BACKGROUND Emergence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drug resistance may limit the benefits of antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings. The prevalence of resistance was assessed among patients from KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, following failure of their first highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen. METHODS Genotypic resistance testing was performed on ...

The KZN strain family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a highly virulent strain endemic to the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, which has recently experienced an outbreak of extensively-drug resistant tuberculosis. To investigate the causes and evolution of drug-resistance, we determined the DNA sequences of several clinical isolates--one drug-susceptible, one multi-drug resistant, and nin...

Background: Keratoconus (KC) is a non-inflammatory, self-limiting corneal ectasia that causes reduced visual acuity and if left undiagnosed and/or untreated may lead to impairment. Optometrists remain the first point of contact for affected patients, making appropriate timeous care essential. Aim: To investigate keratoconus management in public sector KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Setting: Publi...

The in vitro sensitivity to chloroquine and pyrimethamine of 19 culture-adapted southern African reference isolates of Plasmodium falciparum was determined using a 48-hour assay. Four isolates collected in KwaZulu, Natal, were sensitive to chloroquine, and one of these was sensitive to the drug in vivo. Eight isolates from KwaZulu or Mozambique were resistant to chloroquine in vitro. Six of the...

The objective of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms of an ischemic stroke in a human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV)-infected population. Several clinical and autopsy studies have suggested an increased incidence of strokes in HIV-infected persons. These studies have been performed on diverse populations with numerous confounds for strokes, including, drug abuse and coexistent oppo...

The morphological characteristics of the humeral bone has been investigated in recent times with studies showing varying degrees of sexual dimorphism. Osteologists and forensic scientists have shown that sex determination methods based on skeletal measurements are population specific, and these population-specific variations are present in many body dimensions. The present study aims to establi...

Older people need greater access to good eye care: 82% of people living with blindness worldwide are over 50, even though they only represent 19% of the world’s population.1 In South Africa, the 80% of people who are unable to afford expensive private medical insurance are reliant on the state to provide affordable health care.2 Older people have access to primary health clinics in the communit...

Recent data and material obtained from northern KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Maputo Bay (Mozambique) have provided support for the description of a new species of the genus Lamellothyrea Krikken, 1980. The genus previously included only one species, L. descarpentriesi, with uncertain and poorly defined type locality, i.e. "Transvaal". It is now evident that two different species are actuall...

We examined specimens from all eleven described species of African Dainty Frogs, Cacosternum. Advertisement calls, 16S and tyr sequences were obtained from voucher specimens of all known species plus undescribed taxa. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that there were 15 species. We describe four new species from South Africa that can be diagnosed by their advertisement calls: Cacosternum aggest...

This report, covering the two year period 1997 to 1998, is an update of previous reports published in the Proceedings of SEARG meetings which took place in Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The overall rabies situation in South Africa has changed very little and the disease remains endemic throughout the country. Four major vectors have been identified, namely the domestic dog, the yell...