Determination of Onchocerca Volvulus Strains Prevalent in the Nkwanta North District of Ghana
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University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DETERMINATION OF ONCHOCERCA VOLVULUS STRAINS PREVALENT IN THE NKWANTA NORTH DISTRICT OF GHANA BY ROWLAND ADUKPO (10508507) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MPHIL MICROBIOLOGY DEGREE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES FEBRUARY, 2019 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other institution. I have duly acknowledged references made to other authors’ work in the reference section of this thesis Signature………………………………. Date……………………………… ROWLAND ADUKPO (STUDENT) Signature……………………………… Date……………………………… DR. SIMON KWAKU ATTAH (SUPERVISOR) Signature……………………………… Date…………………………… DR. PATIENCE B. TETTEH-QUARCOO (SUPERVISOR) i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION To Hetty and Gabriella ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincere thanks and appreciation go to my supervisors, Dr. Simon K. Attah and Dr. Patience B. Tetteh-Quarcoo for their patience, invaluable support and guidance throughout my course work and during the preparation of this thesis. Special appreciation also goes to Prof. Yaw Afrane and Prof. Kwamena W. C. Sagoe for their encouragement. I wish to also express my profound gratitude to Dr. Michael Osei-Atweneboana, Head of the Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for his mentorship and direction and also for allowing us to use the laboratory for the bench work. Special thanks also go to the staff of the Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit and the Molecular Biology Laboratory (CSIR) especially Dr. Samuel Armoo, Edward Jenner Tettevi, Queenstar Naa Dedei Quarshie for their support. Special mention is to be made of Mr. Isaac Owusu Frimpong for whom I am eternally grateful to for his technical support and guidance during the molecular work. God bless you Ike for your sacrifice. My appreciation also goes to Dr. Laud Boateng and his team at the Nkwanta North District Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service for facilitating the community entry and data collection. I want to thank especially Mr Amatus Nambagyira and Dominic Nanga both of Nkwanta North District Health Directorate and Mr. Reuben Tettey Martey and Michael Dicko of the Pentecost Health Centre, Kpassa, for their support on the field. I also wish to thank all the chiefs, elders and community leaders in the study communities. iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Additionally, I am eternally indebted to my wife Ms. Henrietta Appiah who is always available to tell me in that sweet assuring voice “Rowland, you are capable, go for it”. To my siblings and family, I say thank you for your love and support. Also to my very good friends; Francis Dzidefo Krampa of West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Israel Mensah-Attipoe of the Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences and Richard Kutame of the National Public Health and Reference Laboratory, Korle-Bu for the diverse roles they played in making this work a success. And finally, to God be the glory and great things He has done. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................................... i DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 General introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Research problem ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Justification ....................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Aim of the study ................................................................................................................................ 5 1.5 Specific objectives ............................................................................................................................. 5 CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Onchocerca volvulus ......................................................................................................................... 6 2.2. The genome of Onchocerca volvulus ............................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 The coding sequence .................................................................................................................. 8 2.2.2 The non-coding sequences ......................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Life cycle of Onchocerca volvulus .................................................................................................. 10 v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 2.4 Epidemiology and socioeconomic significance of Onchocerca volvulus ..................................... 12 2.5. Clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of onchocerciasis ...................................................... 15 2.5.1 Ocular onchocerciasis .............................................................................................................. 15 2.6 Parasite, vector and host dynamics of onchocerciasis ................................................................. 21 2.7 Laboratory diagnosis of Onchocerca volvulus .............................................................................. 24 2.7.1 Skin snip microscopy ............................................................................................................... 25 2.7.2 Mazzotti test ............................................................................................................................. 25 2.7.3 Immunological tests ................................................................................................................. 26 2.7.4 Molecular techniques ............................................................................................................... 26 2.8 Onchocerciasis control .................................................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 31 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS .......................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Study area and population ............................................................................................................. 31 3.2 Sample size calculation ................................................................................................................... 33 3.3 Sampling techniques ....................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.1 Community selection and inclusion criteria .......................................................................... 33 3.3.2 Participants selection ............................................................................................................... 34 3.3.4 DNA extraction of O. volvulus from skin snips ...................................................................... 35 3.3.5 Onchocerca volvulus DNA amplification using diagnostic primer ...................................... 35 CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................................... 38 4.0 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................. 38 vi University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 4.1 Analysis of skin snip microscopy and O. volvulus DNA PCR results ......................................... 38 4.1.2 Analysis of skin microscopy and DNA PCR results by occupation ..................................... 39