Town In Cameroon Research Articles

Microbial Dynamics Associated with Spontaneous Fermentation of Cocoa (<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L.) in Cameroon and Evaluation of the Quality of Marketable Beans

Cocoa fermentation is essential for the production of marketable beans for chocolate manufacturing. It is a microbial process that affects the marketable quality of the beans. The microbial dynamics associated with cocoa fermentation as well as the quality of marketable beans were evaluated in a couple of towns in Cameroon. After plating on selective agar plates, the growth of microflora named yeast, acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, bacillus and molds associated with the different fermentations was monitored by enumeration using decimal dilution. The quality of the beans was assessed by the fermentation index, pH and grain size. Cocoa beans from Bafia, Bertoua, Elogbatindi, and Penja were sampled after 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hours of spontaneous fermentation. It was found that the order of emergence and the time of appearance of the different microbial genera varied between locations and the fermentations process were generally dominated by yeasts followed by lactic acid bacteria and bacillus witch were found during all the fermentation stages except in Elogbatindi where baccilus appear after 48h. Bean pH decreased from 5.88 ± 0.02 - 6.52 ± 0.01 to 4.34 ± 0.02 - 5.68 ± 0.06. The fermentation index of the beans ranged between 1.00 and 1.40 at the end of the process of fermentation and the seeds obtained had consistent specific weight since the value of their weight were greater than 1. The microbial strains would have a high technological potentiality leading to a good quality of fermented cocoa beans and may be use as starter in improvement program of cocoa beans fermentation process.

Development of a micro weather station using Arduino and Internet of Things

The goal of this work is to build a low cost pedagogical device able to improve the comprehension of weather phenomena for African students in particular and in general for students across the world. This experimental and didactic device can be seen as an easy teaching tool to measure meteorological and climatic data. This structure is called a micro weather station. The investigation is done in Metipkwale one of the village of Ebolowa town in Cameroon (Central Africa). Some weather data automatically obtained from the micro weather station (sensors) such as temperature, humidity and pressure, are directly transmitted by a modem (Wi-Fi connection) to the ThingSpeak platform in order to be registered online and plotted as a diagram. The illustration process is assured by a computer or a smartphone. Moreover, the prediction process of climatic behaviour and the reactions of students have been also outlined. Further, some notions such as Internet of Things and Deep Learning associated with exponential smoothing algorithms are also presented.

Household Waste Management in Cameroon: The Case of Bamenda and Buea Municipalities

Urban sanitation and hazard risk reduction strategies that aim to maintain a clean and healthy society will only be successful and sustainable if it includes educating and training the people on how to handle their household waste. Nations and organisations must innovate in order to sustain the health of population growth and other global demands. It is not easy to obtain a complete assessment of risk involve in any undertaking. The problem is even more in an innovative project like the case of hysacam waste disposal in Buea and Bamenda in Cameroon. What distinguishes standard processes from innovation is their level of uncertainty. Therefore, ways of assessing and addressing the magnitude of risks involve must come high on the list of techniques for managing innovations. The risk surrounding garbage disposal in Cameroon is a course for concern. The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the assumptions which underlie the key frame of reference used to understand waste disposal in order to make garbage disposal using the new system risk free and sustainable. The study focuses on household’s waste disposal in Bamenda and Buea towns in Cameroon. According to prior studies in this area, (Jake Ansell & Frank Wharton 1992; Keith Goffin & Rick Mitchell 2005) risk is an unavoidable feature of human existence. Neither man nor organisations/societies can survive for long without taking risks. Mark and Eve (2006) suggest that people be advised to separate organic waste from solid waste before depositing for collection to a compositing depot. Data was gathered through face to face interview with those disposing garbage and the population concern. In all, 150 people were interviewed, 5 employees holding executive posts, 35 workers involve in the day to day carrying of garbage, 100 service users in the town of Buea and Bamenda where the service is being delivered and 10 people, both service delivers and service users in Douala (Cameroon) where such a service started and has since been operating for long (since the 1960s) were interviewed. Data is analysed both qualitative and quantitative. Result suggests that while the innovative garbage disposal technique is good as it is quick and cover large areas, keeps the city clean for healthy living, it is an innovative action therefore, both the service providers and users need to be trained (educated) to make the service worthwhile and sustainable. Education will empower people with appropriate knowledge on how to handle garbage with care. The implications would be: reduced risk of bacterial spread in streets, reduced ardour, clean air and quality well being greatly improved. The validity of the study lies in its ability to spread information that can improve the operation system of garbage disposal, making the service attain its objective of keeping a city clean and promote healthy living.

Hydro-geochemistry of groundwater and surface water in Dschang town (West Cameroon): Alkali and alkaline-earth elements ascertain lithological and anthropogenic constraints

This study focuses on the sources of alkali and alkaline-earth elements based on the geochemistry of groundwater and surface water in Dschang concerning environmental and anthropogenic constraints. A comprehensive set of 50 samples from groundwater and surface water were analyzed by ICP-MS and processed by spatial interpolation in a GIS environment. The results highlight a geochemical anomaly at the center of the densely inhabited area subject to a profusion of open dumps discharges. This anomaly with the highest spatial contents of Be (Cs, Rb, Mg) suggests an anthropogenic source that demarcates with the lowest alkali and alkaline-earth elements on the peripheral area of Dschang. Other findings include lithological constraints with volcanic rocks being the main source compared to granitoid. The study points out good correlations between Be, Cs, Rb and Mg spatial distributions and physico-chemical parameters of waters (K, EC, TDS), and inversely with the lowest pH. pH is established as the most functioning physico-chemical constraint of alkali and alkaline-earth mobility in Dschang. The pH lowest values within the geochemical anomaly also highlight the impact of human activities on water acidity, which later enhance elements mobility and enrichment. Despite low elements contents relative to WHO standards, our findings point out an example of anthropogenic impact on water geochemistry linked to solid waste pollution; it also demonstrates significant anthropogenic changes of environmental physico-chemical parameters of prime importance in the mobility and distribution of elements in the study area. Similar assessments should be extended in major towns in Cameroon.

Evolution of Colonial Towns and Factors Influencing Toponymic Practices in Germano-Anglo Cameroon

The study examines Germano-Anglo colonial towns in Cameroon to determine factors accounting for the scarcity of infrastructure as well as streets and places with Eurocentric names. Using primary and secondary data, it demonstrates that the lack of infrastructure in the polity is a function of negligence by colonial and post-colonial authorities. With few pieces of public infrastructure, the authorities have had few streets and places to attribute names from Eurocentric lexical dictionaries. These findings contribute to knowledge of the relative impact of endogenous and exogenous factors on toponymic traditions as well as inter-country differentials in African countries’ development profiles.

English

A significant proportion of the population of Limbe, a coastal town in Cameroon, relies on ground water (gw) to satisfy their drinking water needs. The coastal aquifer is threatened by pollution from sea water intrusion and hence the aim of this study was to determine the suitability of the water. Physico-chemical analysis were carried out on samples collected from the study area and the Revelle Index was calculated and used to determine the extent of pollution from seawater intrusion. The water quality index (WQI) was calculated using values of the pH, bicarbonate, chloride, total dissolved solids and the electrical conductivity. The results showed that 23% of the groundwater in the study area is slightly polluted by seawater intrusion. Using the WQI, it was found that about 34.4% of the ground water resources in the study area is currently good for drinking while 65.6% is either poor, very poor or unsuitable for drinking. In order to reduce the intrusion of sea water into the aquifer, a halophyte plant like mangrove should be planted at the mouth of the main river in Limbe. Key words: Coastal aquifer, pollution, salinity, water quality index, Revelle Index.

CDC Company Towns in Cameroon: A Case of Shaping Built Space to Articulate Power and Social Control in Colonial and Postcolonial Perspectives

Abstract The article analyzes company towns with particular emphasis on the workers’ camps of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) in Cameroon. The avowed purpose of the camps from their inception during the colonial era has always been to meet the housing needs of workers. However, the article contends that the camps were designed to accomplish two principal, albeit unstated, objectives, namely, 1) to articulate power and maintain social order in built space; and 2) to transmit Eurocentric ideals of work and general conduct to the workers. Company towns are not only of historical value, they are also of contemporary importance as they remain conspicuous features of built space in Cameroon in particular and Africa in general.

Psychosocial vulnerability and HIV/AIDS epidemiological situation among people with hearing disabilities in four towns in Cameroon.

The scientific literature about disabled people has stressed their high exposure to social exclusion and marginalization, linked to ways of thinking and representations about them. In the area of HIV/AIDS, this marginalization, which results in higher levels of self-stigmatization and especially in inequalities in prevention, continues to put disabled people at high risk of HIV infection. The current study, conducted with a socioepidemiological and behavioral approach, included 317 people with hearing disabilities, recruited through purposive sampling combined with a snowball approach. Participants, after providing informed consent in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki, completed a questionnaire and underwent HIV screening. The results showed a high rate of early sexual intercourse and a high prevalence of HIV, associated with their many risk factors and vulnerability. The analysis also revealed that social marginalization, erroneous beliefs, lack of communication and more generally of appropriate prevention adapted to them, a high rate of multiple partners, a low rate of condom use, psychosexual violence, and difficulties in negotiating social relations, particularly those of sexual relations, are the principal factors of vulnerability and risk.

Formal and Informal Sector Workers Care in Cameroon-Need for Equitable Protection Approach based on Rational Assessment of Risks and Exposures through Carpenter?s Respiratory System Assessment

We explored respiratory symptoms in informal versus formal sector workers, in order to find out if there is a rational reason for selective care towards the latters. Methodology: This was a transversal analytic study comparing spirometry parameters of 35 carpenters from informal sector activity to 35 controls from official sector, all males, matched for body surface area, in Douala town in Cameroon, from March to May 2015. We performed spirometries and clinical examinations. We analyzed data with SPSS V.22. Results: The carpenters and controls showed respectively: average age was 35 vs 34 year; average years spent in function: 13 vs 9 years; systolic blood pressure: 120 vs 115 mmHg (p<0.05); diastolic blood pressure: 79 vs 76 mmHg; on spirometry, forced vital capacity: 92 vs 91; VEMS: 101 vs 96; VEMS/CVF: 108 vs 101; and PEF 91 vs 87. A negative correlation was found between duration on work in years and blood pressure in carpenters (R=- 0.37; p=0.029). A negative correlation was found in carpenters between length of stay at work in years and peak expiratory flow (R=-0.34; p=0.048). Conclusions: The spirometry parameters are more altered in the carpenters compared to controls. There are no abnormalities exclusively present in formal sector workers that could justify their selective care. This study highlights the need for real attention to all workers in terms of preventing their health problems by authorities.

Cameroon Pidgin English at the Service of Local Culture, Science and Technology

Despite divergent views about the status of Cameroon Pidgin English (henceforth CPE), some researchers such as Atechi (2011); Chia (1983); Mbangwana (2004) etc. are nevertheless unanimous that the language is the most widely spoken lingua franca in the country. Kouega (2008), came up with a dictionary of Cameroon Pidgin English to buttress the fact that it is an autonomous language which has attained maturity. Alobwede (1998: 54) carried out a survey on the acquisition of Pidgin English and English as a first language in some major towns in Cameroon and indicates that CPE is the majority language in Bamenda, Mamfe, Kumba, Buea, Limbe, Douala and Yaounde when compared to the acquisition of English. Equally, Mbangwana (2004:23) posits that 97.8% Anglophone and 61.8% francophone Cameroonian urban dwellers speak CPE. From the statistics above, it is evident that more people are proficient in CPE, feel at home with it, and use it more than the official languages (English and French). Consequently, most cultural, scientific and technological knowledge is concealed from the majority of speakers since it is essentially available in English or French, languages they are not very conversant with. In this paper, I am examining how widespread CPE is, as well as the potential and capacity of the language in expressing local cultural, scientific and technical knowledge and how such knowledge could be captured in CPE. Data will be collected through participant observation, literary works of arts, local newspapers published in English and from Kouega’s (2008) dictionary on Cameroon Pidgin English. The data will be analysed using the Domain Analysis approach propounded by James Bradley (1980).

Optimal starting point for antiretroviral HIV treatment in a town in Cameroon: a randomised controlled study.

BackgroundOptimal starting point for antiretroviral treatment (ART) has been uncertain.MethodsParallel group, single blind, randomised controlled study of adult HIV positive patients consulting at the Protestant Hospital, Ngaoundere, Cameroon in 2007-8. Simple randomisation of patients in WHO clinical stage 1-2 to start of ART early or deferred, i.e. when CD4 counts dropped below 350 versus 250 cells/mm3, or when they reached clinical stage 3-4. Clinical follow-up every three months were offered for all patients. Main outcomes were clinical stage, CD4 differences and mortality. Of 424 consulting patients, most were excluded, mainly because they were already in WHO stage 3-4. Forty-four patients were randomised.ResultsIn the ‘early’ group two patients died and five were lost to follow-up. In the ‘deferred’ group, six patients died and nine were lost to follow-up (Hazard ratio for death by early compared to deferred treatment 0.26, 95% confidence interval 0.05-1.29). Of the patients lost to follow-up, three patients in the ‘early’ group and four patients in the ‘deferred’ group were known to be alive when the study ended. Fourteen patients in the early group and 11 in the deferred group started ART. Twenty-two patients were evaluated clinically six to seven months after the study period was terminated. Except for one patient with AIDS, these were all still in clinical stage 1-2.ConclusionsIn our small sample, relative risk for death did not differ significantly, but deferred treatment seemed to carry no increased survival or other clinical advantage. During the study period, other studies made WHO change its guidelines to conform to our early treatment. The tendency in our study lends support to this policy.Trial registrationISRCTN22114173Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-828) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evidence of dengue virus transmission and factors associated with the presence of anti-dengue virus antibodies in humans in three major towns in Cameroon.

BackgroundDengue is not well documented in Africa. In Cameroon, data are scarce, but dengue infection has been confirmed in humans. We conducted a study to document risk factors associated with anti-dengue virus Immunoglobulin G seropositivity in humans in three major towns in Cameroon.Methodology/Principal FindingsA cross sectional survey was conducted in Douala, Garoua and Yaounde, using a random cluster sampling design. Participants underwent a standardized interview and were blood sampled. Environmental and housing characteristics were recorded. Randomized houses were prospected to record all water containers, and immature stages of Aedes mosquitoes were collected. Sera were screened for anti-dengue virus IgG and IgM antibodies. Risk factors of seropositivity were tested using logistic regression methods with random effects.Anti-dengue IgG were found from 61.4% of sera in Douala (n = 699), 24.2% in Garoua (n = 728) and 9.8% in Yaounde (n = 603). IgM were found from 0.3% of Douala samples, 0.1% of Garoua samples and 0.0% of Yaounde samples. Seroneutralization on randomly selected IgG positive sera showed that 72% (n = 100) in Douala, 80% (n = 94) in Garoua and 77% (n = 66) in Yaounde had antibodies specific for dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2).Age, temporary house walls materials, having water-storage containers, old tires or toilets in the yard, having no TV, having no air conditioning and having travelled at least once outside the city were independently associated with anti-dengue IgG positivity in Douala. Age, having uncovered water containers, having no TV, not being born in Garoua and not breeding pigs were significant risk factors in Garoua. Recent history of malaria, having banana trees and stagnant water in the yard were independent risk factors in Yaounde.Conclusion/SignificanceIn this survey, most identified risk factors of dengue were related to housing conditions. Poverty and underdevelopment are central to the dengue epidemiology in Cameroon.

Epidemiology of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus lineages in five major African towns: high prevalence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes

AbstractThe epidemiology of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in Africa is poorly documented. From January 2007 to March 2008, 555 S. aureus isolates were collected from five African towns in Cameroon, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, and Senegal; among these, 456 unique isolates were susceptible to methicillin. Approximately 50% of the MSSA isolates from each different participating centre were randomly selected for further molecular analysis. Of the 228 isolates investigated, 132 (58%) belonged to five major multilocus sequence typing (MLST) clonal complexes (CCs) (CC1, CC15, CC30, CC121 and CC152) that were not related to any successful methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones previously identified in the same study population. The luk-PV genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), present in 130 isolates overall (57%), were highly prevalent in isolates from Cameroon, Niger, and Senegal (West and Central Africa). This finding is of major concern, with regard to both a source of severe infections and a potential reservoir for PVL genes. This overrepresentation of PVL in MSSA could lead to the emergence and spread of successful, highly virulent PVL-positive MRSA clones, a phenomenon that has already started in Africa.

Photographic Props / The Photographer as Prop: The Many Faces of Jacques Tousselle

The paper explores the way in which a Cameroonian studio photographer, Jacques Touselle, used props and how he chose to present himself in the course of a forty year career as the first indigenous photographer from Mbouda, a town in Cameroon’s West Region (former West Province). As well as providing photographs for routine administrative purposes such as ID cards, the studio photographers took many different ‘photos de plaisir’: images for fun. Looking through the archive of some forty thousand images, we find several of the photographer himself in a variety of different guises. Is he chameleon, flaneur, or someone with a wry sense of humour? Perhaps such questions cannot be answered in the content of academic discussion but this inability does point to the limits of those discussions. Contrasts between the images in his personal photo album and his appearance in images in the main archive of his work will be examined, revealing how he chose to print some negatives and how he collaborated with clients to make images which told a tale.

Inside Electoral Democracy: Gift-Giving and Flaunting in Political Campaigning in Cameroon

This article focuses on political electoral campaigning in a given town in Cameroon. The intention is to bring about a deeper understanding of the nature of ‘democracy’ and its implications for political power sharing and accountability in a given locality in Africa. Based on extensive field research, interviews and participative observation the empirical data gathered are analysed with references to recent academic approaches on democratic developments in Africa. The article discusses concrete ways politicians use to convince potential voters to vote for their party in relation to theories of gift-giving and symbolic capital.

The value of population campaigns offering free-of-charge HIV-testing: Observational study in a town in Cameroon

Background: HIV testing is encouraged, but in many countries testing is rarely free of charge except during campaign periods. Aim: To study experiences from four years of campaign week for HIVtesting in the town of Ngaoundere, Cameroon. Data have been collected and recorded from handwritten protocols in 2001, from pre- and post-counselling sheets in 2002, and from laboratory protocols in 2003-4. Results: Seropositivity tended to increase with increasing age, female sex, number of sexpartners last five years and with low educational level. Different dimensions of knowledge about HIV was associated with less seropositivity. One of five persons tested never came back to know their result, but seropositivity in this group was not higher than for those who returned. Overall HIV prevalence during the last three years of campaign testing was 9.0%, a little higher than WHO national figures for Cameroon. Conclusions: HIV campaigns including testing may stimulate interest and knowledge about HIV, which is important to lower HIV incidence. The HIV vulnerability of females was confirmed. Campaigns did not easily attract less educated persons, and campaign testing prevalence therefore could be expected to be lower than HIV prevalence in the local population. On the other hand, people with high risk behaviour may be over-represented, increasing campaign testing prevalence. Most symptomatic persons receiving a positive test did not come back for medical follow-up.

Why do men with urethritis in Cameroon prefer to seek care in the informal health sector?

To study the impact of cost of treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) on the preference of men with urethritis to seek care in the informal sector. A random sample of young men from the general population of Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon, and of employees of a Yaoundé factory underwent a structured interview on the occurrence of STD-related complaints and health seeking behaviour. Men who consulted in the formal sector were compared with men consulting in the informal sector, with regards to cost of medication and level of education. Sixteen percent of men in the general population and 20% of factory employees reported a history of urethritis in the 12 months preceding the interview. Of the men in the general population 53% had sought care in the formal sector; among the factory employees this proportion was 56%. Men who did not consult in the formal sector spent significantly less on drugs than men who did consult in the formal sector: median cost $14.4 versus $24.0 (p = 0.02) for drugs purchased in pharmacies; median cost $8 versus $32 for drugs purchased in small stores or from acquaintances. Preference for formal health services was associated with higher educational attainment. In large towns in Cameroon the utilisation of formal health services for STD related complaints is low and the high cost of treatment in the formal sector may play an important role in the choice of care option.

Chloroquine sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum in vivo in a savanna town in Cameroon

Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum has been reported in the Sahel and forest regions of Cameroon since 1985. In vivo response to chloroquine treatment (25 mg/kg) was assessed in 19 patients with malaria in the savanna North-West province. 58% of the cases showed RII resistance to chloroquine. RIII resistance was suspected in one patient. Only 35% of cases showed complete parasite clearance by day 5 of treatment. Chloroquine reduced parasite counts by at least 87% in all patients. Chloroquine resistance now seems to be well established and widespread in Cameroon. Its rapid spread and the prevalence of resistance suggest the existence of sustained drug pressure resulting in rapid selection of less sensitive strains. Unfortunately, similar pressure is also being exerted with quinine.