Port Sudan Research Articles

Attachment to Abandoned Heritage: The Case of Suakin, Sudan

At present scantily populated, Suakin was the most prominent port on the Red Sea coast from the fifteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. It was an archetype of an Islamic urban built town which remained continuously occupied by the same multi-generational families. During the period of British rule in Sudan they replaced the ancient port by the establishment of Port Sudan. Using this ancient site as an illustration, the main goal of the research is to gain an insight into the relationships between people and heritage sites: how and why people feel attachments to them and what affects people's sense of attachment to heritage.

Synthesis of zeolites and their applications as Ion exchange to remove water hardness

In this study fifteen types of natural zeolites and synthetic zeolites and clay (Bentonite, Kaolinte) were used. Nine types of synthetic zeolites (K-fledspar, clay and trona) were synthesized by using local crude materials , also the column that was used for treating hard water was prepared from natural zeolite, synthetic zeolite and clay. The sample of red sea water was collected from segala areaat eastern side the of Port Sudan city. The study was investigated to determine the concentration of metals that causes hardness (Ca, Mg).The location of samples was taken from segala area at eastern shore of Red Sea of Port Sudan this area is the main source for Red sea water to the desalination plant, which supplies the city with drinking water. The analysis was investigated to determine the other parameters of water. Hydrogen ion concentration pH was measured using pH meter, TDS concentration was determined by TDS meter. So the concentration of cation metals especially those who caused water hardness (Ca, Mg) were determined by using titration by E.D.T.A and other solutions. They synthetic zeolite, natural zeolite and clay which used in this study were identified a long with XRD and IR.Mainly, this study was concentrated on treatment of metals which causes water hardness (Ca,Mg). The treatment process for synthetic zeolite and natural zeolite were recorded and all analysis results of elements in this study were analyzed, and the synthetic and natural zeolite was found to be better than clay and Albite was found to be the best type in this study .

SARGOCENTRON MARISRUBRI, A NEW SQUIRRELFISH (BERYCIFORMES: HOLOCENTRIDAE) FROM THE RED SEA

ABSTRACT Sargocentron marisrubri, sp. nov., is described from eight Red Sea specimens from the Gulf of Elat (= Gulf of 'Aqaba) and off Port Sudan collected at a depth range of 39–49 m. It is closely related to the wide-ranging, Indo-Pacific S. melanospilos (Bleeker) which is not known from the Red Sea. S. marisrubri differs in having a terminal mouth (upper lip protruding in melanospilos), coarser ctenii centroposteriorly on scales, modally 35 instead of 34 lateral-line scales, 8 or 9 anal soft rays instead of 9 (rarely 10), fewer spinules in the nasal fossa, a longer head, more slender caudal peduncle, longer third anal spine, and weaker pigmentation of the dark spot basally on each of the median fins.

An outbreak of hepatitis E and high maternal mortality at Port Sudan, Eastern Sudan

During 4 months (November 2010–March 2011) of an outbreak of hepatitis E virus (HEV), 39 pregnant women presented at Port Sudan Hospital, Sudan, with various symptoms of viral hepatitis. The diagnosis of viral hepatitis was confirmed by serology using ELISA anti-HEV IgG and IgM. The mean (SD) maternal age and gestational age were 24·0 (4·2) years and 33·6 (3·7) weeks, respectively. Eight (20·5%) women were primigravidae. There were 11 (28·2%) maternal deaths, 14 (36·0%) intrauterine fetal deaths, and eight (20·5%) cases of postpartum haemorrhage. There were nine (23·0%) cases of preterm (<37 weeks of gestation) deliveries. Fulminant hepatitis with hepatic encephalopathy was the most common cause of death among these patients. Nine of these women died before delivery and the other two died immediately following the delivery due to severe haemorrhage. There were no significant differences in clinical and biochemical data between the women who died (11) and those who survived.

Frequency of alloantibodies among chronic renal failure patients in red sea state.

Chronic renal failure patients need regular blood transfusion support to treat anemia and the development of erythrocyte alloantibodies complicates transfusion therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and specificity of alloantibodies against red cell antigens in CRF patients. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study done in the blood bank, Port Sudan, during the period of May-September 2012. A total of 84 patients (58 male and 26 female) with CRF who received at least one unit of RBC matched for ABO & Rh(D) antigens only were enrolled. Sera were screened for the presence of alloantibody by antibody screening test. The positive samples were subjected for antibody identification. The incidence of alloantibody among CRF patients was 13.1% and the most common alloantibodies were Anti-c (27.3%), anti-C (18.2%), and anti-K (18.2%). The risk of alloimmunization among CRF patients was 4.8% with the frequency of 13.1% and Anti-c being the commonest alloantibodies identified.

Diagnosis of malaria in red sea state, Sudan

Background: Malaria is one of the world killers, but it is curable disease if patients have access to early diagnosis and prompt treatment. The aims of this study are to estimate the frequency of malaria cases among febrile patients, to evaluate the frequency of the parasite species, and to detect the best method for diagnosis of malaria in Red Sea State, Sudan. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in laboratory of the Red Sea Medical center, Port Sudan, Sudan in period from July 2005 to May 2011. Blood samples were collected from 9,670 febrile patients suspected to have malaria and were examined by expert technologists under the supervision of senior pathologist. Another 717 blood samples seen in peripheral laboratories by routine microscopy were sent for confirmation by expert microscopy. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) were also done to these blood samples. Results: Out of the 9,670 febrile patients, only 283 had malaria by expert microscopy. The commonest plasmodium specie that causes malaria in the region was P. falciparum (50.2%), followed by P. vivax (43.8%). The specificity of routine microscopy was (52.7%) and that for RDT was (90.4%). The sensitivity of routine microscopy was (98.6%) while that for RDT was (99.8%). Conclusions: Small number of patients complaining of fever had malaria in Red Sea State with P. falciparum representing (50.2%), followed by P. vivax (43.8%). RDT is recommended for diagnosis of malaria in our region.

Dengue vector control and surveillance during a major outbreak in a coastal Red Sea area in Sudan

An unprecedented dengue outbreak occurred in 2010 in Port Sudan city, Sudan. Dengue incidence was 94 cases per 10 000 observed over 17 epidemiological weeks (total cases = 3 765). We report here the impact of the vector control response plan to the outbreak, which mainly entailed house inspection and insecticide space spraying. In total 3 048 houses were inspected during vector surveillance and 19 794 larvae and 3 240 pupae of Aedes aegypti were collected. Entomological indices decreased during the period: house index declined from 100% to 16% (F= 57.8, P < 0.001) and pupal/person (P/P) index from 0.77 to 0.10 (F= 3.06, P < 0.01) in weeks 9 and 21 respectively. This decline was accompanied by a decrease in cases from a peak of 341 cases in week 13 to zero in week 29 and the end of the outbreak. There was a significant correlation between the entomological parameters and dengue incidence (R2 = 0.83, F= 23.9, P < 0.001). Integrated epidemiological and vector surveillance is essential to an effective dengue control programme

Excessive iodine intake, water chemicals and endemic goitre in a Sudanese coastal area.

To study the associations between intakes of iodine and water chemicals and the thyroid gland status of schoolchildren living in the coastal city of Port Sudan. In our previous nationwide study on goitre, it was observed that the prevalence of goitre was high in Port Sudan city despite high urinary iodine excretion. A cross-sectional study including schoolchildren aged 6–12 years was designed. Measurements determined the prevalence of goitre, urinary iodine concentration and thiocyanate secretion in casual urine samples, serum levels of thyroxine, triiodothyronine, thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroglobulin, as well as the levels of Cl⁻, F⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and total hardness of drinking water. Schoolchildren (n 654) aged 6–12 years. Port Sudan city is located at the western bank of the Red Sea. The city is surrounded by a mountainous area known as the Red Sea Hills. It is the main sea port in the Sudan, inhabited by ethnically and socio-economically heterogeneous populations. The prevalence of goitre in Port Sudan was 34.86% while the median urinary iodine concentration was 46,4μg/dl. Out of thirty-one pupils from Port Sudan, twenty-four (77.42 %) were found to have urinary iodine concentration greater than 30μg/dl and twelve (38.71 %) had different degrees of biochemical hypothyroidism. Excessive concentrations of Cl⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and water hardness (369.2, 116.48, 60.21 and 539.0mg/l, respectively) were detected in drinking water samples collected from Port Sudan that exceeded levels permitted by the WHO. The coastal city of Port Sudan is a goitre-endemic area. In contrast to other Sudanese cities in which endemic goitre is related to iodine deficiency, goitre in Port Sudan is associated with iodine excess. Water chemicals seemed to have no effects on thyroid status.

English

&nbsp; This study evaluated the degree of liver damage during an extensive&nbsp;Dengue Virusepidemic in Port Sudan, Sudan, extending from July to December 2009. In 633 confirmed Dengue cases, the degree of hepatic injury was assessed as follows: Grade 0 - normal levels of liver enzymes; Grade 1 - mild elevation in the liver enzymes, not exceeding the double of the reference value; Grade 2 - elevated liver enzymes, with the levels of the enzymes increased to more than three times the reference values; Grade 3 - acute hepatitis, with liver enzymes levels increased to at least 10 times their normal values; Grade 4 - evidence of hepatic failure (high&nbsp;prothrombin time) or renal involvement (high creatinin). It was observed that 63.8% of Grade 1, 17.9% of Grade 2, 3.9% of Grade 3 and 1.1% of Grade 4 had liver damage. In this study, the severe degree of liver injury existed with the presence of the complications. So an&nbsp;aspartate aminotransferase(AST), at least, should be done regularly in the follow up of Dengue patients. &nbsp; Key words:&nbsp;Dengue virus, hepatitis, liver failure, Port Sudan

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Dengue Transmission along a Red Sea Coastline: A Longitudinal Entomological and Serological Survey in Port Sudan City

BackgroundDengue is an emerging health problem in several coastlines along the Red Sea. The objective of the present work is to elucidate spatial and temporal patterns of dengue transmission in Port Sudan.Methods/FindingsA longitudinal study with three cross-sectional surveys was carried out in upper, middle and lower class neighborhoods, from November 2008 to October 2009. Monthly, entomological surveys were followed by serological surveys in dengue vector-positive houses. Meteorological records were obtained from two weather stations in the city during the same time. Overall, 2825 houses were inspected. Aedes aegypti represented 65% (35,714/54,944) and 68% (2526/3715) of the collected larvae and pupae, respectively. Out of 4640 drinking water containers, 2297 were positive for Ae. aegypti. Clay-pots “Zeirr” followed by plastic barrels were key productive containers for pupae of dengue vector, 63% (n = 3959) and 26% (n = 1651), respectively. A total of 791 blood samples were tested using PanBio Capture/Indirect IgM ELISA. Overall, the sero-prevalence rate of dengue ranged between 3%–8% (41/791), compared to an incidence of 29–40 new cases per 10,000 (193/54886) in the same examined population. Lower and middle class neighborhoods had higher entomological indices compared with upper class ones (p<0.001). Although, dengue incidence rate was significantly lower in the middle and lower class neighborhoods (F = 73.97, d.f. = 2, p<0.001), no difference in IgM prevalence was shown. The city is subject to two transmission peaks in the winter (i.e. November–January), and summer (i.e. June–August). The serological peaks of dengue are preceded by entomological peaks that occur before the onset of winter (November) and summer (March) respectively.ConclusionDengue incidence is heterogeneously distributed across the neighborhoods of Port Sudan and exhibits a bi-cyclic intra-annual pattern. Hence, it should be feasible to carry out timely vector control measures to prevent or reduce dengue transmission.

Celiac disease in the Red Sea state of Sudan

Celiac disease is characterized by sensitivity to gluten that results in inflammation and atrophy of the small intestine mucosa. The aim of this research was to document the presence of celiac disease and to describe its clinical presentations in the tribes living in the Red Sea state of Sudan. 172 patients suspected to have celiac disease, were examined at the Red Sea Medical Center laboratory, Port Sudan, Sudan, from August 2008 to September 2011. All clinical data was collected using questionnaires. Serum samples were obtained from all patients for serological detection of anti-gliadin (AG) and anti-tissue transglutamase (ATTG) antibodies (IgG and IgA) using the enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). 128 patients were found to have celiac disease. The commonest presenting symptom was chronic diarrhea (20.3%) followed by weight loss (14%). Males and females were nearly equally affected. All age groups were affected with a peak incidence between 5 to 10 years. Celiac disease occurs in the Red Sea state and may well be under-diagnosed. The combination of IgA AGA and IgA ATTG tests represent a good diagnostic method to confirm celiac disease in suspected cases. Special attention needs to be given to methods that encourage adherence to gluten-free diet in affected people in this region.

Stove designed by US national lab improves lives in Darfur

In cutting the wood fuel requirement in half, the stove also reduces Darfuri women’s exposure to violence.

Iodine status and fish intake of Sudanese schoolchildren living in the Red Sea and White Nile regions.

To investigate iodine status and fish consumption of schoolchildren living in the Red Sea and White Nile regions of Sudan. Cross-sectional study to determine urinary iodine concentration, visible goitre rate, iodine content of salt and fish consumption. Port Sudan (Red Sea) and Jabal Awliya (White Nile), Sudan. Two hundred eighty (n 280) children aged 6-12 years (142 boys, 138 girls). The median urinary iodine concentration in children from Port Sudan and Jabal Awliya was 553 and 160 μg/l, respectively. Goitre was detected in 17.1 % of children from Port Sudan but only in 1.4 % from Jabal Awliya, The salt samples from Port Sudan contained 150-360 mg iodine (KOI3)/kg salt, whereas those from Jabal Awliya had levels below the detection limit. Despite consuming salt devoid of iodine, children from Jabal Awliya had optimal iodine status. It is plausible that consumption of Nile fish from Jabal Awliya Reservoir, which is a good source of iodine and favoured by the locals, might have provided sufficient iodine. In contrast, children from Port Sudan were at higher risk of iodine-induced hyperthyroidism resulting from consumption of excessively iodised salt. The findings of the study clearly demonstrated that (i) Sudan still has a problem with iodine nutrition and quality control and monitoring of salt iodisation and (ii) including fish in the diet could provide a sufficient amount of iodine for schoolchildren.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever outbreak in children in Port Sudan

Dengue fever (DF)/dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) has emerged as a global public health problem with countries in Asia and the Pacific sharing more than 70% of the disease burden. In 2004-2005 a total of 312 cases admitted to Pediatric and Sea Port Hospitals in Port Sudan were clinically diagnosed as DHF. The mortality rate recorded was 3.8% (n=12). Of the cases 73.4% were patients 5-15 years of age. A total of 91.2% of cases were admitted during May and June 2005 with 49.4% residing in the eastern region of Port Sudan. Dengue shock syndrome was observed in 37 of 312 (11.9%). All patients had thrombocytopenia with platelets count ranged from <100,000 to <150,000 cell/mm³. Of the 40 sera tested using RAPID-cassette test in the Khartoum Central Public Health Lab, 36 (90%) were dengue IgM positive. A subset of these sera (n=23) were sent to NAMRU-3 and confirmed by IgM-capture ELISA; 9 of 23 were PCR positive for dengue serotype 3.

Chapter 22 Evidence for Early and Mid-Cryogenian glaciation in the Northern Arabian–Nubian Shield (Egypt, Sudan, and western Arabia)

Abstract Evidence of Early- to Mid-Cryogenian ( c. 780 Ma and c. 740 Ma) glacial activity is summarized for the northern Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS), including structural framework, stratigraphy, lithological descriptions and relationships with younger and older units, banded iron formation chemostratigraphy, other characteristics, geochronological constraints, and discussion. The ANS is a broad tract of juvenile continental crust, formed from accreted arc-backarc basin terranes developed around the margins of the Mozambique Ocean. As a result, these successions formed in marine environments at some distance from continental margins. Deposits include banded iron formation (BIF) and possibly glacial diamictite scattered over broad regions of the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt, NW Arabia and possible correlative units in NE Sudan. The older ( c. 780 Ma) examples (Meritri group, NE Sudan; basal Mahd group, Arabia) occur in the central ANS, on the southern flank of an important lithospheric boundary, an ophiolite-decorated suture zone. Mahd group diamictite is thin (1–5 m thick) and rests above the earliest (Cryogenian) ANS unconformity. The Meritri group interval near Port Sudan is much thicker and part of a deformed passive margin. Both Mahd and Meritri group deposits need further study before they are accepted as glaciogenic; confirmation of this interpretation would indicate that Neoproterozoic glacial activity began at least as early as 780 Ma ago. The younger ( c. 740 Ma) glacial deposits include diamictite and BIF: the Atud diamictite and BIFs of the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt and the correlative Nuwaybah diamictite and BIF of NW Arabia. Northern ANS-BIF is a well-layered chemical sediment of interlaminated hematite-magnetite and jasper. A glacial origin for the Atud-Nuwaybah diamictites is inferred because large clasts and matrix zircons have ages (Palaeoproterozoic and Neoarchean) and compositions (especially quartzite, arkose, and microdiamictite) that require transport from outside the ANS Cryogenian basin. Northern ANS-BIF may also reveal glacial influence, having been deposited in response to reoxygenation of a suboxic ocean. The 740 Ma diamictite and/or BIF may correlate with Tambien Group diamictites in Ethiopia ( Miller et al. 2011 ). Northern ANS diamictite and BIF were deposited in an oceanic basin of unknown size, as indicated by association with abundant ophiolites; they are strongly deformed, obscuring many primary features. There is no strong evidence for or against Ediacaran glaciation in the ANS, largely because the region was uplifted at this time. The c. 600 Ma ANS peneplain may have been partly cut by Ediacaran glaciation. Some of the post-accretionary basins of Arabia could preserve glaciogenic deposits of Ediacaran age, but assessing this possibility requires further investigation.

Endemic goitre in the Sudan despite long-standing programmes for the control of iodine deficiency disorders

To describe the status of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) in the Sudan more than 25 years after the initiation of IDD control programmes and to explore the causes of endemic goitre in the country. Testing for IDDs was carried out in 6083 schoolchildren 6 to 12 years of age from the capital cities of nine states in different areas of the country using the three indicators recommended by the World Health Organization: the prevalence of goitre, laboratory measurements of urinary iodine concentration in casual urine samples and serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels. Serum levels of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), as well as urinary secretion of thiocyanate, which can affect the transport of iodine into thyrocytes, were also measured. The prevalence of goitre in the different samples ranged from 12.2% to 77.7% and was 38.8% overall. The overall median urinary iodine concentration was 6.55 μg/dl, with the lowest median value having been found in Kosti city (2.7 μg/dl), situated in the centre of the country, and the highest (46.4 μg/dl) in Port Sudan, on the Red Sea coast. The highest mean serum Tg level (66.98 ng/ml) was found in Kosti city, which also had the highest prevalence of goitre. IDDs still constitute a public health problem throughout urban areas in the Sudan and iodine deficiency appears to be the main etiological factor involved.

Diel Behavioral Activity Patterns in Adult Solitarious Desert Locust,Schistocerca gregaria(Forskål)

The responses of adult solitarious desert locust to odors from a host plant were evaluated in a two-choice wind tunnel. Solitarious desert locusts collected from the field (Red Sea Coast) were more attracted to volatiles from pottedHeliotropium ovalifoliumin scotophase than in photophase. The attraction towards the host plant odors rather than to clean air, in both photophase and scotophase, concurs with previous observations on oviposition preferences near these plants. Diel behavioral activity patterns of adult solitarious desert locustsSchistocerca gregaria(Forskål) that were collected from the field in Port Sudan were investigated by monitoring, scanning, resting, taking off, and walking/running in a wind tunnel. Solitarious locusts that had been propagated in the laboratory for 20 generations were also observed for comparison. In both groups of locusts, insects were significantly more active after sunset and this activity attained peak level at 1-2 hours after dusk. Of the two groups, solitarious locusts collected from the field were significantly more active. In the scotophase, the former traversed distances that were about seven times those covered by laboratory-reared locusts. Overall, the results show that the repertoire of behavioral activities of solitarious locusts is maintained in laboratory-reared insects, albeit at a lower level. The implications of these observations in the behavioral ecology of the desert locust are discussed.

Groundwater balance in the Khor Arbaat basin, Red Sea State, eastern Sudan

The Khor Arbaat basin is the main source of potable water supply for the more than 750,000 inhabitants of Port Sudan, eastern Sudan. The variation in hydraulic conductivity and storage capacity is due to the heterogeneity of the sediments, which range from clay and silt to gravely sand and boulders. The water table rises during the summer and winter rainy seasons; it reaches its lowest level in the dry season. The storage capacity of the Khor Arbaat aquifer is estimated to be 21.75 × 106 m3. The annual recharge through the infiltration of flood water is about 1.93 × 106 m3. The groundwater recharge, calculated as underground inflow at the ‘upper gate’, is 1.33 × 105 m3/year. The total annual groundwater recharge is 2.06 × 106 m3. The annual discharge through underground outflow at the ‘lower gate’ (through which groundwater flows onto the coastal plain) is 3.29 × 105 m3/year. Groundwater discharge due to pumping from Khor Arbaat basin is 4.38 × 106 m3/year on average. The total annual groundwater discharge is about 4.7 × 106 m3. A deficit of 2.6 × 106 m3/year is calculated. Although the total annual discharge is twice the estimated annual recharge, additional groundwater flow from the fractured basement probably balances the annual groundwater budget since no decline is observed in the piezometric levels.

The best stain for morphological study of human seminal fluid's smears.

Objectives:There is a high need for proper evaluation of the morphological features of human sperms. The importance of this lies in the field of andrology, male fertility and in vitro fertilization. The wet smears can give rough clue about the shape of the sperms, but it is neither accurate nor reproducible. This study aimed to determine the best stain which can be used for seminal fluid cytology.Methods: This study was conducted in Port Sudan, Red Sea State, Sudan in the period from October 2006 to September 2007. The total number of patients was 50. Samples which were collected from normospermic patients (NSP) were prepared by direct smear technique. Samples which were collected from oligospermic patients (OSP) and azoospermic patients (ASP) were prepared by direct smear technique and also by indirect smear techniques (concentration method). Smear samples were stained by freshly prepared Harris's Haematoxylin, Papanicolaou stain, May-Grunwald Giemsa stains (MGG), supra vital stain, Giemsa stain and leishman's stain.Results: In this study, the best stain was Harris's Haematoxylin (80% excellent for the head of sperm, 70% good for the neck, 59% excellent for the tail, 42% very good for cells in background). Harris's stainwas followed by papanicolaou stain and the third best stain was supra vital stain. MGG was better than Giemsa in staining of semen smears (75% good versus 25% good) in overall performance. The worst stain was Leishman's stain.Conclusion: Stained smears must be used for the morphological study of semen samples. Harris's Haematoxylin is the best stain for semen cytological features. Stains which used for the semen samples should befreshly prepared.

Current situation of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in the Sudan

The current situation of PPR in Sudan was investigated. A total of 61 tissue samples were collected from various PPR suspected outbreaks in sheep in Sudan during 2008. Collected tissue samples were tested for PPR antigen using IcELISA, PPR antigen was detected in 26 out of 61 samples (42.6%). Highest antigen detection rate was in specimens collected from western Sudan. A total of 1198 serum samples were collected from sheep (n = 500), camels (n = 392), and goats (n = 306) from different areas in Sudan (Khartoum, Gezira, Tambool, River Nile, Kordofan, White Nile, Blue Nile, Gedarif, Kassala, Halfa ElGadida, Port Sudan). Collected sera were examined for PPR antibodies using cELISA, a total of 336 (67.2%) sheep, 170 (55.6%) goat and 1 (0.3%) camel samples were found to be positive.