4] (12.2%) and G9P[8] (20.4%) was observed. Additionally, G3[P4] (6.1%) and G2P[6] (4.1%) prevalence increased over the 3 years of study.CONCLUSIONS: The results inform the need for robust longitudinal surveillance and epidemiological studies to assess the long-term interaction between rotavirus vaccine and strain ecology.