Humans In South Africa Research Articles

Academic Freedom and the Humanities: some current challenges

This article presents some of the current challenges facing academic freedom and the humanities in South Africa as well as across the world. It focuses first on the shifting fortunes of academic freedom in South Africa, contrasting the pride of place given to it in the pre-1994 social imaginary with its current undermining in higher education policy. It further examines how this undermining is related to a general trend in a global higher education policy which privileges STEM disciplines, and argues that a fuller understanding of the contribution of the NAIL disciplines to the public good is essential to help counter current challenges.

Human cases of Sindbis fever in South Africa, 2006–2010

Sindbis virus (SINV), the prototype positive-sense RNA alphavirus, causes febrile arthritis and is present throughout Afro-Eurasia. Little is known of the epidemiology of Sindbis fever due to insufficient surveillance in most endemic countries. The epidemiological features of Sindbis fever in humans in South Africa are described here based on a retrospective study of suspected arbovirus cases submitted for laboratory investigation from 2006 to 2010. Cases were detected annually mostly during the late summer/early autumn months and an increase in cases was noted for 2010, coinciding with an outbreak of Rift Valley fever. Cases were reported most often from the central plateau of South Africa and involved mostly males. No severe or fatal cases were reported and cases were associated with febrile arthralgia as commonly reported for SINV infection. Further surveillance is required to reveal the true extent of the morbidity of Sindbis fever in South Africa.

Valuing the humanities: What the reports don’t say

Two recent reports defending the social value of the humanities in South Africa and arguing for their renovation are premised on the notion of a crisis. Johann Mouton has challenged the correctness of this assessment and its basis, and I tend to agree with him, specifically on the evidence supplied in the two documents. His more measured subtitle, ‘Cause for concern’, sits more accurately with the facts. The notion of a crisis in the humanities is a worldwide phenomenon, going back at least to the 1950s. The literature on the subject is massive and multifaceted. But there is a telling omission in very many recent accounts of the humanities. This omission is so significant that it positively ensures that important public, government and civil society constituencies, worldwide, increasingly fail to respect or appreciate the humanities’ most valuable contribution to the public good.

Beyond South Africa’s ‘indigenous knowledge – science’ wars

In this paper, the paradoxes and difficulties attending the notion of indigenous knowledge in South Africa are reviewed and an alternative dialogue about intellectual heritage is proposed. Beginning with a survey of debates on 'indigenous knowledge' and sciences in India, Australia and Latin America, the discussion draws attention to differences in regional discussions on the subject of knowledge diversity. Turning to the South African context, the paper foregrounds contradictions in the debate on traditional medicines and the sciences in relation to HIV. The bifurcation of 'indigenous knowledge' and 'science' is argued against. Debates on both indigenous knowledge and science within the critical humanities in South Africa have been characterised by denunciation: an approach which does not facilitate the important discussions needed on intellectual heritage, or on the relationship between sciences and coloniality. In dialogue with current research on the anthropology of knowledge, strategies are proposed to broaden the possibilities for scholarship on knowledge, sciences, and different ways of understanding the world.

Genetic Characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in Diarrhoeic Children from Four Provinces in South Africa

The diversity of Cryptosporidium at species, subtype family and subtype level in diarrhoeic children was investigated in four provinces in South Africa. A total of 442 stool samples from children <5 years of age were collected under a large rotavirus surveillance programme and analysed by Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining. Fifty-four (12.2%) were positive for Cryptosporidium, of which 25 were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analyses of the 18S rRNA gene. The majority of genotyped specimens were identified as C. hominis (76%), and a high genetic diversity was found with five different C. hominis subtype families (Ia, Ib, Id, Ie and If). Cryptosporidium parvum was found in 20% of the isolates, and three subtype families were identified (IIc, IIe and IIb), with subtype family IIc being the most common. One specimen was identified as C. meleagridis of the subtype family IIId. These results are in accordance with findings from other developing countries and report for the first time the presence in South Africa of C. meleagridis, various subtypes of C. parvum and the subtype family Ie of C. hominis. The results suggest that C. hominis and anthroponotic C. parvum subtypes are the major cause of cryptosporidiosis in South Africa. Further molecular studies are needed to better understand the epidemiology and public health importance of Cryptosporidium in humans in South Africa.

At the centre of the knot

The end of apartheid could have heralded an epoch of unparalleled creativity and intellectual ferment in the realm of arts, culture and the humanities in South Africa. As it turned out, it failed t...

Resisting the Restoration: response to Premesh Lalu

Resisting the Restoration: response to Premesh Lalu

Fatal Neurologic Disease and Abortion in Mare Infected with Lineage 1 West Nile Virus, South Africa

In 2010, lineage 1 West Nile virus was detected in South Africa in the brain of a pregnant mare that succumbed to neurologic disease and in her aborted fetus, suggesting an association with abortion in horses. All West Nile virus strains previously detected in horses and humans in South Africa were lineage 2.

HUNTING WEAPONS OF NEANDERTHALS AND EARLY MODERN HUMANS IN SOUTH AFRICA: Similarities and Differences

Recent research has shown that Neanderthals were not inferior hunters and that their hunting weapons were similar to those used by broadly contemporaneous early modern human populations of South Africa. The oldest known spears are from the site of Schoningen, Germany (about 350–300 kya). However, the hunting equipment of Neanderthals was not limited to simple wooden spears. In western Europe, lithic spear points date as far back as Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 (ca. 185–130 kya) and are documented from four sites. In South Africa, four Upper Pleistocene Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites (from 75 to 38 kya) have provided assemblages of unifacial and foliate points comparable in shape and hafting position to the European ones. Both kinds of assemblages indicate the use of hand-delivered spears. the backed pieces of Howiesons Poort (65 to 59 kya) are a type of composite weapon armature that has no equivalent in the Neanderthal hunting equipment, at least until the Châtelperronian (35 kya). The smaller pieces are s...

Fire As an Engineering Tool of Early Modern Humans

The controlled use of fire was a breakthrough adaptation in human evolution. It first provided heat and light and later allowed the physical properties of materials to be manipulated for the production of ceramics and metals. The analysis of tools at multiple sites shows that the source stone materials were systematically manipulated with fire to improve their flaking properties. Heat treatment predominates among silcrete tools at approximately 72 thousand years ago (ka) and appears as early as 164 ka at Pinnacle Point, on the south coast of South Africa. Heat treatment demands a sophisticated knowledge of fire and an elevated cognitive ability and appears at roughly the same time as widespread evidence for symbolic behavior.

Lost Horizons

Politics chartered the development of the Humanities in South Africa. Under the apartheid system three separate traditions — English-speaking, Afrikaner and Homeland —co-existed, albeit uneasily, in separate institutional forms. As apartheid crumbled in the 1980s, the Humanities, by drawing the three traditions together, established a growing voice in what would follow its demise. But the Humanities were blind-sided by the rise and power of neo-liberal globalization which now commands the discourse on public policy in the `New' South Africa. The `New' South Africa is different from what was once imagined, and Humanities are on the back foot.

Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep in South Africa

Serum samples from 600 sheep were collected from 5 different provinces randomly chosen in South Africa. Two sheep abattoirs (representing formal slaughter of sheep) and 1 rural location (representing informal slaughter of sheep) per province were also selected randomly. The serum samples were tested for anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies using 2 different serological tests: an indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test available as a commercial kit. This study provides the first published data on seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep in South Africa, although positive titres have been found previously in wild felids, ferrets, chinchillas and a dog. Data on seroprevalence in sheep is considered important because consumption of mutton is universally considered to be a source of zoonotic transfer to humans. Seroprevalence in humans in South Africa was previously found to be 20 % and it is postulated that this may be linked to the informal slaughter and consumption of mutton. During this study, the overall national seroprevalence per province in sheep was found to be 5.6 % (IFA) and 4.3 % (ELISA), respectively. This is lower than in other countries, possibly because South Africa has an arid climate. Differences in seroprevalence in different areas studied suggested an association with the climate and a significant correlation (P > 0.05) was detected between the prevalence of T. gondii and the minimum average temperature. The seroprevalence was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.01) in sheep originating from commercial farms (7.9 %) than in rural sheep in the informal sector (3.4 %). Also, sheep managed extensively had a seroprevalence of 1.8 %, which was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the seroprevalence in sheep under semi-intensive or intensive management systems (5.3%). An incidental finding of interest was the considerable movement of sheep to abattoirs and mutton after slaughter. The highest consumption of mutton was in the Western Cape Province (29.9%) while the highest concentration of sheep is found in the Eastern Cape Province (30.1%).

Paleoclimatic context of the origins of modern humans in South Africa: Based on speleothems isotopic records

Paleoclimatic context of the origins of modern humans in South Africa: Based on speleothems isotopic records

Prospects for the Humanities in South Africa: A View with a Difference

Prospects for the Humanities in South Africa: A View with a Difference

Middle Paleolithic Shell Beads in Israel and Algeria

Perforated marine gastropod shells at the western Asian site of Skhul and the North African site of Oued Djebbana indicate the early use of beads by modern humans in these regions. The remoteness of these sites from the seashore and a comparison of the shells to natural shell assemblages indicate deliberate selection and transport by humans for symbolic use. Elemental and chemical analyses of sediment matrix adhered to one Nassarius gibbosulus from Skhul indicate that the shell bead comes from a layer containing 10 human fossils and dating to 100,000 to 135,000 years ago, about 25,000 years earlier than previous evidence for personal decoration by modern humans in South Africa.

Borrelia valaisianain Cerebrospinal Fluid

<i>Borrelia valaisiana</i>in Cerebrospinal Fluid

Hemoglobin solutions: use in surgical patients

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) are solutions that can match the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells (RBCs), and several HBOCs have reached advanced stages of development and clinical testing. One of the potential mechanisms by which HBOC solutions may be effective in reducing transfused blood may be a result of the fact that in hemorrhagic conditions, replenishing lost iron is difficult. Although the oxygen-carrying capacity of most HBOC solutions may be quite transient, they are rapidly metabolized, and free iron is potentially scavenged by multiple mechanisms to subsequently stimulate erythropoiesis and reticulocytosis. Unfortunately, diaspirin-linked HBOC solutions reported a higher mortality in trauma patients. Regrettably, the trauma patient population is a heterogeneous group of patients and, similar to therapeutic trials in sepsis, trauma patients represent a group with an extremely high morbidity and mortality incidence that can potentially complicate interpreting data. Bovine hemoglobin represents an interesting alternative because of its availability and large quantity. A 500-kg steer has approximately 35 l blood with 12 g/dl hemoglobin (total-body hemoglobin content 4.2 kg), and bovine blood is available as an unlimited supply. Hemopure, a bovine product, is approved for veterinarian use in the United States, and for humans in South Africa. Multicenter, randomized, phase III, controlled trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of HEMOPURE® (Biopure Corporation), also known as HBOC-201. The product is ultrapurified to remove any plasma proteins, RBC stroma, and potential pathogenic material. During the manufacturing process, cross-linking and polymerization stabilize the hemoglobin molecule, which increases its vascular persistence as well as the efficiency of oxygen transport to tissue. Results from clinical trials indicate that HBOC-201 can be used as an oxygen 'bridge' for patients experiencing anemia due to surgical blood loss until their own red blood cells are replenished. HBOC-201 is generally well tolerated and is approved for use in South Africa, where it is indicated for use in adult surgical patients who are acutely anemic and to eliminate, delay, or reduce the need for allogeneic RBCs. A Biologics License Application for HBOC-201 is currently under review by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Selected website http://Bleedingweb.com

Temperature-suitability maps for schistosomiasis in South Africa.

The results of parasitological surveys have shown that both urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis occur widely among the human residents of South Africa. The national data on both diseases have now been incorporated into a geographical information system, to develop new maps based on defined temperature constraints. The disease data, obtained from a 'hard-copy' atlas of schistosomiasis, were used as a template to select temperature regimes that were (1) suitable and (2) unsuitable for the transmission of schistosomes to humans in South Africa. The regimes were derived from the published results of investigations in which the biology of larval schistosomes (i.e. schistosome transmission) was related to temperature in South Africa. Those regimes that were based on the estimated temperature minima for transmission corresponded more closely to the disease-distribution data than those based on the corresponding maxima. An estimate of the number of children living in the climate-suitable areas was made but, within the context of the spatial methodology used and the limitations of the available disease data, it was not possible to predict the prevalences of schistosomiasis.

Oxygen therapeutics (blood substitutes) in cardiac surgery

Discuss and summarize recent published literature related to the use of 'blood substitutes' in cardiac surgery patients. Concerns about safety, inventory and the cost of allogenic blood transfusion have led to the continued interest to find an ideal oxygen carrier 'blood substitute' for cardiac surgery patients. Two classes of oxygen therapeutics 'blood substitutes' are being investigated: (1) perfluorocarbons are synthetic fluorinated hydrocarbons which increase dissolved oxygen in the fluid phase and (2) hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, modified to improve oxygen dissociation properties and side effects profiles of free hemoglobin. Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers from bovine and human sources are being tested in phase III trials in cardiac surgery patients as well as a variety of other surgical and nonsurgical settings. Recombinant human hemoglobin and encapsulated hemoglobins of any source are emerging. Safety and cost effectiveness are being evaluated for their use as an alternative to blood transfusion or along with other strategies of blood conservation in cardiac surgery. One hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (Hemopure) has been approved for use in humans in South Africa as well as another hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (Gelenpol) and a perfluorocarbon (Perfluoron) in Russia. Phase III trials in Europe and North America will be concluded very soon. We anticipate seeing one or two products approved in North America and Europe by the year 2003/2004.

Ixodid ticks feeding on humans in South Africa: with notes on preferred hosts, geographic distribution, seasonal occurrence and transmission of pathogens.

This paper records the identities of 558 ixodid ticks feeding on 194 humans in South Africa. These ticks belonged to 20 species in six genera and those most frequently encountered were AmblYomma hebraeum, Haemaphysalis leachi, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus gertrudae and Rhipicephalus simus. With the exception of the larvae of R. appendiculatus, the incidents of these ticks feeding on humans correlated well with their seasonal occurrences on preferred hosts. Ticks were also collected at monthly intervals, for 14 consecutive months, from the clothing of a game-guard providing protection for field-workers engaged in the collection, by means of flannel strips, of free-living ticks from the vegetation of four localities in the southern region of the Kruger National Park. In addition, with the exception of 3 months when the particular worker was absent, ticks that fed on one of the field-workers were collected over the same 14-month period. A total of 54,429 free-living ticks belonging to 14 species and six genera were collected from the vegetation at the four localities during this time and 3751 ticks belonging to 11 species and six genera from the clothing of the game-guard. The larvae of A. hebraeum and Boophilus decoloratus were the most numerous of the immature ticks, and H. leachi and R. simus of the adults on both the vegetation and the guard's clothing. Ticks fed on the field-worker on six occasions and 14 were collected, all of which were A. hebraeum larvae.