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The extent to which the acute phase response (APR) influences iron status indicators in chronic infections is not well documented. We investigated this relationship using reported recent fever and 2 acute phase proteins (APP), C-reactive protein (CAP), and a-i-acid glycoprotein )AGP). In a sample of 690 children matched on age and helminth infection status at baseline, we measured plasma for AGP, CRP, ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), and erythropoietin (EPO) and whole blood for hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), and malaria parasite density, and we obtained maternal reports of recent fever. We then examined the influence of the APR on each iron status indicator using regression analysis with Hb as the outcome variable. Ferritin was inversely related to Hb in the APR-unadjusted model. Adjusting for the APR using reported recent fever alone was not sufficient to reverse the inverse Hb-ferritin relationship. However, using CAP and/or AGP resulted in the expected positive relationship. The best fit model included reported recent fever, AGP and CAP (R² = 0.241; P < 0.0011. The best fit Hb-ZPP, Hb-TfA, and Hb-EPO models included reported recent fever and AGP but not CRP (R² = 0.253, 0.310, and 0.292, respectively; P < 0.001). ZPP, TfR, and EPO were minimally influenced by the APR, whereas ferritin was immensely affected. Reported recent fever alone cannot be used as a marker for the APR. Either AGP or CAP is useful for adjusting if only 1 APP can be measured. However, AGP best predicted the APR in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria were quantified in samples of drinking-water and in two porridges prepared for infant-feeding [fortified instant soy-rice porridge (SRP) and cooked porridge (Lishe bora, LB)] in 54 households. Bacterial numbers were measured again after the porridges had been held at room temperature for four hours (T4). Findings were benchmarked against bacterial numbers in traditional complementary foods sampled from 120 households. Total bacteria, coliform, and Enterobacteriaceae counts were enumerated using Petrifilm™. The mean log bacterial numbers were the lowest for LB at T0 (2.24±0.84 cfu/g aerobic counts) and the highest for SRP at T4 (4.63±0.56 cfu/g aerobic counts). The total bacteria, coliform and Enterobacteriaceae counts were higher at T4 than at T0 for LB (p≤0.001); however, only the coliform and Enterobacteriaceae counts were higher at T4 than at T0 for SRP (p<0.001). Drinking-water, SRP0, traditional foods, and SRP4 all had the mean aerobic counts higher than the acceptable cut-off but the total bacterial count in SRP0 was not significantly (p=0.543) different from drinking-water. However, coliform and Enterobacteriaceae counts in SRP0 were higher than in drinking-water (p<0.001). Also, although the aerobic counts of SRP4 were not significantly (p>0.999) different from traditional foods, the coliform and Enterobacteriaceae counts were significantly higher in SRP4 than in traditional foods (p<0.001). It is, therefore, recommended that food safety concerns be addressed when improving complementary foods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]